Spiroctenus pallidipes

Touws River Spiroctenus Trapdoor Spider
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Chelicerata
Class:	Arachnida
Order:	Araneae
Infraorder:	Mygalomorphae
Family:	Bemmeridae
Genus:	Spiroctenus
Species:	S. pallidipes
Binomial name
	Spiroctenus pallidipes; Purcell, 1904

Spiroctenus pallidipes is a species of spider in the family Bemmeridae. It is endemic to the Western Cape province of South Africa.^[1]

Distribution

Spiroctenus pallidipes is known only from the type locality at Worcester, at the Touws River Station.^[2]

Habitat

The species inhabits the Fynbos Biome and constructs vertical burrows that are enlarged at a depth of 18-23 centimeters into a chamber, with an additional small chamber in the upper wall used as a retreat during danger.^[2] The burrows lack a lid or turret.

Description

Both sexes of Spiroctenus pallidipes are known to science.^[3] The spider is pale yellowish in color. The carapace with chelicerae is reddish yellow, with the rest being faintly infuscated. The opisthosoma shows a well-defined pattern composed of a series of transverse dark or purplish stripes united by a median longitudinal stripe. The legs are very pale yellowish. The total length is 12.5 millimeters.^[3]

Conservation

The species is listed as Data Deficient for taxonomic reasons, as more sampling is needed to collect females and determine the species range.^[2]

References

↑ "Spiroctenus pallidipes Purcell, 1904". World Spider Catalog. Retrieved 19 September 2025.
1 2 3 Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S.; Haddad, C.R.; Foord, S.H.; Lotz, L.N. (2021). The Bemmeridae of South Africa. Version 1. South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide. Irene. pp. 1–41. doi:10.5281/zenodo.7810486. This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.
1 2 Purcell, W.F. (1904). "Descriptions of new genera and species of South African spiders". Transactions of the South African Philosophical Society. 15: 115–173.

[wsc-1] "Spiroctenus pallidipes Purcell, 1904". World Spider Catalog. Retrieved 19 September 2025.

[dippenaar2021-2] 1 2 3 Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S.; Haddad, C.R.; Foord, S.H.; Lotz, L.N. (2021). The Bemmeridae of South Africa. Version 1. South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide. Irene. pp. 1–41. doi:10.5281/zenodo.7810486. This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.

[purcell1904-3] 1 2 Purcell, W.F. (1904). "Descriptions of new genera and species of South African spiders". Transactions of the South African Philosophical Society. 15: 115–173.

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