Messapus natalis

Messapus natalis is a spider species in the family Corinnidae.^[1] It is commonly known as the Giant Messapus dark sac spider.^[2]

Giant Messapus dark sac spider
Conservation status
Least Concern (SANBI Red List)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Chelicerata
Class:	Arachnida
Order:	Araneae
Infraorder:	Araneomorphae
Family:	Corinnidae
Genus:	Messapus
Species:	M. natalis
Binomial name
Messapus natalis (Pocock, 1898)

Distribution

Messapus natalis occurs in southern Africa, including Mozambique and South Africa.^[1] In South Africa, the species has been sampled from three provinces: KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo and Mpumalanga.^[2]

Habitat and ecology

Messapus natalis is primarily an arboreal species, with specimens collected from retreats constructed in fissures or similar structures on tree bark, or in canopy fogging samples.^[2] It has been collected from the Forest, Savanna and Indian Ocean Coastal Belt biomes at altitudes ranging from 17 to 975 m above sea level.^[2]

Description

Conservation

Messapus natalis is listed as Least Concern by the South African National Biodiversity Institute due to its wide geographical range and no known threats.^[2] The species is conserved in three protected areas Ndumo Game Reserve, Lowveld National Botanical Gardens and Dukuduku Forest.^[2]

Taxonomy

The species was originally described by Reginald Innes Pocock in 1898 as Corinna natalis from Durban, South Africa.^[2] It was redescribed by Haddad (2013) and transferred to Messapus by Haddad (2013).^[1] The species is known from both sexes and is the largest described species of Corinnidae from Africa known to date.^[2]