Stasimopus artifex

Stasimopus artifex is a species of spider in the family Stasimopidae.^[2] It is endemic to South Africa and is commonly known as the Grahamstown cork-lid trapdoor spider.^[3]

Grahamstown Cork-Lid Trapdoor Spider
Conservation status
Invalid status (SANBI Red List)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Chelicerata
Class:	Arachnida
Order:	Araneae
Infraorder:	Mygalomorphae
Family:	Stasimopidae
Genus:	Stasimopus
Species:	S. artifex
Binomial name
Stasimopus artifex Pocock, 1902[1]

Distribution

Stasimopus artifex is found in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. Notable locations include Bathurst at Rokeby Park and Pigs Island, Seaview, and Grahamstown at Cuylerville.^[3]

Habitat and ecology

See also: Glossary of spider terms

The species is a ground dweller that lives in silk-lined burrows closed with a thick trapdoor lid. It has been sampled from the Savanna and Thicket biomes.^[3]

Description

See also: Glossary of spider terms

Conservation

Stasimopus artifex is listed as Data Deficient for taxonomic reasons by the South African National Biodiversity Institute. The species is known from three localities sampled prior to 1902. It is suspected to be under-collected since trapdoor spiders are not easy to locate. The species is likely threatened by habitat loss due to urbanization at Bathurst and Seaview, and crop farming at Bathurst.^[3]

Taxonomy

The species was originally described by Pocock in 1902 from Cuylerville, near Grahamstown. The genus has not yet been revised, and identification of the species remains problematic. The male remains unknown.^[3]