Psammorygma
| Psammorygma | |
|---|---|
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| |
| P. aculeatum | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Zodariidae |
| Genus: | Psammorygma Jocqué[1] |
| Type species | |
| Psammorygma caligatum | |
| Species | |
| |
Psammorygma is a genus of African ant spiders found in the deserts of southern Africa, namely the Kalahari desert and the Namib desert.[2] They are somewhat larger spiders, growing up to twenty millimeters in length. The carapace and chelicerae are brightly colored, while the legs and abdomen are generally a darker black or gray. They can be distinguished from other genera by a knob-like proximal extension found on the cheliceral fang and a double row of dorsal spines in a specific location.[2] First described in 1991 by Jocqué, the name is from the Greek psammon, meaning "sand", and orugma, meaning "mine", in reference to the sandy tunnels these spiders live in.[2] As of February 2019[update], it contains only three species: P. aculeatum, P. caligatum, and P. rutilans.[1]
References[edit]