Our first spider of the month (SOTM) in 2022 is this green lynx spider (Peucetia striata; Oxyopidae) taken by Desiré Pelser in Kloof, KZN. Lynx spiders are free-living plant dwellers that stalk and pounce on their prey, much like that of the cat family, hence the name “lynx spider”. Their scientific name, Oxyopidae, means “sharp … Read more

December’s spider of the month (SOTM) is this crowned lynx spider (Hamataliwa sp.; Oxyopidae), taken by Robert Wienand. There are nine genera in the world, but only three genera in South Africa, namely the grass lynx spiders (Oxyopes), green lynx spiders (Peucetia), and the crowned lynx spiders (Hamataliwa). They are free-living spiders, mostly found on … Read more

Our November spider of the month is this huntsman spider (Sparassidae), photographed by Chantelle Bosch at the Serra Cafema camp on the Namibia-Angola border near Epupa Falls. It is most likely May sp., which is a huntsman genus that occurs only in South Africa and Namibia. This is a relatively new genus, which was described … Read more