The February Spider of the Month (SOTM) is this Hewitt’s crab spider (Hewittia gracilis; Thomisidae), photographed by Kyle Thomas in Magoebaskloof, Limpopo.
Kyle said the following about this find:
“The mountains and woodbush grasslands of Magoebaskloof have very quickly become my favourite getaway these past two years; every stay has produced something exciting to tick off the ever-growing bucket list. This Hewittia gracilis was one of the highlights and the instant gratification of seeing this much-wished-for species in a sweeping net is hugely rewarding. I usually find thomisids easy subjects to photograph as they are quite happy to chill in a single spot; this one surprised me with just how fast they can move for a rather awkward-looking spider. Moments like this are what keep drawing me back. Each trip offers beautiful landscapes and encounters that have my appreciation for the remarkable diversity there.”
Most (if not all) crab spiders are ambushers that sit and wait for prey to approach before grabbing them. For this reason, their front four legs are usually longer than the rest. This family is extremely diverse, and with almost 150 described species, it’s the third-largest family in South Africa, after the jumping spiders (Salticidae) and flat-bellied ground spiders (Gnaphosidae).
Hewittia is a monotypic genus, meaning there is only one species described in this genus. The species is found only in Africa, specifically in Ivory Coast, Ghana, Congo, DRC, Rwanda, Tanzania, Angola, Namibia, and South Africa. The type locality is the DRC. In 2022, Dippenaar-Schoeman et al. recorded this species in South Africa for the first time.
This squid-like crab spider was described by Roger de Lessert in 1928. It was named in honour of John Hewitt, a South African zoologist born in England. Hewitt was known more for herpetology and archaeology but also described some arachnid species. The specific epithet “gracilis” means “graceful”. It can also mean slender, slim, thin, etc.
This is Kyle’s fifth SOTM. Of 201 people who voted, this photo received 128 (64%) votes. Kyle’s photo of a triangle orb-web spider (Ideocaira cf. transversa) was also the 2024 Spider of the Year. Congratulations, Kyle! Keep the awesome shots coming!