More on the beetle crab spider Mystaria rufolimbata Simon, 1895 (Araneae: Thomisidae) from South Africa

Abstract

Mystaria Simon, 1895, is an African genus represented by 15 species. The type species, Mystaria rufolimbata Simon, 1895, was described from Sierra Leone and is currently known from eight African countries. The species name rufolimbata means “red-bordered” or “having a reddish margin”, and the female is recognised as having a red band around the border of the abdomen that var-ies in shape and colour. The smaller male is usually black. This paper discusses their general morphology, along with notes on lifestyle, conservation, and distribution in South Africa.