Messapus meridionalis is a spider species in the family Corinnidae.
Distribution Messapus meridionalis is endemic to South Africa, known only from KwaZulu-Natal Province. The species is known only from the type locality, Oribi Gorge Nature Reserve.
Habitat and ecology This species is free-living and was sampled during canopy fogging in riparian forest in the Savanna biome at 416 m above sea level.
Description
Conservation Messapus meridionalis is listed as Data Deficient for Taxonomic reasons by the South African National Biodiversity Institute. It is possibly under-collected and more localities are suspected to occur. More sampling is needed to collect the male and determine the species' range. There are no known threats to the species.
Taxonomy The species was described by Haddad & Mbo in 2015 from Oribi Gorge Nature Reserve, KwaZulu-Natal. It is known only from the female.
References