Singafrotypa mandela
Singafrotypa mandela, or Mandela's orb-web spider, is a spider in the Araneidae family. It is endemic to South Africa.
Where it is found: It has been recorded in KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, and Western Cape. It lives at elevations from 9 to 1,148 meters above sea level and in Fynbos and Savanna habitats.
What it looks like and how it lives: It has a cylindrical body with long spinnerets. This shape might help it use rolled leaves or grass stems as a retreat on its web, but not much else about its natural history is known.
Conservation: It is listed as Least Concern on the SANBI Red List. It is probably under-recorded and may occur in more places. It is protected in Mkuze Game Reserve and Table Mountain National Park.
Taxonomy and naming: The species was described by Kuntner & Hormiga in 2002 from Cape Town. It is named in honor of Nelson Mandela. So far, only females have been found.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 19:21 (CET).