''Psammorygma'' is a genus of African
ant spiders found in the deserts of southern Africa, namely the
Kalahari desert and the
Namib desert.
They are somewhat larger spiders, growing up to twenty millimeters in length. The
carapace
A carapace is a Dorsum (biology), dorsal (upper) section of the exoskeleton or shell in a number of animal groups, including arthropods, such as crustaceans and arachnids, as well as vertebrates, such as turtles and tortoises. In turtles and tor ...
and
chelicerae are brightly colored, while the legs and abdomen are generally a darker black or gray. They can be distinguished from other genera by a knob-like proximal extension found on the cheliceral fang and a double row of
dorsal spines in a specific location.
First described in 1991 by Jocqué, the name is from the
Greek ''psammon'', meaning "sand", and ''orugma'', meaning "mine", in reference to the sandy tunnels these spiders live in.
, it contains only three species: ''
P. aculeatum'', ''
P. caligatum'', and ''
P. rutilans''.
References
Zodariidae
Araneomorphae genera
Spiders of Africa
{{Zodariidae-stub