Benoitodes caheni (Benoit, 1977:57)
Cahen's ground spider
Taxonomy & Nomenclature
Synonym/s: Actaeodes caheni Benoit, 1977 (basionym)
Transferred to the genus Benoitodes by (Platnick, 1993; Murphy, 2007:58).
Conservation Status
Missing (White et al., 2019)
Last record: 12-19 March 1967 (White et al., 2019)
IUCN RedList status: Critically Endangered (Possibly Extinct)
Not recorded in 2003 (Ashmole & Ashmole, 2004a,b; Mendel et al., 2008/2013:28), 2005-6 (Mendel et al., 2008/2013), 16 June-10 July 2012 (Cairns-Wicks & Lambdon, 2013) or 2014 (Pryce & Paajanen, 2014). Introduced spiders, and possibly other species, may have lead to the species' disappearance (Cairns-Wicks & Lambdon, 2013:32). Although 91 specimens were collected between 1965-1967 (Benoit, 1977 fide White et al., 2019), which may have contributed to it's extinction.
Distribution
Prosperous Plain, St. Helena
Biology & Ecology
Hypodigm
Media
References
Original scientific description:
Benoit, P. L. G. (1977). Fam. Drassidae. In: La faune terrestre de l'île de Saite-Hélène IV. Annales, Musée Royal de l'Afrique Centrale, Sciences zoologiques (Zool.-Ser. 8°) 220, 52-62.
Other references:
Ashmole, Philip, and, Ashmole, Myrtle. (2004a). The invertebrates of Prosperous Bay Plain, St Helena: A survey, by Philip and Myrtle Ashmole, September – December 2003. Commissioned by the St Helena Government and financed by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Peebles, Scotland: Kidston Mill.
Ashmole, Philip, and, Ashmole, Myrtle. (2004b). Guide to Invertebrates of Prosperous Bay Plain, St Helena and Illustrated account of species found on the Eastern Arid Area (EAA), including Prosperous Bay Plain, Holdfast Tom and Horse Point Plain. Peebles, Scotland: Kidston Mill. 92 pp. [automatic download]
Cairns-Wicks, Rebecca and Lambdon, Phil. (2013). Habitat survey report: Dry Gut and the southern ridge of Prosperous Bay Plain. Final Report. Commissioned by St Helena Government.
Mendel, Howard, Ashmole, Philip and Ashmole, Myrtle. (2008/2013). Invertebrates of the Central Peaks and Peak Dale, St Helena. Report to the St Helena National Trust. 122pp. [originally published in 2008; taxonomy updated by David Pryce in 2013]
Murphy, J. (2007). Gnaphosid genera of the world. British Arachnological Society, St Neots, Cambs 1, i-xii, 1-92; 2:i-11, 93-605.
Platnick, N. I. (1993). Advances in spider taxonomy 1988-1991, with synonymies and transfers 1940-1980. The New York Entomological Society, New York. 846 pp.
Pryce, David. (2019). David Pryce Invertebrate Surveys: Prosperous Bay Plain Invertebrate Survey 2018-19. Unpublished report.
White, L., Pryce, D., Wilkins, V. L. and Dutton, A.-J. (2019). Benoitodes caheni. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019: e.T65881182A67528094. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T65881182A67528094.en. Accessed on 24 July 2022.
https://extinctanimals.proboards.com/thread/19886/benoitodes-caheni