About Monaeses paradoxus (Lucas, 1846)
Monaeses paradoxus (Lucas, 1846) is a species of spider in the family Thomisidae, commonly known as the spotted Monaeses crab spider, and has a very wide distribution. This species is distributed from Southern Europe to Iran, across the whole of Africa. In South Africa, it can be found in all nine of the country's provinces. Confirmed recorded locations for the species include Kruger National Park, Tsitsikamma National Park, Pilanesberg National Park, and Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve. Monaeses paradoxus lives in grass and low vegetation, and can be collected easily with a sweepnet. It is abundant in seven South African biomes: Fynbos, Forest, Indian Ocean Coastal Belt, Nama Karoo, Succulent Karoo, Grassland and Savanna. Its recorded altitude range is from 1 meter to 1,871 meters. Individuals have also been sampled from cotton and pistachio orchards. Adult specimens of this species have only been collected outside of winter months, throughout the rest of the year.
