▁genus ▁Lat ro de ct us ▁described ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 9 , ▁named ▁after ▁the ▁Ph inda ▁Private ▁Game ▁Reserve ▁where ▁research ▁spec im ens ▁were ▁collected . ▁, ▁it ▁is ▁known ▁only ▁from ▁crit ically ▁end anger ed ▁sand ▁forest ▁environments ▁in ▁northern ▁Z ul ul and , ▁K wa Z ulu - N atal , ▁South ▁Africa . ▁It ▁is ▁believed ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁largest ▁member ▁of ▁its ▁genus . ▁ ▁Disc overy ▁A ▁single ▁female ▁was ▁first ▁found ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 4 ▁in ▁the ▁Tem be ▁Ele ph ant ▁Park . ▁It ▁was ▁observed ▁until ▁its ▁natural ▁death ▁two ▁years ▁later , ▁when ▁it ▁was ▁collected ▁and ▁sent ▁to ▁a ▁labor atory . ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 7 ▁a ▁professional ▁ent om ologist ▁joined ▁the ▁study ▁and ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁live ▁spec im ens ▁were ▁collected ▁from ▁the ▁Ph inda ▁reserve . ▁They ▁and ▁their ▁off spring ▁were ▁studied ▁until ▁ 2 0 1 9 ▁when ▁it ▁was ▁confirmed ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁new ▁species . ▁The ▁first ▁addition ▁in ▁ 2 8 ▁years ▁to ▁the ▁ 3 1 ▁previously ▁known ▁button , ▁or ▁wid ow ▁sp iders ▁in ▁the ▁Lat ro de ct us ▁genus , ▁of ▁which ▁eight ▁are ▁found ▁in ▁Africa . ▁ ▁Description ▁Fem ales ▁have ▁red ▁mark ings ▁on ▁both ▁the ▁vent ral ▁and ▁d ors al ▁surfaces ▁of ▁the ▁ab d omen , ▁unlike ▁any ▁other ▁African ▁Lat ro de ct us ▁species . ▁They ▁have ▁parallel ▁s per mat