Pachyballus transversus

Small and very flat with a strongly pitted exterior, Pachyballus transversus is similar to others in the genus, although slightly larger than the related Pachyballus flavipes. Both the male and female are similar in shape. Their bodies are divided into two main parts, a cephalothorax to the front and, behind that, an abdomen. The male has a cephalothorax that measures between 1.5 and 1.7 mm (0.06 and 0.07 in) in length and between 1.9 and 2 mm (0.07 and 0.08 in) in width. The female has a cephalothorax measuring between 1.4 and 1.6 mm (0.055 and 0.063 in) in length and 1.6 and 2.0 mm in width. The spider's carapace, the hard upper part of the cephalothorax, is wide and dark brown to blackish. It has a trapezoidal eye field, more noticeably than in others in the genus, so much so that the eye field is twice as wide at the line of the last row of eyes as at the first. There are a few hairs and long bristles around some of it eyes. Its sternum, the underside of the cephalothorax, is rounded and darker than the upper side. The part of its face known as its clypeus is low. The spider's chelicerae have three short teeth at the front and a single tooth with serrated edges and four tips at the back. …

Pachyballus spiders are generally found in Africa and have been recorded in Yemen. Pachyballus transversus was initially seen in Congo, South Africa, and Zanzibar. It has been subsequently identified as having a wide distribution across Africa. The spider has been found in Cameroon, both the Democratic Republic of Congo and Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Mozambique, Somalia, South Africa and Tanzania. It has been seen living on branches in savanna, in rainforests and in plains at an altitude of 1,100 m (3,600 ft) above sea level. The spider can also live in areas where humans have affected the ecosystem, including coffee plantations and shrubs where the savanna has been overgrazed. Its conservation status is of Least Concern.