Archaeodictyna ulova
| Archaeodictyna ulova | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Dictynidae |
| Genus: | Archaeodictyna |
| Species: | A. ulova
|
| Binomial name | |
| Archaeodictyna ulova Griswold & Meikle-Griswold, 1987[1]
| |
Archaeodictyna ulova is a species of spider in the family Dictynidae.[2] It is commonly known as the ulova mesh-web sider and is endemic to South Africa.[3]
Distribution
Archaeodictyna ulova is known from three South African provinces: Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, and Limpopo.[3] The species occurs at altitudes ranging from 37 to 1,742 m above sea level.[3]
Habitat and ecology
The species has been sampled from grass and herb layers in grassland, thicket and savanna biomes.[3] Archaeodictyna ulova exhibits an unusual lifestyle as a kleptoparasite in the community nests of the eresid spiders Stegodyphus mimosarum and S. dumicola, feeding communally with their hosts on prey items caught by the eresids.[3]
Description
Archaeodictyna ulova is known from both sexes.[3]
Conservation
Archaeodictyna ulova is listed as Least Concern by the South African National Biodiversity Institute due to its wide geographic range.[3] The species is protected in Addo National Park and Kruger National Park.[3]
References
- ^ Griswold, C.E.; Meikle-Griswold, T. (1987). "Archaeodictyna ulova, new species (Araneae: Dictynidae), a remarkable kleptoparasite of group-living eresid spiders (Stegodyphus spp., Araneae: Eresidae)". American Museum Novitates. 2897: 1–11.
- ^ "Archaeodictyna ulova Griswold & Meikle-Griswold, 1987". World Spider Catalog. Retrieved 22 September 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S.; Haddad, C.R.; Foord, S.H.; Lotz, L.N. (2020). The Dictynidae of South Africa. Version 1. South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide. p. 6. doi:10.5281/zenodo.6159874. Retrieved 22 September 2025. This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.