Asemesthes fodina
| Dendron Asemesthes Ground Spider | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Gnaphosidae |
| Genus: | Asemesthes |
| Species: | A. fodina
|
| Binomial name | |
| Asemesthes fodina Tucker, 1923[1]
| |
Asemesthes fodina is a species of spider in the family Gnaphosidae.[2] It is endemic to southern Africa and is commonly known as the dendron Asemesthes ground spider.[3]
Distribution
Asemesthes fodina occurs in Namibia and South Africa.[2] In South Africa, it is recorded only from Limpopo province at altitudes ranging from 527 to 1,025 m above sea level.[3]
Habitat and ecology
The species is a free-living ground dweller sampled from the Savanna biome.[3]
Description
Asemesthes fodina is known only from the male. The carapace is medium brown with black edges and irregular darkened lateral bands and slight radial darkenings. The opisthosoma is dull testaceous brown with lateral darkened mottling and an indistinct dorsal band, as well as a slight dorsal scutum. The total length is 4 mm.[3]
Conservation
Asemesthes fodina is listed as Least Concern by the South African National Biodiversity Institute due to its wide distribution range. More sampling is needed to collect the female.[3]
Taxonomy
The species was originally described by Richard William Ethelbert Tucker in 1923 from Tsumeb in Namibia.[1] It has not been revised since its original description.[3]
References
- ^ a b Tucker, R.W.E. (1923). "The Drassidae of South Africa". Annals of the South African Museum. 19 (2): 251–437.
- ^ a b "Asemesthes fodina Tucker, 1923". World Spider Catalog. Retrieved 22 September 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S.; Haddad, C.R.; Foord, S.H.; Lotz, L.N. (2021). The Gnaphosidae of South Africa. part 1 (A-D). South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide. p. 27. doi:10.5281/zenodo.7197174. Retrieved 22 September 2025. This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.