Austrodomus scaber
| Prince Alfred Austrodomus Pale Ground Spider | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Prodidomidae |
| Genus: | Austrodomus |
| Species: | A. scaber
|
| Binomial name | |
| Austrodomus scaber (Purcell, 1904)
| |
Austrodomus scaber is a species of spider in the family Gnaphosidae.[1] It is found in Namibia and South Africa and is commonly known as the Prince Alfred Austrodomus pale ground spider.[2]
Distribution
Austrodomus scaber is known from Namibia and South Africa. In South Africa, it occurs in three provinces: Limpopo, Northern Cape, and Western Cape.[2]
Habitat and ecology
The species is a free-running ground dweller found at altitudes ranging from 614 to 1,593 m above sea level. It has been sampled from Grassland, Savanna, and Nama Karoo biomes.[2]
Description
Austrodomus scaber is known from both sexes.
Conservation
Austrodomus scaber is listed as Least Concern by the South African National Biodiversity Institute due to its wide geographical range. The species is protected in several reserves including Blouberg Nature Reserve, Luvhondo Nature Reserve, Nwanedi Nature Reserve, Gamkaberg Nature Reserve, and Augrabies National Park.[2]
Taxonomy
The species was originally described by W. F. Purcell in 1904 as Prodidomus scaber from Prince Albert in the Western Cape. The genus Austrodomus was transferred from Prodidomidae to Gnaphosidae (subfamily Prodidominae) by Azevedo, Griswold & Santos in 2018. The genus was revised by Rodrigues & Rheims in 2020.[2]
References
- ^ "Austrodomus scaber (Purcell, 1904)". World Spider Catalog. Retrieved 22 September 2025.
- ^ a b c d e 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. pp. 42–43. doi:10.5281/zenodo.7197174. Retrieved 22 September 2025. This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.