Dendryphantes acutus
| Lesotho Dendryphantes Jumping Spider | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Salticidae |
| Genus: | Dendryphantes |
| Species: | D. acutus
|
| Binomial name | |
| Dendryphantes acutus | |
Dendryphantes acutus is a species of jumping spider in the family Salticidae.[2] It is endemic to southern Africa and is commonly known as the Lesotho Dendryphantes jumping spider.[3]
Distribution
Dendryphantes acutus is found in Lesotho and South Africa.[2]
In South Africa, it is known from at Sterkfontein Dam Nature Reserve in Free State province.[3]
Habitat and ecology
Dendryphantes acutus inhabits alpine grasslands at altitudes ranging from 1,732 to 2,401 m. The species is collected near the ground, either under rocks or in low vegetation within the Grassland Biome.[3]
Description
Conservation
Dendryphantes acutus is listed as Data Deficient by the South African National Biodiversity Institute. The species has a restricted range in South Africa with a very small extent of occurrence. More sampling is needed to determine the species' full distribution.[3]
Etymology
The species name acutus is Latin meaning "sharp" or "pointed".
Taxonomy
Dendryphantes acutus was originally described by Wanda Wesołowska and Charles Haddad in 2014 from Letseng-la-Letsie in southern Lesotho. It was first recorded from South Africa in 2018.[3] Both sexes are known.[3]
References
- ^ Wesołowska, W.; Haddad, C.R. (2014). "An overview of the jumping spiders of Lesotho (Araneae: Salticidae), with descriptions of six new species". African Invertebrates. 55 (2): 229–268. doi:10.5281/zenodo.7680935.
- ^ a b "Dendryphantes acutus Wesołowska & Haddad, 2014". World Spider Catalog. Natural History Museum Bern. doi:10.24436/2. Retrieved 2025-10-01.
- ^ a b c d e f Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S.; Van der Walt, V.; Haddad, C.R.; Foord, S.H.; Lotz, L.N. (2025). The Salticidae of South Africa. Part 1 (A-Den). Version 1. South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide. p. 52. doi:10.5281/zenodo.15222559. This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.