Dendryphantes rafalskii
| Rafalski's Dendryphantes Jumping Spider | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Salticidae |
| Genus: | Dendryphantes |
| Species: | D. rafalskii
|
| Binomial name | |
| Dendryphantes rafalskii Wesołowska, 2000[1]
| |
Dendryphantes rafalskii is a species of jumping spider in the family Salticidae.[2] It is endemic to southern Africa and is commonly known as Rafalski's Dendryphantes jumping spider.[3]
Distribution
Dendryphantes rafalskii is found in South Africa and Zimbabwe.[2]
In South Africa, it has been sampled from Free State and Gauteng provinces. Known locations include Bloemfontein National Botanical Gardens and Pretoria/Tshwane.[3]
Habitat and ecology
Dendryphantes rafalskii inhabits the Grassland Biome at altitudes ranging from 1,385 to 1,520 m. Specimens have been collected by beating the foliage of shrubs. Large numbers of juveniles with distinctive abdominal markings were also collected by fogging Olea europaea trees at the Free State National Botanical Gardens during February.[3]
Description
Conservation
Dendryphantes rafalskii is listed as Least Concern by the South African National Biodiversity Institute due to its wide geographical range. There are no significant threats to the species.[3]
Etymology
The species is named after Polish arachnologist Jan Rafalski (1909-1995).
Taxonomy
Dendryphantes rafalskii was originally described by Wanda Wesołowska in 2000 from Zimbabwe. Both sexes are known.[3]
References
- ^ Wesołowska, W. (2000). "New and little known species of jumping spiders from Zimbabwe (Araneae: Salticidae)". Arnoldia Zimbabwe. 10: 145–174.
- ^ a b "Dendryphantes rafalskii Wesołowska, 2000". World Spider Catalog. Natural History Museum Bern. doi:10.24436/2. Retrieved 2025-10-01.
- ^ a b c d e 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. 58. doi:10.5281/zenodo.15222559. This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.