Larinia chloris
| Larinia Grass Orb-Web Spider | |
|---|---|
| Female | |
| Female | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Araneidae |
| Genus: | Larinia |
| Species: | L. chloris
|
| Binomial name | |
| Larinia chloris | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Larinia chloris is a species of spider in the family Araneidae.[2] It has a wide distribution across Africa and western Asia and is commonly known as the Larinia grass orb-web spider.[3]
Distribution
Larinia chloris has a wide distribution from Spain, Greece, Cyprus, Turkey, North and East Africa to Israel, Iraq, Iran, India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. The species has been introduced to Mozambique and South Africa.[2]
In South Africa, the species is known from Eastern Cape, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Western Cape, and Northern Cape. Notable locations include Addo Elephant National Park, De Hoop Nature Reserve, Swartberg Nature Reserve, and Tswalu Kalahari Reserve.[3]
Habitat and ecology
Larinia chloris is an orb-web spider that constructs their webs in the grass.[3]
The species inhabits Thicket, Fynbos, Savanna, and Grassland biomes at altitudes ranging from 4 to 1,909 m above sea level.[3]
Description
Conservation
Larinia chloris is listed as Least Concern by the South African National Biodiversity Institute due to its wide geographical range. There are no known threats to the species. The species is protected in five reserves including Swartberg Nature Reserve and Tswalu Kalahari Reserve.[3]
Taxonomy
Larinia chloris was originally described by Victor Audouin in 1826 as Epeira chloris. The species was revised by Manfred Grasshoff in 1970, who synonymized Larinia flavescens Simon, 1882 with this species. It is known from both sexes.[3]
References
- ^ Audouin, V. (1826). "Explication sommaire des planches d'arachnides de l'Égypte et de la Syrie". Description de l'Égypte, Histoire Naturelle. 1 (4): 1–339.
- ^ a b "Larinia chloris (Audouin, 1826)". World Spider Catalog. Retrieved 2025-09-26.
- ^ a b c d e f Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S.; Haddad, C.R.; Foord, S.H.; Lotz, L.N.; Webb, P. (2022). The Araneidae of South Africa. Version 2: part 2 (E-Ne). South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide. p. 40. doi:10.5281/zenodo.6619195. This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.