Stegodyphus tentoriicola
| Pale Stegodyphus Velvet Spider | |
|---|---|
| Female | |
| Female | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Eresidae |
| Genus: | Stegodyphus |
| Species: | S. tentoriicola
|
| Binomial name | |
| Stegodyphus tentoriicola Purcell, 1904[1]
| |
Stegodyphus tentoriicola is a species of spider in the family Eresidae.[1] It is found in Namibia, Botswana, and South Africa, where it is commonly known as the pale Stegodyphus velvet spider.[2]
Distribution
Stegodyphus tentoriicola occurs in Namibia, Botswana, and South Africa.[1]
In South Africa, the species is recorded from the provinces Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, Limpopo, Northern Cape, and Western Cape.[2] Notable locations include Mountain Zebra National Park, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Karoo National Park, Swartberg Nature Reserve, and Witsand Nature Reserve.[2]
Habitat and ecology
The species inhabits multiple biomes including Fynbos, Grassland and Savanna biomes at altitudes ranging from 54 to 1,722 m above sea level.[2]
Stegodyphus tentoriicola constructs retreat webs on vegetation and has been sampled from grass heads.[2]
Description
Stegodyphus tentoriicola is known from both sexes.[2]
Conservation
Stegodyphus tentoriicola is listed as Least Concern by the South African National Biodiversity Institute due to its wide geographical range. It is protected in five protected areas.[2]
Taxonomy
The species was originally described by William Frederick Purcell in 1904 from Hanover in the Northern Cape.[3] It was revised by Kraus & Kraus in 1989.[4]
References
- ^ a b c "Stegodyphus tentoriicola Purcell, 1904". World Spider Catalog. Retrieved 22 September 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f g Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S.; Haddad, C.R.; Foord, S.H.; Lotz, L.N. (2022). The Eresidae of South Africa. Version 2. South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide. p. 44. doi:10.5281/zenodo.6331366. Retrieved 22 September 2025. This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.
- ^ Purcell, W.F. (1904). "Descriptions of new genera and species of South African spiders". Transactions of the South African Philosophical Society. 15: 115–173.
- ^ Kraus, O.; Kraus, M. (1989). "The genus Stegodyphus (Arachnida, Araneae). Sibling species, species groups, and parallel origin of social living". Verhandlungen des Naturwissenschaftlichen Vereins in Hamburg. 30: 151–254.