Theuma schreineri

Hanover Theuma Long Spinneret Ground Spider
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Infraorder: Araneomorphae
Family: Prodidomidae
Genus: Theuma
Species:
T. schreineri
Binomial name
Theuma schreineri

Theuma schreineri is a species of spider in the family Prodidomidae.[2] It is a southern African endemic commonly known as the Hanover Theuma long spinneret ground spider.[3]

Distribution

Theuma schreineri occurs in Lesotho and South Africa.[3] In South Africa, it is recorded from five provinces, Eastern Cape, Free State, Northern Cape, North West, and Western Cape.[3]

Notable locations include Jeffrey's Bay, Erfenis Dam Nature Reserve, Hanover, Vryburg, De Hoop Nature Reserve, and Cederberg Wilderness Area.[3]

Habitat and ecology

Theuma schreineri is a free-living ground dweller found in Fynbos, Nama Karoo, Grassland, and Savanna biomes.[3] The species inhabits altitudes ranging from 266 to 1,529 m above sea level.[3]

Description

Conservation

Theuma schreineri is listed as Least Concern by the South African National Biodiversity Institute due to its wide distribution range.[3] There are no significant threats to the species, and it is protected in Erfenis Dam Nature Reserve, De Hoop Nature Reserve, and the Cederberg Wilderness Area.[3]

Taxonomy

The species was originally described by William Frederick Purcell in 1907 from Hanover in the Northern Cape.[1] It has not been revised but is known from both sexes.[3]

References

  1. ^ a b Purcell, W.F. (1907). "New South African spiders of the family Drassidae in the collection of the South African Museum". Annals and Magazine of Natural History. 7. 20 (118): 301. doi:10.1080/00222930709487339.
  2. ^ "Theuma schreineri Purcell, 1907". World Spider Catalog. Retrieved 24 September 2025.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S.; Haddad, C.R.; Foord, S.H.; Lotz, L.N. (2023). The Prodidomidae of South Africa. Version 1. South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide. p. 37. doi:10.5281/zenodo.7515818. Retrieved 24 September 2025. This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.