Theuma tragardhi
| Umfolosi 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. tragardhi
|
| Binomial name | |
| Theuma tragardhi | |
Theuma tragardhi is a species of spider in the family Prodidomidae.[2] It is a South African endemic commonly known as the Umfolosi Theuma long spinneret ground spider.[3]
Distribution
Theuma tragardhi is known only from South Africa, where it is recorded from two provinces, Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal.[3]
Notable locations include Pretoria/Tshwane, Ndumo Game Reserve, and Umfolosi Nature Reserve.[3]
Habitat and ecology
Theuma tragardhi is a free-living ground dweller found in the Savanna biome.[3] The species inhabits altitudes ranging from 47 to 1,303 m above sea level.[3]
Description
Conservation
Theuma tragardhi is listed as Least Concern by the South African National Biodiversity Institute.[3] Although known only from one sex, the species seems to have a wide range. It is threatened by habitat loss for infrastructure development and human settlement, especially in the Pretoria area, but is protected in Ndumo Game Reserve and Umfolosi Nature Reserve.[3]
Taxonomy
The species was originally described by Reginald Frederick Lawrence in 1947 from Umfolosi Drift in KwaZulu-Natal.[1] It has not been revised and is known only from the male sex.[3]
References
- ^ a b Lawrence, R.F. (1947). "A collection of Arachnida made by Dr. I. Trägårdh in Natal and Zululand (1904-1905)". Göteborgs Kungliga Vetenskaps och Vitterhets Samhälles Handlingar. 6. B5 (9): 12.
- ^ "Theuma tragardhi Lawrence, 1947". World Spider Catalog. Retrieved 24 September 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f g h 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. 39. doi:10.5281/zenodo.7515818. Retrieved 24 September 2025. This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.