Xysticus tugelanus
| Tugela's Xysticus Ground Crab Spider | |
|---|---|
| female | |
| female | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Thomisidae |
| Genus: | Xysticus |
| Species: | X. tugelanus
|
| Binomial name | |
| Xysticus tugelanus | |
Xysticus tugelanus is a species of spider in the family Thomisidae.[2] It occurs in Lesotho and South Africa, and is commonly known as Tugela's Xysticus ground crab spider.[3]
Distribution
Xysticus tugelanus occurs in two southern African countries: Lesotho and South Africa. In South Africa, the species is distributed across four provinces: Eastern Cape, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, and Western Cape. The species occurs at altitudes ranging from 62 to 2,894 m above sea level.[3]
Notable South African locations include Qachas Nek, Prentjiesberg, Jeffreys Bay, Baviaanskloof Nature Reserve, Kliprivierberg Nature Reserve, Cathkin Peak, Garden Castle, Kamberg Nature Reserve, Cathedral Peak, and Swartberg Nature Reserve.[3]
Habitat and ecology
Xysticus tugelanus are ground dwellers that inhabit Fynbos, Grassland, and Thicket biomes.[3]
Conservation
Xysticus tugelanus is listed as Least Concern by the South African National Biodiversity Institute due to its wide geographical range. The species is protected in four protected areas: Baviaanskloof Nature Reserve, Kliprivierberg Nature Reserve, Kamberg Nature Reserve, and Swartberg Nature Reserve. No conservation actions are recommended.[3]
Description
Taxonomy
The species was originally described by Lawrence in 1942 from Cathedral Peak in KwaZulu-Natal. African species of Xysticus have not been revised. The species is known only from the female.[3]
References
- ^ Lawrence, R.F. (1942). "A contribution to the arachnid fauna of Natal and Zululand". Annals of the Natal Museum. 10: 141–190.
- ^ "Xysticus tugelanus Lawrence, 1942". 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. (2020). South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide: Thomisidae (part 4). 1. p. 13. This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.