Zelotes ngomensis
| Ngome Dark Ground Spider | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Gnaphosidae |
| Genus: | Zelotes |
| Species: | Z. ngomensis
|
| Binomial name | |
| Zelotes ngomensis FitzPatrick, 2007[1]
| |
Zelotes ngomensis is a species of spider in the family Gnaphosidae.[2] It is endemic to KwaZulu-Natal and is commonly known as the ngome dark ground spider.[3]
Distribution
Zelotes ngomensis is endemic to KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The species occurs at altitudes ranging from 140 to 1,129 m above sea level.[3]
Collection localities include Ithala Nature Reserve, Ngome State Forest, and Ndumo Game Reserve.[3]
Description
Habitat and ecology
Zelotes ngomensis are free-running ground spiders found under stones during the day. The species has been sampled from the Savanna biome.[3]
Conservation
Zelotes ngomensis is listed as Least Concern by the South African National Biodiversity Institute. This species is highly likely to be under collected. With no threats currently known to affect the species, it is listed as Least Concern. The species is fairly abundant in the Ngome State Forest and is also protected in the Ithala Nature Reserve and Ndumo Game Reserve.[3]
Taxonomy
The species was described by FitzPatrick in 2007 from Ngome State Forest. The species is known from both sexes.[3]
References
- ^ FitzPatrick, M.J. (2007). "A taxonomic revision of the Afrotropical species of Zelotes (Arachnida: Araneae: Gnaphosidae)". Bulletin of the British Arachnological Society. 14 (3): 97–172. doi:10.13156/arac.2011.14.3.97.
- ^ "Zelotes ngomensis FitzPatrick, 2007". World Spider Catalog. Retrieved 2025-09-25.
- ^ a b c d e f Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S.; Haddad, C.R.; Foord, S.H.; Lotz, L.N. (2021). The Gnaphosidae of South Africa. Part 4 (Z). Version 1. South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide. pp. 36–37. doi:10.5281/zenodo.7197783. This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.