Ariadna umtalica
| Zimbabwe Tube-Web Spider | |
|---|---|
| Female | |
| Female | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Segestriidae |
| Genus: | Ariadna |
| Species: | A. umtalica
|
| Binomial name | |
| Ariadna umtalica | |
Ariadna umtalica is a southern African species of spider in the family Segestriidae.[2] It is commonly known as the Zimbabwe tube-web spider.[3]
Distribution
Ariadna umtalica was originally described from Zimbabwe and is also recorded from Botswana and South Africa.[2] In South Africa, it is known only from the Northern Cape and Gauteng provinces.[3]
Habitat and ecology
The species inhabits the Savanna biome and constructs tube signal-webs made in crevices of walls, rocks, fallen tree trunks, or bark of trees. Males have been found under stones.[3]
Description
Females have a dark brown carapace with the ocular area black. Chelicerae are reddish-black. The abdomen is pallid, suffused with purplish. Legs are infuscated as in dark specimens of A. bilineata, with the two posterior pairs reddish-ochraceous and the anterior tibia and metatarsus blackish-red. The sternum and labium are brown, with the labium paler at apex. Total length is 12 mm.[3]
Conservation
Ariadna umtalica is listed as least concern by the South African National Biodiversity Institute due to its wide geographical range across Africa.[3]
Taxonomy
The species was originally described by W. F. Purcell in 1904 from Zimbabwe. Only females are described.[3]
References
- ^ Purcell, W.F. (1904). "Descriptions of new genera and species of South African spiders". Transactions of the South African Philosophical Society. 15: 115–173.
- ^ a b "Ariadna umtalica Purcell, 1904". World Spider Catalog. Retrieved 2025-09-28.
- ^ a b c d e f Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S.; Haddad, C.R.; Foord, S.H.; Lotz, L.N. (2021). The Segestriidae of South Africa. Version 1. South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide. pp. 1–22. doi:10.5281/zenodo.7162194. This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.