Asceua foordi
| Foord's Asceua spider | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Zodariidae |
| Genus: | Asceua |
| Species: | A. foordi
|
| Binomial name | |
| Asceua foordi Jocqué & Henrard, 2024[1]
| |
Asceua foordi is a species of spider in the family Zodariidae.[2] It is found in Africa and is commonly known as Foord's Asceua spider.[3]
Etymology
The species is named in memory of South African arachnologist Stefan Hendrik Foord (1971-2023).
Distribution
Asceua foordi occurs in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guinea, and South Africa.[3] Within South Africa, the species has been recorded from the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal provinces, including localities such as Coffee Bay, Kei Mouth, Mazeppa Bay, and several nature reserves.[3]
Habitat
The species occurs at altitudes ranging from 5 to 1,336 metres above sea level. In South Africa, it inhabits coastal forests where it has been collected using various methods including sweeping, litter sifting, and hand collecting.[3]
Description
The species is known from both sexes and is characterized by its ant-mimicking appearance, with a dark coloration and white spots on the abdomen.[3]
Ecology
Asceua foordi are free-living plant and litter-dwellers that mimic small black ants, which they probably prey upon. In tropical Africa, specimens have been collected from forest canopies using fogging techniques.[3]
Conservation
The species is listed as Least Concern by the South African National Biodiversity Institute due to its wide geographical range across Africa. No significant threats have been identified.[3]
References
- ^ Jocqué, R.; Henrard, A. (2024). "A new candidate for a Gondwanaland distribution in the Zodariidae (Araneae): Australutica in Africa". ZooKeys (1): 59–66. doi:10.3897/zookeys.1.10.
- ^ "Asceua foordi Jocqué & Henrard, 2024". World Spider Catalog. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f g Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S.; Jocqué, R.; Haddad, C.R.; Foord, S.H.; Lotz, L.N. (2024). The Zodariidae of South Africa. Part 1 (A-D) version 1. South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide. p. 8. doi:10.5281/zenodo.14404920. Retrieved 20 September 2025. This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.