Asemesthes paynteri
| Paynter's Asemesthes Ground Spider | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Gnaphosidae |
| Genus: | Asemesthes |
| Species: | A. paynteri
|
| Binomial name | |
| Asemesthes paynteri Tucker, 1923[1]
| |
Asemesthes paynteri is a species of spider in the family Gnaphosidae.[2] It is endemic to South Africa and is commonly known as Paynter's Asemesthes ground spider.[3]
Distribution
Asemesthes paynteri is recorded from five provinces in South Africa: Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, North West, Northern Cape, and Western Cape, at altitudes ranging from 33 to 1,625 m above sea level.[3]
Habitat and ecology
The species is a free-living ground dweller sampled from the Fynbos, Grassland, and Savanna biomes.[3]
Description
Asemesthes paynteri is known only from the female. The carapace is yellowish brown with dark edges and a slightly mottled surface. The opisthosoma is testaceous, and the sternum is about the same colour as the carapace. The total length is 5.75 mm.[3]
Conservation
Asemesthes paynteri is listed as Least Concern by the South African National Biodiversity Institute due to its wide range and absence of known threats. The species is protected in eight protected areas.[3]
Taxonomy
The species was originally described by Richard William Ethelbert Tucker in 1923 from Touws River in the Western Cape.[1] It has not been revised since its original description.[3]
References
- ^ a b Tucker, R.W.E. (1923). "The Drassidae of South Africa". Annals of the South African Museum. 19 (2): 251–437.
- ^ "Asemesthes paynteri Tucker, 1923". World Spider Catalog. Retrieved 22 September 2025.
- ^ 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 1 (A-D). South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide. p. 37. doi:10.5281/zenodo.7197174. Retrieved 22 September 2025. This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.