Ballomma erasmus
| Ballomma erasmus | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Zodariidae |
| Genus: | Ballomma |
| Species: | B. erasmus
|
| Binomial name | |
| Ballomma erasmus Jocqué & Henrard, 2015[1]
| |
Ballomma erasmus is a species of spider in the family Zodariidae.[2] It is endemic to South Africa.[3]
Distribution
Ballomma erasmus is endemic to the Limpopo province of South Africa, where it is known only from the type locality at Ga-Moraba, Abel Erasmus Pass.[3]
Habitat
The species inhabits the Savanna biome at an altitude of 882 metres above sea level. It occurs in forest areas where it has been sampled by sifting litter.[3]
Description
Ballomma erasmus is known from both sexes. Males have a medium brown cephalothorax and pale yellowish-brown legs with a greenish tinge on the femora. The abdomen has a complex dark pattern on a pale background. Females have a medium brown cephalothorax with a dark margin and a dark sepia opisthosoma with a complex pale pattern.[3]
Ecology
Ballomma erasmus are free-living ground-dwellers that inhabit the leaf litter of forest environments. They are primarily collected through litter sifting methods.[3]
Conservation
The species is listed as Data Deficient due to its limited known range and obscure status. It is known only from the type locality, and more sampling is needed to determine its full distribution.[3]
References
- ^ Jocqué, R.; Henrard, A. (2015). "Ballomma, a new Afrotropical genus in the Cryptothelinae (Araneae, Zodariidae): eyes on the run". European Journal of Taxonomy. 163: 1–24. doi:10.5852/ejt.2015.163.
- ^ "Ballomma erasmus Jocqué & Henrard, 2015". World Spider Catalog. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f 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. 13. doi:10.5281/zenodo.14404920. Retrieved 20 September 2025. This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.