Cydrela schoemanae
| Schoeman's Cydrela Burrowing spider | |
|---|---|
| Male | |
| Male | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Zodariidae |
| Genus: | Cydrela |
| Species: | C. schoemanae
|
| Binomial name | |
| Cydrela schoemanae Jocqué, 1991[1]
| |
Cydrela schoemanae is a species of spider in the family Zodariidae.[2] It is endemic to South Africa and is commonly known as Schoeman's Cydrela Burrowing spider.[3]
Distribution
Cydrela schoemanae has a widespread distribution across three South African provinces: Gauteng, Limpopo, and Mpumalanga. Notable localities include Kruger National Park, Sabie, Nelspruit, and various nature reserves.[3]
Habitat
The species occurs at altitudes ranging from 104 to 1647 m above sea level in the Grassland and Savanna biomes. It has been collected in pitfall traps and has also been found in maize and pine plantations.[3]
Description
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male
-
male
-
male
Cydrela schoemanae has a uniform dark brown carapace, with medium brown chelicerae and sternum. The legs are medium brown with darker femora. The opisthosoma is dark grey with five distinctive white markings: two in front, two in the middle, and one longitudinal interrupted bar in front of the spinnerets. The carapace surface is rugose. Females show similar coloration to males but have a butterfly-shaped patch in front of the fovea on the carapace.[1]
Conservation
The species is listed as Least Concern by the South African National Biodiversity Institute due to its wide geographical range. It is protected in six different protected areas including Kruger National Park and various nature reserves.[3]
References
- ^ a b Jocqué, R. (1991). "A generic revision of the spider family Zodariidae (Araneae)". Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History. 201: 1–160.
- ^ "Cydrela schoemanae Jocqué, 1991". World Spider Catalog. Retrieved 21 September 2025.
- ^ a b c d 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. 48. doi:10.5281/zenodo.14404920. Retrieved 21 September 2025. This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.