Diores lesserti
| Swaziland Igloo spider | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Zodariidae |
| Genus: | Diores |
| Species: | D. lesserti
|
| Binomial name | |
| Diores lesserti Lawrence, 1952[1]
| |
Diores lesserti is a species of spider in the family Zodariidae.[2] It occurs in southern Africa and is commonly known as the Swaziland Igloo spider.[3]
Distribution
Diores lesserti is found in Lesotho, Eswatini (formerly Swaziland), and South Africa.[2] In South Africa, it has been recorded from three provinces: KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, and Mpumalanga, with numerous records from Kruger National Park.[3]
Habitat
The species inhabits the Savanna biome at altitudes ranging from 47 to 1131 m above sea level.[3]
Description
Males of Diores lesserti have a total length of 3.70 mm, while females are larger at 5.68 mm. The carapace is orange with a slightly darker margin, the sternum is yellow, and the chelicerae match the carapace coloration. The legs are yellow, and the opisthosoma has a sepia dorsum almost entirely covered by a brownish-yellow scutum in males. Females have similar but slightly darker coloration overall.[4]
Ecology
Diores lesserti are free-living ground-dwellers that construct igloo-shaped retreats with small stones, characteristic behavior of the genus Diores.[3]
Conservation
The species is listed as Least Concern due to its wide geographical range. It is protected in five protected areas, including Blouberg Nature Reserve.[3]
References
- ^ Lawrence, R.F. (1952). "New spiders from the eastern half of South Africa". Annals of the Natal Museum. 12: 183–226.
- ^ a b "Diores lesserti Lawrence, 1952". World Spider Catalog. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
- ^ a b c d e 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. 70. doi:10.5281/zenodo.14404920. Retrieved 20 September 2025. This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.
- ^ Jocqué, R. (1990). "A revision of the Afrotropical genus Diores (Araneae, Zodariidae)". Annales, Musée Royal de l'Afrique Centrale, Sciences zoologiques. 260: 1–81.