Drassodella tenebrosa
| Pietermaritzburg Long-Jawed Ground Spider | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Gallieniellidae |
| Genus: | Drassodella |
| Species: | D. tenebrosa
|
| Binomial name | |
| Drassodella tenebrosa Lawrence, 1938
| |
Drassodella tenebrosa is a species of spider in the family Gallieniellidae. It is endemic to South Africa.[1]
Distribution
Drassodella tenebrosa is endemic to the KwaZulu-Natal province at elevations ranging from 647–1482 m above sea level. Known localities include Karkloof (type locality), Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal Botanical Gardens, and Town Bush.[2]
Habitat
The species was first sampled from the Savanna Biome.[2]
Description
Both sexes are known. Females have a grey-yellow opisthosoma while males have a grey abdomen.[2]
Conservation
Drassodella tenebrosa is listed as Endangered due to ongoing loss of habitat to urban expansion, crop cultivation, and plantation forestry. The species is threatened by habitat loss to crop farming, plantation forestry, and urbanization.[2]
References
- ^ "Drassodella tenebrosa Lawrence, 1938". World Spider Catalog. Retrieved 19 September 2025.
- ^ a b c d Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S.; Haddad, C.R.; Mbo, Z.; Foord, S.H.; Lotz, L.N. (2020). The Gallieniellidae of South Africa (Report). South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide. pp. 1–37. doi:10.5281/zenodo.14065070. This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.