Glenognatha argyrostilba

Glenognatha argyrostilba
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Infraorder: Araneomorphae
Family: Tetragnathidae
Genus: Glenognatha
Species:
G. argyrostilba
Binomial name
Glenognatha argyrostilba
Synonyms[2]
  • Pachygnatha argyrostilba O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1876
  • Dyschiriognatha montana Simon, 1898
  • Glenognatha mira Bryant, 1945
  • Dyschiriognatha atlantica Holm, 1969
  • Glenognatha maelfaiti Baert, 1987
  • Dyschiriognatha argyrostilba Bosmans & Bosselaers, 1994

Glenognatha argyrostilba is a species of spider in the family Tetragnathidae.[2]

Distribution

Glenognatha argyrostilba is found across Africa and has been introduced to the Caribbean, Ecuador, Galápagos Islands, Brazil, Saint Helena, and Seychelles. In Africa, it is recorded from Egypt, Niger, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and South Africa.[2]

In South Africa, the species is known from KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo, specifically from Ndumo Game Reserve and Luvhondo Nature Reserve.[3]

Habitat and ecology

The species usually builds webs in vegetation adjacent to streams about 25 cm to 2 m above ground level, although some individuals were found far from running water in low vegetation. The web is almost horizontal with a closed hub and few sticky spiral turns and radii. The web frame is rectangular or triangular.[3]

In South Africa, the species has been sampled from the Savanna biome at an altitude of 140 m.[3]

Description

Both sexes are known.[4]

Conservation

Glenognatha argyrostilba is listed as Least Concern by the South African National Biodiversity Institute due to its wide geographical range.In South Africa, it is protected in Ndumo Game Reserve and Luvhondo Nature Reserve.[3]

Taxonomy

The species was originally described by Octavius Pickard-Cambridge in 1876 from Egypt as Pachygnatha argyrostilba.[1] It was transferred to Glenognatha and redescribed by Cabra-García and Brescovit in 2016, who synonymized several species.[4]

References

  1. ^ a b Pickard-Cambridge, O. (1876). "Catalogue of a collection of spiders made in Egypt, with descriptions of new species and characters of a new genus". Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London. 44 (3): 541–630. doi:10.1111/j.1096-3642.1876.tb02595.x.
  2. ^ a b c "Glenognatha argyrostilba (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1876)". World Spider Catalog. Natural History Museum Bern. doi:10.24436/2. Retrieved 2025-10-01.
  3. ^ a b c d Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S.; Haddad, C.R.; Foord, S.H.; Lotz, L.N. (2023). The Tetragnathidae of South Africa. South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide. p. 12. doi:10.5281/zenodo.7513261. This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.
  4. ^ a b Cabra-García, J.; Brescovit, A.D. (2016). "Revision and phylogenetic analysis of the orb-weaving spider genus Glenognatha Simon, 1887 (Araneae, Tetragnathidae)". Zootaxa. 4069 (1): 1–183. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4069.1.1.