Tibellus minor
| Common Grass Running Spider | |
|---|---|
| female | |
| female | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Philodromidae |
| Genus: | Tibellus |
| Species: | T. minor
|
| Binomial name | |
| Tibellus minor Lessert, 1919[1]
| |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Tibellus minor is a species of spider in the family Philodromidae.[2] It is found throughout sub-Saharan Africa and is commonly known as the common grass running spider.[3]
Distribution
Tibellus minor is an African species with a wide distribution throughout Africa.[3] In South Africa, the species is known from eight provinces including more than ten protected areas.[3]
Habitat and ecology
The species inhabits Fynbos, Grassland, Indian Ocean Coastal Belt, Nama Karoo, Savanna, Succulent Karoo and Thicket biomes, occurring at altitudes ranging from 7 to 2,020 m above sea level.[3] Tibellus minor are free-living plant dwellers commonly found on bushes and tall grass.[3] The species has also been sampled from crops such as cotton, maize and vineyards.[3]
Description
Conservation
Tibellus minor is listed as Least Concern by the South African National Biodiversity Institute due to its wide geographical range.[3] The species is protected in more than ten protected areas and there are no obvious threats.[3]
Taxonomy
The species was originally described by Roger de Lessert in 1919 from Tanzania as a subspecies of Tibellus vossioni.[1] It was elevated to species status by Van den Berg and Dippenaar-Schoeman in 1994.[3]
References
- ^ a b Lessert, R. de (1919). "Araignées du Kilimandjaro et du Mérou (suite). 3. Thomisidae". Revue Suisse de Zoologie. 27 (5): 99–234. doi:10.5962/bhl.part.36325.
- ^ "Tibellus minor Lessert, 1919". World Spider Catalog. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S.; Haddad, C.R.; Foord, S.H.; Lotz, L.N. (2022). The Philodromidae of South Africa. Version 2. South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide. pp. 45–46. doi:10.5281/zenodo.6634009. Retrieved 23 September 2025. This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.