Xerophaeus communis
| Willowmore Mouse Ground Spider | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Gnaphosidae |
| Genus: | Xerophaeus |
| Species: | X. communis
|
| Binomial name | |
| Xerophaeus communis | |
Xerophaeus communis is a species of spider in the family Gnaphosidae.[2] It is endemic to South Africa and is commonly known as the Willowmore mouse ground spider.[3]
Distribution
Xerophaeus communis is recorded from four South African provinces: the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Northern Cape, and Western Cape.[3]
Habitat and ecology
The species inhabits multiple biomes including Nama Karoo, Thicket, and Fynbos biomes at altitudes ranging from 62 to 1820 m above sea level. Xerophaeus communis are free-living ground dwellers.[3]
Description
Conservation
Xerophaeus communis is listed as Least Concern by the South African National Biodiversity Institute due to its wide geographic range. The species is protected in six protected areas and there are no known threats.[3]
Taxonomy
The species was originally described by W. F. Purcell in 1907 from Willowmore. The species has not been revised but is known from both sexes.[3]
References
- ^ Purcell, W.F. (1907). "New South African spiders of the family Drassidae in the collection of the South African Museum". Annals and Magazine of Natural History. 20 (118): 297–336. doi:10.1080/00222930709487339.
- ^ "Xerophaeus communis Purcell, 1907". World Spider Catalog.
- ^ a b c d e Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S.; Haddad, C.R.; Foord, S.H.; Lotz, L.N. (2021). The Gnaphosidae of South Africa. Part 3 (T-X). South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide. p. 40. This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.