Xerophaeus lightfooti
| Pale Leg Mouse Ground Spider | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Gnaphosidae |
| Genus: | Xerophaeus |
| Species: | X. lightfooti
|
| Binomial name | |
| Xerophaeus lightfooti | |
Xerophaeus lightfooti is a species of spider in the family Gnaphosidae.[2] It is endemic to South Africa and is commonly known as the pale leg mouse ground spider.[3]
Distribution
Xerophaeus lightfooti is recorded from two South African provinces: the Northern Cape and Western Cape.[3]
Habitat and ecology
The species inhabits multiple biomes including Fynbos, Grassland, and Savanna biomes at altitudes ranging from 47 to 1172 m above sea level. Xerophaeus lightfooti are free-living ground dwellers.[3]
Description
Conservation
Xerophaeus lightfooti is listed as Least Concern by the South African National Biodiversity Institute due to its wide range. The species is protected in Benfontein Nature Reserve and there are no known threats.[3]
Taxonomy
The species was originally described by W. F. Purcell in 1907 from Worcester. 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 lightfooti 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. 48. This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.