Xerophaeus vickermani
| Marico Mouse Ground Spider | |
|---|---|
| female | |
| female | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Gnaphosidae |
| Genus: | Xerophaeus |
| Species: | X. vickermani
|
| Binomial name | |
| Xerophaeus vickermani | |
Xerophaeus vickermani is a species of spider in the family Gnaphosidae.[2] It is endemic to South Africa and is commonly known as the Marico mouse ground spider.[3]
Distribution
Xerophaeus vickermani is recorded from the South African provinces Free State, Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape, and North West.[3]
Habitat and ecology
The species inhabits multiple biomes including Grassland, Nama Karoo, and Savanna biomes at altitudes ranging from 163 to 1558 m above sea level. Xerophaeus vickermani are free-living ground dwellers and have been sampled from pistachio orchards.[3]
Description
Conservation
Xerophaeus vickermani is listed as Least Concern by the South African National Biodiversity Institute due to its wide geographic range. The species is protected in five protected areas including Amanzi Private Game Reserve, Kalkfontein Dam Nature Reserve, Faerie Glen Nature Reserve, Ezemvelo Nature Reserve, and Rooipoort Nature Reserve. There are no significant threats.[3]
Taxonomy
The species was originally described by Tucker in 1923 from the junction of the Marico and Crocodile Rivers in North West. X. vickermani has not been revised but is known from both sexes.[3]
References
- ^ Tucker, R.W.E. (1923). "The Drassidae of South Africa". Annals of the South African Museum. 19 (2): 251–437.
- ^ "Xerophaeus vickermani Tucker, 1923". 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. 62. This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.