Zelotes lotzi
| Lotz's Dark Ground Spider | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Gnaphosidae |
| Genus: | Zelotes |
| Species: | Z. lotzi
|
| Binomial name | |
| Zelotes lotzi FitzPatrick, 2007[1]
| |
Zelotes lotzi is a species of spider in the family Gnaphosidae.[2] It is endemic to South Africa and is commonly known as Lotz's dark ground spider.[3]
Distribution
Zelotes lotzi has been sampled from three South African provinces: Free State, Limpopo, and Mpumalanga. The species occurs at altitudes ranging from 895 to 1,346 m above sea level.[3]
Collection localities include Boshof, Tussen-die-Riviere Nature Reserve, Dendron, and Loskop Dam Nature Reserve.[3]
Description
Habitat and ecology
Zelotes lotzi are free-running ground spiders found under stones during the day. The species has been sampled from the Grassland and Savanna biomes.[3]
Conservation
Zelotes lotzi is listed as Least Concern by the South African National Biodiversity Institute due to its wide geographic range. There are no significant threats to the species, and it is protected in Tussen-die-Riviere Nature Reserve and Loskop Dam Nature Reserve.[3]
Etymology
The species is named after arachnologist Leon N. Lotz.
Taxonomy
The species was described by FitzPatrick in 2007 from Boshof. The species is known from both sexes.[3]
References
- ^ FitzPatrick, M.J. (2007). "A taxonomic revision of the Afrotropical species of Zelotes (Arachnida: Araneae: Gnaphosidae)". Bulletin of the British Arachnological Society. 14 (3): 97–172. doi:10.13156/arac.2011.14.3.97.
- ^ "Zelotes lotzi FitzPatrick, 2007". World Spider Catalog. Retrieved 2025-09-25.
- ^ a b c d e f Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S.; Haddad, C.R.; Foord, S.H.; Lotz, L.N. (2021). The Gnaphosidae of South Africa. Part 4 (Z). Version 1. South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide. pp. 29–30. doi:10.5281/zenodo.7197783. This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.