Scotophaeus natalensis
| Natal Golden Ground Spider | |
|---|---|
| |
| female | |
| |
| female | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Gnaphosidae |
| Genus: | Scotophaeus |
| Species: | S. natalensis
|
| Binomial name | |
| Scotophaeus natalensis Lawrence, 1938[1]
| |
Scotophaeus natalensis is a species of spider in the family Gnaphosidae.[2] It is found in southern Africa and is commonly known as Natal golden ground spider.[3]
Distribution
Scotophaeus natalensis is found in Zimbabwe and South Africa. In South Africa, it is recorded from two provinces: Free State and KwaZulu-Natal. Notable locations include Wyndford Guest Farm, Umhlali, Sani Pass, and Vernon Crookes Nature Reserve.[3]
Habitat and ecology
The species is a free-living ground dweller found at altitudes ranging from 43 to 1,989 m above sea level. It has been sampled from the Savanna biome.[3]
Description
Conservation
Scotophaeus natalensis is listed as Least Concern by the South African National Biodiversity Institute due to its wide geographical range.[3] The species is protected in the Vernon Crookes Nature Reserve.
Etymology
The species name natalensis refers to the former Natal region (now KwaZulu-Natal) where it was originally discovered.
Taxonomy
The species was originally described by Reginald Frederick Lawrence in 1938 from Umhlali, KwaZulu-Natal. It is currently known only from female specimens.[3]
References
- ^ Lawrence, R.F. (1938). "A collection of spiders from Natal and Zululand". Annals of the Natal Museum. 8: 477.
- ^ "Scotophaeus natalensis Lawrence, 1938". World Spider Catalog. doi:10.24436/2. Retrieved 2025-09-25.
- ^ 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 2 (E-S). Version 1. South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide. p. 57. doi:10.5281/zenodo.7197672.
This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.