Ammoxenus pentheri
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Penther's termite feeding spider | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Gnaphosidae |
| Genus: | Ammoxenus |
| Species: | A. pentheri |
| Binomial name | |
| Ammoxenus pentheri Simon, 1897 | |
Ammoxenus pentheri is a species of spider in the family Gnaphosidae. It is found in southern Africa and is known as Penther's termite feeding spider.[1][2]
The species is named after Arnold Penther, an Austrian naturalist and collector who gathered specimens in southern Africa.[3]
Distribution
A. pentheri is found in Botswana and South Africa. In South Africa, it is recorded from four provinces: Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Northern Cape, and Western Cape. The species occurs at elevations from 63 to 1,799 meters above sea level.[2]
Habitat and ecology
This free-running ground spider lives in sand mounds left by termites and is very fast-moving. When disturbed, individuals dive head-first into sand. They are specialist predators of harvester termites and are found in areas where these termites are active. The species has been recorded from Fynbos, Grassland, Savanna, Succulent Karoo, and Thicket biomes.[2]
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