Ammoxenus psammodromus
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Sand-loving termite feeding spider | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Gnaphosidae |
| Genus: | Ammoxenus |
| Species: | A. psammodromus |
| Binomial name | |
| Ammoxenus psammodromus Simon, 1910 | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Ammoxenus psammodromus is a species of spider in the family Gnaphosidae. It is found in southern Africa and is known as the sand-loving termite feeding spider.[1][2]
The species name psammodromus is derived from Ancient Greek, meaning "sand-runner", referring to the spider's ability to move rapidly across sandy surfaces and dive into sand.[3]
Distribution
A. psammodromus is found in Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa. The species was originally described from Botswana by Eugène Simon in 1910. In South Africa, it is recorded from four provinces at elevations from 605 to 1,345 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 abundant in areas where these termites are active. The species has been recorded from Grassland, Nama Karoo, and Savanna biomes.[2]
