Ariadna karrooica
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Hanover Tube-Web Spider | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Segestriidae |
| Genus: | Ariadna |
| Species: | A. karrooica |
| Binomial name | |
| Ariadna karrooica | |
Ariadna karrooica is a species of spider in the family Segestriidae.[2] It is endemic to South Africa and is commonly known as the Hanover tube-web spider.[3]
Ariadna karrooica has been sampled from three South African provinces, Eastern Cape, Free State, and Northern Cape. The species occurs at altitudes ranging from 7 to 1,645 m above sea level. Notable locations include the type locality Hanover, Port Elizabeth, Benfontein Nature Reserve, and Tswalu Kalahari Reserve.[3]
Habitat and ecology
The species inhabits multiple biomes including Grassland, Nama Karoo, Savanna, and Thicket biomes. It constructs tube signal-webs made in crevices of walls, rocks, fallen tree trunks, or bark of trees.[3]
Description
The colour of the carapace and legs is similar to the darkest specimens of A. bilineata, but the anterior metatarsi are dark reddish or almost black. The abdomen is pallid, more or less suffused with purplish, at least on the dorsal and ventral surfaces, with the middle of the epigastric area and sometimes a couple of posterior ventral patches dark purplish. The sternum and labium are deep blackish-brown, with the labium sometimes paler at apex. Total length is 10 mm in females and 7.5 mm in males.[3]
