Asemesthes montanus
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Fynbos Asemesthes Ground Spider | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Gnaphosidae |
| Genus: | Asemesthes |
| Species: | A. montanus |
| Binomial name | |
| Asemesthes montanus | |
Asemesthes montanus is a species of spider in the family Gnaphosidae.[2] It occurs in southern Africa and is commonly known as the fynbos Asemesthes ground spider.[3]
Asemesthes montanus occurs in Namibia and South Africa.[2] In South Africa, it is recorded from three provinces: Free State, Northern Cape, and Western Cape, at altitudes ranging from 78 to 1,850 m above sea level.[3]
Habitat and ecology
The species is a free-living ground dweller sampled from the Fynbos, Grassland, and Nama Karoo biomes.[3]
Description
Asemesthes montanus is known from both sexes. In some specimens, the posterior portion of the median abdominal band is bordered with light spots and the testaceous background is more tawny. The sternum is uniform black-brown in colour. The coxae, especially the anterior pairs, are darkened, and the femora (except the fourth legs) are darkened. The total length ranges from 5 to 8 mm.[3]
