Menneus camelus
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Camel Back Net Casting Spider | |
|---|---|
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| M. camelus from Durban | |
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Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Deinopidae |
| Genus: | Menneus |
| Species: | M. camelus |
| Binomial name | |
| Menneus camelus Pocock, 1902 | |
Menneus camelus, also known as the camel-back net-casting spider, is a species of net-casting spider in the family Deinopidae. It is endemic to eastern South Africa.[2][3]: 14
The species epithet "camelus" refers to the camel-like humps on the female's abdomen, which give the spider its distinctive profile.
Distribution
Habitat and ecology
The species constructs small, rectangular expandable webs made with cribellate silk held in their front legs. It has been sampled from the Fynbos, Grassland, Indian Ocean Coastal Belt, Savanna, and Thicket biomes. Menneus camelus is also synanthropic and frequently found in and around houses in South Africa. It has been recorded from avocado orchards.[4]
Description
female
male
Conservation
Menneus camelus is listed as Least Concern by the South African National Biodiversity Institute due to its wide geographical distribution and occurrence in numerous protected areas. There are no significant threats to the species.[4]
