Moggridgea terrestris
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| Moggridgea terrestris | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Mygalomorphae |
| Family: | Migidae |
| Genus: | Moggridgea |
| Species: | M. terrestris |
| Binomial name | |
| Moggridgea terrestris Hewitt, 1914[1] | |
Moggridgea terrestris[2] is a species of trapdoor spider in the family Migidae, and is endemic to South Africa. The species is known only from its type locality at Alicedale in the Eastern Cape province.[3]
Like other members of Migidae, M. terrestris is a burrowing,[4][5] terrestrial trapdoor spider. Its natural habitat is within the Fynbos biome, at around 283 metres above sea level.
Due to the paucity of records, only a single female specimen is known the species is classified as Data Deficient under conservation assessments[6]. More field sampling is required to determine its range, population status, and discover the male.
Taxonomy and Family Context
Family: Migidae
The family Migidae, also known as “tree trapdoor spiders” or “bag-nest migids,” comprises around 100 species across eleven genera. Members of this family are distributed largely throughout the Southern Hemisphere (Africa, Madagascar, Australia, South America, New Zealand, New Caledonia), reflecting a classical Gondwanan biogeographic pattern.
Migids characteristically build silk-lined burrows or sac-like retreats, which they close with a hinged “trapdoor.” Some species live underground, while others make retreats on trees or in rock crevices.
Genus: Moggridgea
The genus Moggridgea described in 1875[8] is the largest genus in Migidae. Most of its ~ 30–33 species occur in southern and central Africa (including Socotra), with a few like the well-studied island species in Australia.[9]
Of all Moggridgea species, M. terrestris is among those known only from limited female material, a situation shared by many other species in South Africa, where only 8 of the 22 or so endemic species are known from both sexes.[10]
Habitat
Description
Moggridgea terrestris is known only from the female.[7]
Ecology
Moggridgea terrestris is a terrestrial, burrowing trapdoor species.[7]
