Theridion purcelli
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Purcell's Theridion comb-feet spider | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Female | |
 | |
| Juvenile male | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Theridiidae |
| Genus: | Theridion |
| Species: | T. purcelli |
| Binomial name | |
| Theridion purcelli O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1904[1] | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
Theridion purcelli is a species of spider in the family Theridiidae.[1] It is found in Saint Helena, Namibia, and South Africa, and is commonly known as Purcell's Theridion comb-feet spider.[2]
Theridion purcelli is found in Saint Helena, Namibia, and South Africa.[1] In South Africa it is known from all provinces.[2]
Habitat and ecology
This species builds a conical retreat of twigs and leaves in its three-dimensional labyrinth web.[2]
It has been sampled from all the floral biomes except the Indian Ocean Coastal Belt Forest and Succulent Karoo biomes at altitudes ranging from 5 to 1809 m. The species is also commonly found in crops including citrus, cotton, macadamia, maize, strawberries, sunflowers and tomatoes. It is also synantropic and found in and around houses.[2]
Description
female with egg sac
female
The abdomen is subglobular and furnished with bristly setae. The colour is dull yellowish with a longitudinal central sharply dentated band, obtuse anteriorly and tapering towards the spinnerets. The band is marked with pale spots. Ventrally the abdomen is black-brown with a central white patch. The female resembles the male.[3]
Conservation
Theridion purcelli is listed as Least Concern by the South African National Biodiversity Institute due to its large geographical range. The species is protected in six reserves.[2]
