Rotundrela rotunda
| Muizenberg Rotundrela zodariid spider | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Zodariidae |
| Genus: | Rotundrela |
| Species: | R. rotunda
|
| Binomial name | |
| Rotundrela rotunda Jocqué, 1999[1]
| |
Rotundrela rotunda is a species of spider in the family Zodariidae.[2] It is endemic to the Western Cape province of South Africa and is commonly known as the Muizenberg Rotundrela zodariid spider.[3]
Distribution
[edit]Rotundrela rotunda is found on the Cape Peninsula and nearby areas, with records from Muizenberg, De Hoop Nature Reserve, Bergvliet, Stellenbosch, and Table Mountain National Park.[3]
Habitat
[edit]The species inhabits the Fynbos biome at altitudes ranging from 6 to 225 m above sea level. At Muizenberg, it has been collected from dune habitats.[3]
Description
[edit]Rotundrela rotunda exhibits sexual dimorphism in size. Males have a total length of 5.54 mm with a dark brown carapace bearing a black rim. The abdomen displays a pale pattern on a dark background with distinctive pink sigilla. Females are larger at 7.17 mm total length with similar coloration to males.[1]
Ecology
[edit]Rotundrela rotunda are free-living ground-dwelling spiders that inhabit coastal dune systems and fynbos vegetation.[3]
Conservation
[edit]The species is listed as Endangered by the South African National Biodiversity Institute due to its small restricted distribution range. It is protected in De Hoop Nature Reserve and Table Mountain National Park.[3]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Jocqué, R. (1999). "The new genera Procydrela and Rotundrela, sister taxa for Storenomorphinae and Cydrelinae (Araneae: Zodariidae)". Entomologica Scandinavica. 30 (2): 233. doi:10.1163/187631200X00264.
- ^ "Rotundrela rotunda Jocqué, 1999". World Spider Catalog. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
- ^ a b c d e Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S.; Jocqué, R.; Haddad, C.R.; Foord, S.H.; Lotz, L.N. (2024). The Zodariidae of South Africa. Part 2 (H-T) version 1. South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide. p. 37. doi:10.5281/zenodo.14568995. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.
