Theuma fusca
| Montagu Theuma Long-spinneret Ground Spider | |
|---|---|
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| Female | |
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| Female | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Prodidomidae |
| Genus: | Theuma |
| Species: | T. fusca
|
| Binomial name | |
| Theuma fusca | |
Theuma fusca is a species of spider in the family Prodidomidae.[2] It is a southern African endemic commonly known as the Montagu Theuma long-spinneret ground spider.[3]
Distribution
[edit]Theuma fusca occurs in Botswana, Zimbabwe, and South Africa.[3]
In South Africa, it is recorded from Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Northern Cape, and Western Cape.[3] Notable locations include Hluhluwe Nature Reserve, Ndumo Game Reserve, Blouberg Nature Reserve, Kruger National Park, Swartberg Nature Reserve, and Cederberg Wilderness Area.[3]
Habitat and ecology
[edit]Theuma fusca is a free-running ground dweller found in all floral biomes except the Desert and Albany Thicket biomes at altitudes ranging from 32 to 1,523 m above sea level.[3] It has been sampled from pistachio orchards and has been found associated with ant nests.[3]
It was found living in an ant nest.[4]
Description
[edit]-
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female, showing spinnerets
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Conservation
[edit]Theuma fusca is listed as Least Concern by the South African National Biodiversity Institute due to its wide distribution range.[3] There are no significant threats to the species, and it is found in eight protected areas.[3]
Taxonomy
[edit]The species was originally described by William Frederick Purcell in 1907 from Montagu Baths in the Western Cape.[1] It has not been revised but is known from both sexes.[3]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Purcell, W.F. (1907). "New South African spiders of the family Drassidae in the collection of the South African Museum". Annals and Magazine of Natural History. 7. 20 (118): 300, 304. doi:10.1080/00222930709487339.
- ^ "Theuma fusca Purcell, 1907". World Spider Catalog. Retrieved 24 September 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S.; Haddad, C.R.; Foord, S.H.; Lotz, L.N. (2023). The Prodidomidae of South Africa. Version 1. South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide. p. 31. doi:10.5281/zenodo.7515818. Retrieved 24 September 2025.
This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.
- ^ iNaturalist, Ansie Dippenaar-Schoeman
