Zelotes albanicus
| Grahamstown Dark Ground Spider | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Gnaphosidae |
| Genus: | Zelotes |
| Species: | Z. albanicus
|
| Binomial name | |
| Zelotes albanicus (Hewitt, 1915)[1]
| |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Zelotes albanicus is a species of spider in the family Gnaphosidae.[2] It is commonly known as the Grahamstown dark ground spider.[3]
Distribution
[edit]Zelotes albanicus is endemic to South Africa.[2] It has been recorded from four provinces: Eastern Cape, Free State, Northern Cape, and Western Cape, at altitudes ranging from 6 to 2,020 m above sea level.[3]
Notable locations include Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape (the type locality), Addo Elephant National Park, Augrabies National Park, De Hoop Nature Reserve, Table Mountain National Park, and Cederberg Wilderness Area.[3]
Habitat and ecology
[edit]The species inhabits Savanna, Grassland, and Fynbos biomes. These are free-running ground spiders that are typically collected using pitfall traps.[3]
Description
[edit]![[icon]](/wiki/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} | This section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (September 2025) |
Conservation
[edit]Zelotes albanicus is listed as Least Concern by the South African National Biodiversity Institute due to its wide geographic range. There are no significant threats to the species. It is protected in multiple reserves including Addo Elephant National Park, Augrabies National Park, De Hoop Nature Reserve, Table Mountain National Park, and Cederberg Wilderness Area.[3]
Taxonomy
[edit]The species was originally described by Hewitt in 1915 from Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape as Melanophora albanicus. It was revised by FitzPatrick in 2007. The species is known only from the female.[3]
References
[edit]- ^ Hewitt, J. (1915). "Descriptions of new South African Arachnida". Records of the Albany Museum Grahamstown. 3: 70–106.
- ^ a b "Zelotes albanicus (Hewitt, 1915)". World Spider Catalog. doi:10.24436/2. Retrieved 2025-09-25.
- ^ a b c d e f Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S.; Haddad, C.R.; Foord, S.H.; Lotz, L.N. (2021). The Gnaphosidae of South Africa. Part 4 (Z). Version 1. South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide. p. 11. doi:10.5281/zenodo.7197783.
This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.
