Ariadna umtalica

Ariadna umtalica is a southern African species of spider in the family Segestriidae. It is commonly known as the Zimbabwe tube-web spider.

Distribution

Ariadna umtalica was originally described from Zimbabwe and is also recorded from Botswana and South Africa. In South Africa, it is known only from the Northern Cape and Gauteng provinces.

Habitat and ecology

The species inhabits the Savanna biome and constructs tube signal-webs made in crevices of walls, rocks, fallen tree trunks, or bark of trees. Males have been found under stones.

Description

Females have a dark brown carapace with the ocular area black. Chelicerae are reddish-black. The abdomen is pallid, suffused with purplish. Legs are infuscated as in dark specimens of A. bilineata, with the two posterior pairs reddish-ochraceous and the anterior tibia and metatarsus blackish-red. The sternum and labium are brown, with the labium paler at apex. Total length is 12 mm.

Conservation

Ariadna umtalica is listed as least concern by the South African National Biodiversity Institute due to its wide geographical range across Africa.

Taxonomy

The species was originally described by W. F. Purcell in 1904 from Zimbabwe. Only females are described.