Camaricus nigrotesselatus
Camaricus nigrotesselatus is a species of crab spider in the family Thomisidae. It is commonly known as the ladybird crab spider. The species is found in Southern Africa.
Etymology
The specific name nigrotesselatus is derived from Latin, combining nigro- and tessellatus, referring to the distinctive black patterns on the spider's yellow opisthosoma.Distribution
Camaricus nigrotesselatus has been recorded from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia, Malawi, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and South Africa. In South Africa, the species is quite widespread and can be found in eight provinces, occurring mostly in the south, east, and north of the country.Habitat
The species is found on vegetation, typically in grasslands and in the herb layer.Behavior and ecology
Like other crab spiders, C. nigrotesselatus is an ambush predator that does not build webs to capture prey.Its bright coloration may serve as a form of aposematism or could function in species recognition, though the exact purpose remains to be studied in detail.