Drassodella


Drassodella is a genus of spiders in the family Gallieniellidae. The genus contains 19 species, all endemic to South Africa.

Etymology

The genus name is a variation on the related genus Drassodes.

Taxonomy

The genus was transferred from the Gnaphosidae to the Gallieniellidae by Platnick in 1990. The genus was comprehensively revised by Mbo & Haddad in 2019.

Distribution

All species are endemic to South Africa and occur in all floral biomes except Desert. The highest species richness is found in the Forest and Fynbos biomes and the Savanna biome.

Description

Small to medium spiders with body length ranging from 2.5–10 mm. The carapace is broad and oval, with the cephalic region slightly narrowed and broadest between coxae II and III. Eight eyes are arranged in two rows, with lateral eyes set on low tubercles. The chelicerae are usually moderately protruding in males and slightly angled or vertically orientated in females. The opisthosoma is oval-elongate, often with golden, yellow, white, or cream dorsal stripes or spots, or without markings, on a black or grey background. The legs are long and moderately thin with leg formula 4123. Anterior pairs of legs are weakly spined, while posterior pairs are moderately to strongly spined.

Ecology

Drassodella species are fast-moving ground-dwellers frequently collected under small rocks and stones, in pitfall traps, or by litter sifting. They are sometimes encountered in close association with ants and are proposed to be stenophagous specialists with a narrow diet breadth.

Species

, the genus contains 19 species, all endemic to South Africa:Drassodella amatola Mbo & Haddad, 2019Drassodella aurostriata Mbo & Haddad, 2019Drassodella baviaans Mbo & Haddad, 2019Drassodella flava Mbo & Haddad, 2019Drassodella guttata Mbo & Haddad, 2019Drassodella lotzi Mbo & Haddad, 2019Drassodella maculata Mbo & Haddad, 2019Drassodella melana Tucker, 1923Drassodella montana Mbo & Haddad, 2019Drassodella purcelli Tucker, 1923Drassodella quinquelabecula Tucker, 1923Drassodella salisburyi Hewitt, 1916Drassodella septemmaculata Drassodella tenebrosa Lawrence, 1938Drassodella tolkieni Mbo & Haddad, 2019Drassodella transversa Mbo & Haddad, 2019Drassodella trilineata Mbo & Haddad, 2019Drassodella vasivulva Tucker, 1923Drassodella venda Mbo & Haddad, 2019