Moggridgea terrestris
Moggridgea terrestris is a species of trapdoor spider in the family Migidae, and is endemic to South Africa. The species is known only from its type locality at Alicedale in the Eastern Cape province.
Like other members of Migidae, M. terrestris is a burrowing, terrestrial trapdoor spider. Its natural habitat is within the Fynbos biome, at around 283 metres above sea level.
Due to the paucity of records, only a single female specimen is known the species is classified as Data Deficient under conservation assessments. More field sampling is required to determine its range, population status, and discover the male.
Distribution
Moggridgea terrestris is known only from its type locality at Alicedale in the Eastern Cape province, South Africa.Taxonomy and Family Context
Family: Migidae
The family Migidae, also known as “tree trapdoor spiders” or “bag-nest migids,” comprises around 100 species across eleven genera. Members of this family are distributed largely throughout the Southern Hemisphere, reflecting a classical Gondwanan biogeographic pattern.Migids characteristically build silk-lined burrows or sac-like retreats, which they close with a hinged “trapdoor.” Some species live underground, while others make retreats on trees or in rock crevices.
Genus: Moggridgea
The genus Moggridgea described in 1875 is the largest genus in Migidae. Most of its ~ 30–33 species occur in southern and central Africa, with a few like the well-studied island species in Australia.Of all Moggridgea species, M. terrestris is among those known only from limited female material, a situation shared by many other species in South Africa, where only 8 of the 22 or so endemic species are known from both sexes.