Nilus radiatolineatus
Nilus radiatolineatus is a spider species in the family Pisauridae. The species is commonly known as the Nilus fish-eating spider.
Distribution
Nilus radiatolineatus has been recorded from Cameroon, Ethiopia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Namibia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, and Eswatini.
In South Africa, the species has been sampled from KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape, and North West.
These are free-running ground dwellers associated with fresh waters and known to catch small fish, tadpoles, and large aquatic invertebrates including insect nymphs or larvae. They can be found at fresh-water pools and have been sampled from the Savanna biome at altitudes ranging from 446 to 1712 m.
Conservation
Nilus radiatolineatus is listed as Least Concern due to its wide geographical range. The species is protected in Pilanesberg Nature Reserve. There are no significant threats to the species.
Taxonomy
The species was described by Strand in 1906 from Ethiopia. It was transferred to Nilus by Jäger in 2011. The species was revised by Sierwald in 1987 and is known from both sexes.