Stegodyphus mimosarum
Stegodyphus mimosarum, the African social velvet spider, is a species of the genus Stegodyphus, one of the velvet spiders. It is a social species found in South Africa and Madagascar.
Similar to closely related species such as Stegodyphus sarasinorum, S. mimosarum engages in communal living which involves remaining with the same colony even when prey availability is low, moving away in order to expand the nest not due to lack of food.
Distribution
Stegodyphus mimosarum is widely distributed throughout Africa and Madagascar.In South Africa, the species is recorded from eight provinces and seven protected areas. Notable locations include Kruger National Park, Swartberg Nature Reserve, Bontebok National Park, and Ndumo Game Reserve.
Habitat and ecology
In South Africa, the species inhabits multiple biomes including Fynbos, Grassland, and Savanna biomes at altitudes ranging from 17 to 1,467 m above sea level.Stegodyphus mimosarum is a social spider that constructs retreat-webs and lives in community nests in trees.