Zelotes chinguli

Zelotes chinguli is a species of spider in the family Gnaphosidae. It is commonly known as the Chinguli dark ground spider.

Distribution

Zelotes chinguli is a southern African endemic distributed across Zimbabwe, Botswana, and South Africa. In South Africa, it is recorded only from Limpopo, at altitudes ranging from 504 to 1,093 m above sea level.

Habitat and ecology

The species inhabits the Savanna biome. These are free-running ground spiders that are found under stones during the day.

Conservation

Zelotes chinguli is listed as Least Concern by the South African National Biodiversity Institute due to its wide range in Africa. There are no significant threats to the species. It is protected in Blouberg Nature Reserve, Ben Lavin Nature Reserve, and Maremani Game Reserve.

Taxonomy

The species was described by FitzPatrick in 2007 from Zimbabwe. It is known from both sexes.