Zelotes natalensis
Zelotes natalensis is a species of spider in the family Gnaphosidae. It is found in southern Africa and is commonly known as the Natal dark ground spider.
Distribution
Zelotes natalensis occurs in Mozambique and South Africa. The species has a wide distribution throughout South Africa and is recorded from eight provinces: Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, North West, and Western Cape. It occurs at altitudes ranging from 16 to 1,730 m above sea level.
Zelotes natalensis are free-running ground spiders found under stones during the day. The species has been sampled from all the floral biomes. It was also sampled from avocado, citrus, cotton, and sunflower crops.
Conservation
Zelotes natalensis is listed as Least Concern by the South African National Biodiversity Institute due to its wide geographic range. There are no significant threats to the species. It is a very abundant species protected in more than ten protected areas.
Taxonomy
The species was described by Tucker in 1923 from Inyalazi River in KwaZulu-Natal. FitzPatrick's 2007 revision synonymized Zelotes ungula Tucker, 1923 with Z. natalensis. The species is known from both sexes.