Zelotes sclateri
Zelotes sclateri is a species of spider in the family Gnaphosidae. It is commonly known as Lesotho dark ground spider and occurs in southern Africa.
Distribution
Zelotes sclateri occurs in Lesotho and South Africa. In South Africa, it is widely distributed and recorded from eight provinces, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape, North West, and Western Cape.
The species inhabits the Grassland and Savanna biomes at altitudes ranging from 58 to 1,816 m above sea level. They are free-running ground spiders found under stones during the day. The species has also been sampled from tomato fields.
Conservation
Zelotes sclateri is listed as Least Concern by the South African National Biodiversity Institute due to its wide geographic range. The species is protected in nine protected areas. It faces no significant threats.
Taxonomy
The species was described by Tucker in 1923 from Lesotho. Fitzpatrick revised the species and synonymized Zelotes vryburgensis Tucker, 1923 with this species. It is known from both sexes.