Zenonina albocaudata

Zenonina albocaudata is a species of spider in the family Lycosidae. It is endemic to South Africa and is commonly known as the Pietermaritzburg Zenonina wolf spider.

Distribution

Zenonina albocaudata is found in South Africa, where it has been sampled from five provinces at altitudes ranging from 224 to 1699 m. Localities include Bloemfontein Botanical Gardens and several nature reserves in the Free State, Pretoria and Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve in Gauteng, uMkuze Game Reserve and Pietermaritzburg in KwaZulu-Natal, multiple sites in Limpopo including Polokwane Nature Reserve and Blouberg Nature Reserve, and George in the Western Cape.

Habitat and ecology

Zenonina albocaudata is a free-running ground dweller sampled from the Fynbos, Grassland, and Savanna biomes.

Description

The carapace is brown with a narrow light marginal band at the sides. The cephalic region is dark brown, while the thoracic region posteriorly has a well-defined triangular blackish marking in the middle. The abdomen above is variegated blackish-brown with a quadrate marking just above the spinnerets composed of white hairs that contrast strongly with the rest of the dorsal surface. The sides are blackish. The ventral surface is brown and considerably lighter than the dorsum.

Conservation

Zenonina albocaudata is listed as Least Concern by the South African National Biodiversity Institute due to its wide geographical range. It is protected in more than 8 protected areas.

Taxonomy

Zenonina albocaudata was described by Lawrence in 1952 from Pietermaritzburg in KwaZulu-Natal. The species has not been revised and is known from both sexes.