Biology:Diores rectus
| Marble Hall Igloo spider | |
|---|---|
LC (SANBI)
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Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Zodariidae |
| Genus: | Diores |
| Species: | D. rectus
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| Binomial name | |
| Diores rectus Jocqué, 1990[1]
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Diores rectus is a species of spider in the family Zodariidae.[2] It occurs in Africa and is commonly known as the Marble Hall Igloo spider.[3]
Distribution
Diores rectus is found in Malawi, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.[2] In South Africa, it has been recorded from three provinces: the Free State, Gauteng, Limpopo, and Mpumalanga. The species was originally described from Farm Wolwekraal near Marble Hall in Mpumalanga.[3]
Habitat
The species inhabits the Grassland and Savanna biomes at altitudes ranging from 241 to 1467 metres above sea level. It has also been sampled from cotton fields.[3]
Description
Males of Diores rectus have a total length of 3.54 mm, while females are larger at 5.46 mm. The prosoma is pale yellow in both sexes. Males have a dark sepia opisthosoma that is purplish in front where there is a faint dorsal scutum, followed by a row of three or four white patches, with the sides and venter being pale. Females have a yellow carapace with a triangular, slightly darkened area in front of the fovea, light orange chelicerae, and the abdomen has a pale patch on a dark sepia background with pale sides and venter.[1]
Ecology
Diores rectus are free-living ground-dwellers that have been sampled using pitfall traps from grassland and savanna environments.[3]
Conservation
The species is listed as Least Concern due to its wide geographical range. It is protected in Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve, Kruger National Park, and Ben Lavin Nature Reserve.[3]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Jocqué, R. (1990). "A revision of the Afrotropical genus Diores (Araneae, Zodariidae)". Annales, Musée Royal de l'Afrique Centrale, Sciences zoologiques 260: 1-81.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Diores rectus Jocqué, 1990". World Spider Catalog. http://www.wsc.nmbe.ch/species/43431. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S.; Jocqué, R.; Haddad, C.R.; Foord, S.H.; Lotz, L.N. (2024). The Zodariidae of South Africa. Part 1 (A-D) version 1. South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide. pp. 75. doi:10.5281/zenodo.14404920. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14404920. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Wikidata ☰ Q2464545 entry
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