Biology:Mashimo
Mashimo leleupi is a species of spider in the family Dictynidae.[1] It is commonly known as the Mashimo mesh-web spider and is the only species in the monotypic genus Mashimo.[2]
Distribution
Mashimo leleupi is an African endemic originally described from Zambia.[2] In South Africa, it has been recorded from five provinces, Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and Western Cape.[2] The species occurs at altitudes ranging from 4 to 1,513 m above sea level.[2]
Habitat and ecology
Mashimo leleupi has been sampled from pitfall traps and low vegetation in the Grassland, Indian Ocean Coastal Belt, Savanna and Thicket biomes.[2] Little is known about their specific behaviour, though they are retreat-web spiders.[2]
Description
Mashimo leleupi is known from both sexes. Females and males measure 4-6 mm in total body size.The carapace is pear-shaped with a groove separating the cephalic region from the thoracic region and radiating depressions. The eyes are small and arranged in two rows, with the eye region being broad.[2]
The chelicerae are strong with four strong teeth on the anterior margin of the cheliceral furrow. The sternum is heart-shaped, being as wide as it is long. The abdomen is long and oval with white reticulation. The leg coxae are whitish while the rest of the segments are yellow, and the calamistrum consists of 18-19 strongly curved hairs.[2]
Conservation
Mashimo leleupi is listed as Least Concern by the South African National Biodiversity Institute due to its wide range.[2] The species is protected in seven protected areas including Addo National Park, Mkambathi Nature Reserve, Ndumo Game Reserve, and Blouberg Nature Reserve.[2]
References
- ↑ "Mashimo leleupi Lehtinen, 1967". World Spider Catalog. https://wsc.nmbe.ch/species/9358. Retrieved 22 September 2025.
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S.; Haddad, C.R.; Foord, S.H.; Lotz, L.N. (2020). The Dictynidae of South Africa. Version 1. South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide. pp. 10. doi:10.5281/zenodo.6159874. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6159874. Retrieved 22 September 2025.
This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.
<ref> tag with name "lehtinen1967" defined in <references> is not used in prior text.Wikidata ☰ Q18094094 entry
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