Biology:Scytodes montana
| Scytodes montana | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Scytodidae |
| Genus: | Scytodes |
| Species: | S. montana
|
| Binomial name | |
| Scytodes montana Purcell, 1904[2]
| |
Scytodes montana is a species of spider in the family Scytodidae.[3] It is endemic to South Africa and is commonly known as the Table Mountain spitting spider.[4]
Distribution
Scytodes montana is found only in the Western Cape Province, where it has been sampled from several localities in the Table Mountain National Park.[4]
Habitat and ecology
The species inhabits the Fynbos biome at altitudes ranging from 125 to 648 m above sea level. It is a wandering spider commonly collected from under stones and dark places on the soil surface, and has been sampled with pitfall traps.[4]
Description
The spiders are pale yellow with a distinctive carapace decorated with five black stripes. The median stripe is narrow and covers the whole carapace. The black stripes next to the median one are twice the width of the median stripe and parallel with it, extending from behind the lateral eyes to the highest point, then suddenly curving outwards to unite with the border stripes.[4]
Conservation
Scytodes montana is listed as Rare due to its restricted distribution. The species is known only from females and has a limited range within the Table Mountain National Park.[4]
Etymology
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Taxonomy
The species has not been revised and is known only from the female. The epigyne has been illustrated.[4]
References
- ↑ "Table Mountain Spitting Spider". IUCN. https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/176432431/189446628.
- ↑ Purcell, W.F. (1904). "Descriptions of new genera and species of South African spiders". Transactions of the South African Philosophical Society 15: 141. doi:10.5962/bhl.part.18693.
- ↑ "Scytodes montana Purcell, 1904". World Spider Catalog. https://wsc.nmbe.ch/species/33731. Retrieved 2025-09-27.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S.; Haddad, C.R.; Booysen, R.; Foord, S.H.; Lotz, L.N. (2021). The Scytodidae of South Africa. Version 1. South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide. pp. 27. doi:10.5281/zenodo.7157802.
This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Wikidata ☰ Q2384436 entry
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