| Foord's Asceua spider | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Zodariidae |
| Genus: | Asceua |
| Species: | A. foordi |
| Binomial name | |
| Asceua foordi Jocqué & Henrard, 2024 [1] | |
Asceua foordi is a species of spider in the family Zodariidae. [2] It is found in Africa and is commonly known as Foord's Asceua spider. [3]
The species is named in memory of South African arachnologist Stefan Hendrik Foord (1971-2023).
Asceua foordi occurs in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guinea, and South Africa. [3] Within South Africa, the species has been recorded from the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal provinces, including localities such as Coffee Bay, Kei Mouth, Mazeppa Bay, and several nature reserves. [3]
The species occurs at altitudes ranging from 5 to 1,336 metres above sea level. In South Africa, it inhabits coastal forests where it has been collected using various methods including sweeping, litter sifting, and hand collecting. [3]
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The species is known from both sexes and is characterized by its ant-mimicking appearance, with a dark coloration and white spots on the abdomen. [3]
Asceua foordi are free-living plant and litter-dwellers that mimic small black ants, which they probably prey upon. In tropical Africa, specimens have been collected from forest canopies using fogging techniques. [3]
The species is listed as Least Concern by the South African National Biodiversity Institute due to its wide geographical range across Africa. No significant threats have been identified. [3]
This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.