Austrodomus zuluensis

Zululand Austrodomus Pale Ground Spider
Conservation status
Least Concern  (SANBI Red List)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Chelicerata
Class:	Arachnida
Order:	Araneae
Infraorder:	Araneomorphae
Family:	Prodidomidae
Genus:	Austrodomus
Species:	A. zuluensis
Binomial name
Austrodomus zuluensis Lawrence, 1947

Austrodomus zuluensis is a species of spider in the family Prodidomidae (formerly Gnaphosidae). ^[1] It is found in Mozambique and South Africa and is commonly known as the Zululand Austrodomus pale ground spider. ^[2]

Etymology

The species name zuluensis refers to Zululand, the historical region in KwaZulu-Natal where the species was first described.

Distribution

Austrodomus zuluensis occurs in Mozambique and South Africa. In South Africa, it is known from KwaZulu-Natal province. ^[2]

Habitat and ecology

The species is a free-running ground dweller. It has been sampled from Grassland, Desert, Savanna, and Nama Karoo biomes. ^[2]

Description

See also: Glossary of spider terms

A. zuluensis is known only from the female. ^[2]

Conservation

Austrodomus zuluensis is listed as Least Concern by the South African National Biodiversity Institute due to its wide geographical range. The species is protected in the Ndumo Game Reserve. ^[2]

Taxonomy

The species was described by Lawrence in 1947 from Umfolosi Drift in KwaZulu-Natal. The genus was revised by Rodrigues & Rheims in 2020. ^[2]

References

1. "Austrodomus zuluensis Lawrence, 1947". World Spider Catalog. Retrieved 22 September 2025.
2. Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S.; Haddad, C.R.; Foord, S.H.; Lotz, L.N. (2021). The Gnaphosidae of South Africa. part 1 (A-D). South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide. pp. 43–44. doi:10.5281/zenodo.7197174 . Retrieved 22 September 2025.  This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.