Ctenus pulchriventris

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Tropical Wolf Spider
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Infraorder: Araneomorphae
Family: Ctenidae
Genus: Ctenus
Species:
C. pulchriventris
Binomial name
Ctenus pulchriventris
(Simon, 1897) [1]
Synonyms
  • Ctenus spenceriF. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1898
  • Ctenus herbigradusArts, 1912
  • Ctenus spenceri herbigradusLawrence, 1947

Ctenus pulchriventris is a species of spider in the family Ctenidae. [2] It occurs in southern Africa and is commonly known as the tropical wolf spider. [3]

Contents

It is the dominant wandering spider found in Afromontane forests in KwaZulu-Natal. [3]

Distribution

Ctenus pulchriventris is found in Zimbabwe and South Africa. [2] In South Africa, the species has been recorded from four provinces: Eastern Cape, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and KwaZulu-Natal. [3]

Habitat and ecology

The species is a ground dweller sampled in pitfall traps in the Forest, Indian Ocean Coastal Belt, Savanna, and Thicket biomes, at altitudes ranging from 7 to 1,583 m above sea level. [3] It has also been collected in agricultural crops such as citrus, maize, pine plantations, and strawberries. [3]

Description

Ctenus pulchriventris is known from both sexes.

Conservation

Ctenus pulchriventris is listed as Least Concern by the South African National Biodiversity Institute due to its wide geographical range. The species is protected in areas such as Lekgalameetse Nature Reserve and Blouberg Nature Reserve. [3]

Taxonomy

The species was originally described by Eugène Simon in 1897 from Zimbabwe. Pierre Benoit in 1979 synonymized Ctenus spenceri F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1898 and C. spenceri herbigradusLawrence, 1947 with this species. [4]

References

  1. ↑ Simon, E. (1897). "Etudes arachnologiques. 27e mémoire (1). XLII. Descriptions d'espèces nouvelles de l'ordre des Araneae". Annales de la Société Entomologique de France. 65 (3): 465–510.
  2. 1 2 "Ctenus pulchriventris (Simon, 1897)". World Spider Catalog. Retrieved 21 September 2025.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S.; Haddad, C.R.; Foord, S.H.; Lotz, L.N. (2022). The Ctenidae of South Africa. Version 2. South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide. p. 13. doi:10.5281/zenodo.6090166 . Retrieved 21 September 2025. Creative Commons by small.svg  This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.
  4. ↑ Benoit, P.L.G. (1979). "Etudes sur les Ctenidae africains (Araneae) VIII. Gen. Ctenus Walck.-groupe abditus". Revue Zoologique Africaine. 93 (2): 425–444.
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