Diores simoni

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Simon's Igloo spider
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Infraorder: Araneomorphae
Family: Zodariidae
Genus: Diores
Species:
D. simoni
Binomial name
Diores simoni
O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1904 [1]
Synonyms
  • Diores vittipes Simon, 1910

Diores simoni is a species of spider in the family Zodariidae. [2] It is endemic to the Western Cape province of South Africa and is commonly known as Simon's Igloo spider. [3]

Contents

Distribution

Diores simoni is known from various localities in the Western Cape, including the Cape Peninsula, De Hoop Nature Reserve, and Tsitsikamma National Park. [3]

Habitat

The species inhabits the Forest and Fynbos biomes at altitudes ranging from 15 to 1346 metres above sea level. It has also been collected in pitfall traps from vineyards. [3]

Description

Males of Diores simoni have a total length of 3.28 mm, while females measure 3.98 mm. The carapace and chelicerae are greyish-yellow, while the sternum and legs are pale yellow. The dorsum of the opisthosoma is sepia with a pale brown scutum in the middle in males. Females have similar coloration but the dark dorsal area of the abdomen extends around the spinnerets. [4]

Ecology

Diores simoni are free-living ground-dwellers that construct igloo-shaped retreats with small stones, characteristic behavior of the genus Diores . [3]

Conservation

The species is listed as Least Concern due to its wide geographical range. It is conserved in five protected areas. [3]

References

  1. ↑ Pickard-Cambridge, O. (1904). "Descriptions of some new species and characters of three new genera, of Araneidea from South Africa". Annals of the South African Museum. 3: 143–165.
  2. ↑ "Diores simoni O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1904". World Spider Catalog. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S.; Jocqué, R.; Haddad, C.R.; Foord, S.H.; Lotz, L.N. (2024). The Zodariidae of South Africa. Part 1 (A-D) version 1. South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide. p. 81. doi:10.5281/zenodo.14404920 . Retrieved 20 September 2025. Creative Commons by small.svg  This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.
  4. ↑ Jocqué, R. (1990). "A revision of the Afrotropical genus Diores (Araneae, Zodariidae)". Annales, Musée Royal de l'Afrique Centrale, Sciences zoologiques. 260: 1–81.
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