| Common Ground Velvet Spider | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Female | |
 | |
| Male | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Eresidae |
| Genus: | Dresserus |
| Species: | D. colsoni |
| Binomial name | |
| Dresserus colsoni Tucker, 1920 [1] | |
Dresserus colsoni is a species of spider in the family Eresidae. [2] It is endemic to South Africa and is commonly known as the common ground velvet spider. [3]
Dresserus colsoni is endemic to South Africa and has been recorded from five provinces: Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and North West. The species occurs in more than 10 protected areas across its range. [3]
The species is commonly found in retreat webs, mainly under stones and sometimes in compost heaps in gardens. It inhabits areas at altitudes ranging from 54 to 1,909 m above sea level in the Grassland and Savanna biomes. [3]
Dresserus colsoni is known from both sexes. The opisthosoma is dull testaceous brown and covered with short setae. [3]
Dresserus colsoni is listed as Least Concern by the South African National Biodiversity Institute. Despite being known only from one sex in early descriptions, the species has a wide geographical range. The species is protected in more than 10 protected areas including Kruger National Park, Polokwane Nature Reserve, and Nylsvley Nature Reserve. [3]
The species was originally described by R.W.E. Tucker in 1920 from Lydenburg in Mpumalanga. It has not been revised since its original description. [3]
This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.