Mistaria zuluana

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Zululand Agelena Grass Funnel-Web Spider
Mistaria zuluana - Debbie Taylor - 242163005.jpeg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Infraorder: Araneomorphae
Family: Agelenidae
Genus: Mistaria
Species:
M. zuluana
Binomial name
Mistaria zuluana
(Roewer, 1955)
Synonyms
  • Agelena zuluanaRoewer, 1955

Mistaria zuluana is a species of spider in the family Agelenidae. It is endemic to South Africa. [1] The species is commonly known as the Zululand Agelena Grass Funnel-Web Spider. [2]

Contents

Taxonomy

The species was originally described by Carl Friedrich Roewer in 1955 as Agelena zuluana from specimens collected in Zululand, near Ulundi. [3] In 1967, Pekka T. Lehtinen suggested that the species probably belonged to the genus Mistaria . [4] This transfer was formally completed by Kioko et al. in 2019 based on morphological analysis. [5]

Distribution

Mistaria zuluana is widespread in South Africa, occurring in six provinces. The species has been recorded from the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, North West, Northern Cape, and Western Cape provinces at elevations ranging from 409 to 1,556 meters above sea level. Notable localities include several protected areas such as Addo Elephant National Park, Karoo National Park, Mountain Zebra National Park, and Augrabies Falls National Park. [2]

Habitat

Mistaria zuluana is a web-dwelling species that constructs funnel webs in low vegetation close to the soil surface. The species has been recorded from multiple biomes including Fynbos, Grassland, Nama Karoo, and Savanna. [2]

Description

Only the female of Mistaria zuluana is known. The total body length is approximately 6.8 mm, with the cephalothorax measuring 2.8 mm in length and 2.4 mm in width, and the opisthosoma 4.0 mm long and 2.4 mm wide. [5]

The carapace is brownish-yellow with four pairs of black lateral bands and a dark brown cephalic region. The fovea is short. The chelicerae are dark brown, while the labium is yellow suffused with black and approximately three-quarters the length of the endites. The sternum is yellow with black suffusion, and the legs are creamy-yellow in coloration. [5]

The opisthosoma is ovoid-shaped with two horizontal parallel black lines. The posterior spinnerets are yellow with black suffusion. [5]

The epigyne has short, pointed teeth positioned at the same distance as the lateral notches. The anterior delimiting edge is concave but features a central ridge, and the copulatory ducts originate centrally and project anteriorly. [5]

Conservation status

Mistaria zuluana is classified as Least Concern due to its widespread distribution across South Africa. [2] No specific threats to the species have been identified, and it is protected in at least 11 protected areas throughout its range. [2]

References

  1. "Mistaria zuluana (Roewer, 1955)". World Spider Catalog. Retrieved 18 September 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S.; Haddad, C.R.; Foord, S.H.; Lotz, L.N. (2020). The Agelenidae of South Africa. Irene: South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide. p. 23. doi:10.5281/zenodo.5981186. Creative Commons by small.svg  This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.
  3. Roewer, C.F. (1955). "Araneae Lycosaeformia I. (Agelenidae, Hahniidae, Pisauridae) mit Berücksichtigung aller Arten der äthiopischen Region". Exploration du Parc National de l'Upemba, Mission G. F. De Witte. 30: 1–420.
  4. Lehtinen, P.T. (1967). "Classification of the cribellate spiders and some allied families, with notes on the evolution of the suborder Araneomorpha". Annales Zoologici Fennici. 4: 199–468.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Kioko, G.M.; Jäger, P.; Kioko, E.N.; Ji, L.Q.; Li, S.Q. (2019). "On the species of the genus Mistaria Lehtinen, 1967 studied by Roewer (1955) from Africa (Araneae, Agelenidae)". African Invertebrates. 60 (1): 109–132. Bibcode:2019AfrIn..60..109K. doi: 10.3897/AfrInvertebr.60.34359 .