Thaumastochilus martini

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Zululand Thaumastochilus zodariid spider
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Infraorder: Araneomorphae
Family: Zodariidae
Genus: Thaumastochilus
Species:
T. martini
Binomial name
Thaumastochilus martini
Simon, 1897 [1]

Thaumastochilus martini is a species of spider in the family Zodariidae. [2] It is endemic to KwaZulu-Natal province in South Africa and is commonly known as the Zululand Thaumastochilus zodariid spider. [3]

Contents

Distribution

Thaumastochilus martini is found in KwaZulu-Natal, with records from iSimangaliso Wetland Park (Hell's Gate and Cape Vidal) and Nongoma. [3]

Habitat

The species inhabits the Indian Ocean Coastal Belt and Savanna biomes at altitudes ranging from 7 to 793 m above sea level. [3]

Description

Thaumastochilus martini is known only from females, which reach 9.6 mm in total length. The carapace is dark reddish brown with a paler wedge-shaped mark between the fovea and posterior margin. The chelicerae are dark brown, while the sternum is orange brown. The anterior legs are dark brown except for the femora, of which only the distal quarter is brown. The abdomen displays a dark dorsal pattern on a pale background. [4]

Ecology

Thaumastochilus martini are spiders with elongated bodies that inhabit coastal and savanna regions. [3]

Conservation

The species is listed as Data Deficient by the IUCN for taxonomic reasons. More sampling is needed to collect males and determine the species' full range. [3]

References

  1. ↑ Simon, E. (1897). "Description d'arachnides nouveaux". Annales de la Société Entomologique de Belgique. 41: 8.
  2. ↑ "Thaumastochilus martini Simon, 1897". 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 2 (H-T) version 1. South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide. p. 42. doi:10.5281/zenodo.14568995 . Retrieved 20 September 2025. Creative Commons by small.svg  This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.
  4. ↑ Jocqué, R. (1994). "A termite mimicking spider: Thaumastochilus termitomimus n. sp. (Araneae, Zodariidae)". Journal of African Zoology. 108: 322.
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