Tyrotama incerta

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Nieuwoudtville Long Spinneret Ground Spider
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Infraorder: Araneomorphae
Family: Hersiliidae
Genus: Tyrotama
Species:
T. incerta
Binomial name
Tyrotama incerta
(Tucker, 1920) [1]
Synonyms
  • Tama incertaTucker, 1920

Tyrotama incerta is a species of spider in the family Hersiliidae. [2] It is a southern African endemic and is commonly known as the Nieuwoudtville Long Spinneret Ground Spider. [3]

Contents

Distribution

Tyrotama incerta occurs in Namibia and South Africa. [2] In South Africa, the species is found in two provinces at altitudes ranging from 83 to 1,167 m above sea level. [3]

Habitat

The species occurs in Nama Karoo and Fynbos biomes. It constructs circular webs under stones on dry rocky northern and western slopes, typically in rock-on-rock situations. The web hangs from the stone's underside like a veil, with the entrance positioned on the northern side. [3]

Description

Tyrotama incerta is known only from females. Like other members of the genus Tyrotama, it exhibits the characteristic shorter legs compared to Hersilia. [3]

Conservation

Tyrotama incerta is listed as Least Concern by the South African National Biodiversity Institute. Although the species has lost some habitat to crop cultivation on the Bokkeveld Escarpment and around Clanwilliam, the majority of its range remains in natural condition. The species is protected in two protected areas: Oorlogskloof Nature Reserve and Karoo National Park. [3]

Taxonomy

The species was originally described by Tucker in 1920 as Tama incerta from Nieuwoudtville in the Northern Cape. Foord & Dippenaar-Schoeman (2005) transferred it to the genus Tyrotama. [4]

References

  1. ↑ Tucker, R.W.E. (1920). "Contributions to the South African Arachnid Fauna. II. On some new South African spiders of the families Barychelidae, Dipluridae, Eresidae, Zodariidae, Heracliidae, Urocteidae, Clubionidae". Annals of the South African Museum. 17: 439–488.
  2. 1 2 "Tyrotama incerta (Tucker, 1920)". World Spider Catalog. Retrieved 21 September 2025.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S.; Haddad, C.R.; Foord, S.H.; Lotz, L.N. (2020). The Hersiliidae of South Africa. Version 1. South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide. p. 19. doi:10.5281/zenodo.5913607 . Retrieved 21 September 2025. Creative Commons by small.svg  This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.
  4. ↑ Foord, S.H.; Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S. (2005). "A revision of the Afrotropical species of Hersiliola Thorell and Tama Simon with the description of a new genus Tyrotama (Araneae: Hersiliidae)". African Entomology. 13: 255–279.
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