Paradonea splendens

Paradonea splendens is a species of spider in the family Eresidae.^[1] It is endemic to South Africa and is commonly known as the splendid velvet spider.^[2]

Splendid Velvet Spider
Conservation status
Data Deficient  (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Chelicerata
Class:	Arachnida
Order:	Araneae
Infraorder:	Araneomorphae
Family:	Eresidae
Genus:	Paradonea
Species:	P. splendens
Binomial name
Paradonea splendens (Lawrence, 1936)

Etymology

The species epithet "splendens" is Latin for "shiny" or "splendid".

Distribution

Paradonea splendens is found exclusively in South Africa, where it occurs in two provinces: Gauteng and Northern Cape.^[2]

Habitat and ecology

The species inhabits Grassland and Savanna biomes at altitudes ranging from 1,102 to 1,345 m above sea level.^[2]

The species is a ground-dweller that builds silken tubes under stones or under shrubs.^[2]

Description

See also: Glossary of spider terms

The species is currently known only from males.^[2]

Conservation

Paradonea splendens is listed as Data Deficient by the IUCN for taxonomic reasons. The species is possibly under-collected, and too little is known about its location, habitat, and threats for a proper assessment. The placement of the species is also problematic taxonomically.^[2]

The species is protected in Benfontein Nature Reserve. Additional sampling is needed to better understand its distribution and conservation needs.^[2]

Taxonomy

This species was originally described by Lawrence in 1936 as Adonea splendens from Gemsbok Pan. It was later transferred to Paradonea by Lawrence in 1968 and revised by Miller et al. in 2012.^[1]