Zelotes lightfooti

Zelotes lightfooti is a species of spider in the family Gnaphosidae.^[2] It is endemic to South Africa and is commonly known as the lightfoot's dark ground spider.^[3]

Lightfoot's Dark Ground Spider
Conservation status
Least Concern (SANBI Red List)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Chelicerata
Class:	Arachnida
Order:	Araneae
Infraorder:	Araneomorphae
Family:	Gnaphosidae
Genus:	Zelotes
Species:	Z. lightfooti
Binomial name
Zelotes lightfooti (Purcell, 1907)[1]
Synonyms
Melanophora lightfooti Purcell, 1907 Zelotes ornatus Tucker, 1923

Distribution

Zelotes lightfooti has been recorded from four South African provinces: Eastern Cape, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and Western Cape. The species occurs at altitudes ranging from 249 to 2,040 m above sea level.^[3]

Description

See also: Glossary of spider terms

Habitat and ecology

Zelotes lightfooti are free-running spiders found under stones during the day. The species has been sampled from the Fynbos, Nama Karoo, Grassland, and Savanna biomes.^[3]

Conservation

Zelotes lightfooti is listed as Least Concern by the South African National Biodiversity Institute due to its wide range. There are no significant threats to the species, and it is protected in Verlorenvallei Nature Reserve, Anysberg Nature Reserve, and Witteberg Nature Reserve.^[3]

Taxonomy

The species was originally described by William Frederick Purcell in 1907 from Ceres in the Western Cape as Melanophora lightfooti. FitzPatrick's 2007 revision synonymized Zelotes ornatus Tucker, 1923 with Z. lightfooti. The species is known only from the female.^[3]