Zelotes scrutatus

Zelotes scrutatus is a species of spider in the family Gnaphosidae.^[2] It has a wide distribution throughout Africa and beyond.^[3]

Zelotes scrutatus
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. scrutatus
Binomial name
Zelotes scrutatus (Octavius Pickard-Cambridge, 1872)[1]
Synonyms
Z. scrutatus synonyms Drassus scrutatus O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1872 Melanophora picina O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1872 Melanophora scutata O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1872 Prosthesima curina O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1874 Prosthesima impexa Simon, 1886 Melanophora o'neili Purcell, 1907 Setaphis bechuanica Purcell, 1908 Setaphis anchoralis Purcell, 1908 Zelotes oneili Tucker, 1923 Zelotes demonaica Lawrence, 1927 Drassodes cofiniotes Roewer, 1928 Zelotes simplex Denis, 1937 Zelotes sidama Caporiacco, 1941 Zelotes bucharensis Charitonov, 1946

Distribution

Zelotes scrutatus has a wide distribution throughout Africa, extending to the Canary Islands, Italy (Sicily), Greece, Cyprus, Turkey, and Central Asia.^[2] In South Africa, it has been sampled from all provinces.^[3]

Habitat and ecology

The species is found from 45 to 1,758 m above sea level. They are free-running ground spiders found under stones during the day and inhabit the Fynbos, Nama Karoo, Thicket, Grassland, and Savanna biomes. Z. scrutatus has also been sampled from citrus and pistachio orchards and cotton, maize, and sunflower fields.^[3]

Description

See also: Glossary of spider terms

Conservation

Zelotes scrutatus is listed as Least Concern by the South African National Biodiversity Institute due to its wide geographic range. The species is recorded from more than ten protected areas. There are no significant threats to the species.^[3]

Taxonomy

The species was originally described by Octavius Pickard-Cambridge in 1872 as Drassus scrutatus. Fitzpatrick (2007) revised the species and synonymized numerous species with this taxon, demonstrating its widespread distribution and taxonomic complexity. It is known from both sexes.^[3]