| Taxon | Meta meruensis |
|---|---|
| Authority | Tullgren, 1910[1] |
Meta meruensis is a species of spider in the family Tetragnathidae.[2] It is commonly known as the meruensis orb-web spider.[3]
Distribution
Meta meruensis is found in Tanzania and South Africa.[2] In South Africa, the species is recorded from three provinces: KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, and Mpumalanga.[3]
Habitat and ecology
The species has been collected from low vegetation near water in Forest and Savanna biomes at altitudes ranging from 687 to 2,785 m.[3]
Description
Conservation
Meta meruensis is listed as Least Concern by the South African National Biodiversity Institute due to its wide geographical range.[3] The species is protected in Blouberg Nature Reserve, Lekgalameetse Nature Reserve, and Lhuvhondo Nature Reserve.[3]
Taxonomy
The species was originally described by Albert Tullgren in 1910 from Tanzania.[1] According to Marusik and Larsen in 2018, the species is misplaced in Meta and based on the shape of the epigyne, it may belong to Leucauge.[4] However, it differs from Leucauge in several aspects, including the absence of the double fringe of trichobothria on leg IV.[4]
It is known only from females.[3]
References
- ^ Tullgren, A. (1910). "Araneae". Wissenschaftliche Ergebnisse der Schwedischen Zoologischen Expedition nach dem Kilimandjaro, dem Meru und den umgebenden Massaisteppen Deutsch-Ostafrikas 1905-1906 unter Leitung von Prof. Dr. Yngve Sjöstedt. Vol. 20, no. 6. Sjöstedts Kilimandjaro-Meru Expedition. pp. 85–172. doi:10.5962/bhl.title.6622
- ^ "Meta meruensis Tullgren, 1910". World Spider Catalog. Natural History Museum Bern. doi:10.24436/2. Retrieved 2025-10-01.
- ^ Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S.; Haddad, C.R.; Foord, S.H.; Lotz, L.N. (2023). The Tetragnathidae of South Africa. South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide. p. 27. doi:10.5281/zenodo.7513261
- ^ Marusik, Y.M. & Larsen, N. (2018). "A new species and new records of Metellina (Araneae: Tetragnathidae) from Africa". Zootaxa. 4418 (5): 497–504. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4418.5.8