Ariadna hottentotta

Kamaggas Tube-Web Spider
Conservation status
	LC (SANBI)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Chelicerata
Class:	Arachnida
Order:	Araneae
Infraorder:	Araneomorphae
Family:	Segestriidae
Genus:	Ariadna
Species:	A. hottentotta
Binomial name
	Ariadna hottentotta; Purcell, 1908

Short description: Species of spider

Ariadna hottentotta is a species of spider in the family Segestriidae.^[2] It is endemic to South Africa and is commonly known as the Kamaggas tube-web spider.^[3]

Distribution

Ariadna hottentotta is known from three South African provinces: Eastern Cape, Northern Cape, and Western Cape. The species occurs at altitudes ranging from 1,212 to 1,513 m above sea level. Notable locations include Mountain Zebra National Park, Karoo National Park, and the type locality Kamaggas.^[3]

Habitat and ecology

The species inhabits multiple biomes including Nama Karoo, Succulent Karoo, and Grassland biomes. It constructs tube signal-webs made in crevices of walls, rocks, fallen tree trunks, or bark of trees.^[3]

Description

Females are reddish yellow in colour with the cephalothorax darkened on the side of the head anteriorly. The two posterior pairs of legs are somewhat paler than the anterior pairs. The abdomen is pale-yellowish with a broad dorsal band of purplish-black extending from end to end. Chelicerae are dark-red to reddish black. Total length is 8.5 mm.^[3]

Conservation

Ariadna hottentotta is listed as Least Concern by the South African National Biodiversity Institute due to its wide geographical range. The species is protected in Karoo National Park, Mountain Zebra National Park, and Asante Game Reserve.^[3]

Taxonomy

The species was originally described by W. F. Purcell in 1908 from Kamaggas in the Northern Cape. Only females are known.^[3]

References

↑ Purcell, W.F. (1908). "Araneae". Denkschriften der Medizinisch-Naturwissenschaftlichen Gesellschaft zu Jena 13: 203-246.
↑ "Ariadna hottentotta Purcell, 1908". World Spider Catalog. https://wsc.nmbe.ch/species/33870. Retrieved 2025-09-28.
↑ ^3.0 ^3.1 ^3.2 ^3.3 ^3.4 ^3.5 Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S.; Haddad, C.R.; Foord, S.H.; Lotz, L.N. (2021). The Segestriidae of South Africa. Version 1. South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide. pp. 1-22. doi:10.5281/zenodo.7162194. This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.