Common Preening Ground Spider

Zelotes fratris

General Status Rank: 
Secure
ELCODE: 
ILARAN6070
Common Name: 
Common Preening Ground Spider
Scientific Name: 
Zelotes fratris
Synonyms: 
Zelotes inheritus
Zelotes subterraneus
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Taxonomy
Group: 
Arachnid (Spider)
Kingdom: 
Animalia
Phylum: 
Arthropoda
Class: 
Arachnida
Order: 
Araneae
Family: 
Gnaphosidae
General Biology

Female Age at Maturity

Considering their full range, mature males of this species have been observed between late April and late September, rarely in November and January, while mature females have been observed throughout the year, with the exception of January. Egg sacs have been observed in July and August and are guarded by the female (Platnick & Dondale 1992).
Habitat
Specimens have been found in aspen, maple, oak, red alder, willow, cedar, fir, pine, and spruce forests; on sand dunes, orchards, meadows, sagebrush, marshes (salt and fresh); and under surface debris on the ground (Platnick & Dondale 1992).
Distribution

Distribution

Alaska to Newfoundland, south to California, Arizona, New Mexico, and North Carolina; Russia. In the NWT, the species has been recorded from Hay River, Yellowknife, Fort Simpson, Norman Wells, and Wood Buffalo National Park (Platnick & Dondale 1992, Loboda et al. 2013, GBIF).

Number of Occurrences

Platnick & Dondale (1992) reference three records of this species in the NWT: one in Hay River, one in Yellowknife, and one in Fort Simpson. There are also an unrecorded number of records of this species in Norman Wells and Yellowknife (Loboda et al. 2013), and 14 records from Yellowknife (x2) and Wood Buffalo National Park (x12) (GBIF). References: (1) Platnick, N.I. & Dondale, C.D. 1992. The Insects and Arachnids of Canada. Part 19. The ground spiders of Canada and Alaska (Araneae: Gnaphosidae). NRC Research Press, Ottawa, ON. 302 pp. (2) Loboda et al. 2013. Unpublished spider data from Northern Biodiversity Program. (3) https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/search?country=CA&taxon_key=5168003&occurrence_status=present&gadm_gid=CAN.6_1
General Status Rank
Rank: 
Secure
Status Rank Description: 
Secure. Regional experts consider this species to be very common in the NWT.
S Rank: 
S4S5
Decision Process Description: 
Originally ranked in 2010 by S. Cannings, M. Anions, P. Paquin, D. Buckle, and R. Bennett. Reviewed by R. Bennett in 2014; modified from Undetermined to Secure. Reviewed by R. Bennett in 2023; no change.
Last Updated: 
August 8, 2024
Status Designations

Canada – Assessment by Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada

COSEWIC Status: 
-

References