Stenaelurillus guttiger

Stenaelurillus guttiger is a medium-sized spider. It has an overall shape that is typical for the genus but shows a high variation in patterns and colours. This does not seem to depend on geographic location with, for example, males with different colour legs and palpal bulbs often living in the same area.

The male spider has a pear-shaped brown or dark brown carapace that is covered in scales that is typically between 2.0 and 2.5 mm (0.079 and 0.098 in) long and 1.4 and 1.9 mm (0.055 and 0.075 in) wide. It is marked with two stripes made of white hairs that travel from front to back and, sometimes, two more that cross from side to side, and has a black eye field. The abdomen is shorter and wider, between 1.8 and 2.5 mm (0.071 and 0.098 in) long and between 1.35 and 2.0 mm (0.053 and 0.079 in) wide, and either brown or dark brown and covered in scales. It has a pattern that consists of a white stripe and V-shape on the front half and white spots on the rear half, sometimes one spot and sometimes three. Occasionally, the white hairs on the spiders rub off, removing the patterns. The chelicerae and clypeus may be dark brown, brown to dark brown, or yellowish brown to brown. In some examples, a sparse covering of white hairs covers the clypeus. The chelicerae may have a few short white hairs or a dense covering of long white hairs. …

Stenaelurillus guttiger has one of the most extensive ranges of the genus, stretching across southern Africa. It was first identified in Makapansgat and Pretoria in South Africa. It has subsequently been found across the country, with examples coming from the provinces of Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and North West. It has been identified in Francistown, Botswana, initially from examples collected in 2006, as well as in Manicaland and Tsholotsho in Zimbabwe. It has also been found in Manica, Mozambique. The holotype is from Ndumo Game Reserve in KwaZulu-Natal.

The spider has primarily been found in sandy environments, but has been observed thriving in swamps and on plants. The species is a specialist hunter and preys on different types of termites, including members of the genera Macrotermes and Odontotermes. The spider also feeds on other prey like fruit flies and leafhoppers. The spider captures its prey by a process of grasping, holding, and injecting its captured prey with venom. It produces a specialised venom that is dedicated for its prey, unlike other species which produce more general-purpose venom. It shares a similar environment to Stenaelurillus modestus, but the two species do not seem to compete for food or space. Stenaelurillus guttiger has also been found foraging along with other termite-eating spiders like Habrocestum africanum and Langelurillus squamiger.