Zoma zoma
Overview
Zoma zoma is a species of ray spider that is endemic to Silhouette Island of Seychelles. It was first described by Michael I. Saaristo & A.
V. Tanasevitch in 1996. To date Zoma only contains its type species Zoma Zoma.
The name of Zoma refers to the belt of silvery corpuscles on the abdomen of the type species. Not much is known about males of the species. Females have a total length, not including chelicerae, of 1.79 mm.
It is threatened by habitat degradation from invasive plants, such as Cinnamomum verum.
Zoma zoma faces severe population decline primarily due to habitat destruction from agricultural expansion and urban development within its limited range. The species' extremely restricted distribution makes it particularly vulnerable to localized threats, with remaining populations fragmented across small habitat patches. Climate change poses an additional threat through altered precipitation patterns affecting the specific microhabitat conditions this species requires.
Habitat
Zoma zoma inhabits specialized microhabitats within tropical forest ecosystems, typically found in areas with specific moisture and temperature requirements. The species shows strong habitat specificity, occurring in forest understory environments with particular vegetation characteristics.
Other threatened species in THERIDIOSOMATIDAE
Threatened in Seychelles
Frequently asked questions
Why is Zoma zoma classified as Critically Endangered?
Where does Zoma zoma live?
What are the main threats to Zoma zoma?
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