Hippasa australis
| African funnel-web wolf spider | |
|---|---|
| female with egg sac | |
| female with egg sac | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Lycosidae |
| Genus: | Hippasa |
| Species: | H. australis
|
| Binomial name | |
| Hippasa australis Lawrence, 1927
| |
Hippasa australis is a species of spider in the family Lycosidae.[1] It is found in several southern African countries and is commonly known as the African funnel-web wolf spider.[2]
Distribution
Hippasa australis is found in Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Eswatini, Lesotho, and South Africa.[2]
In South Africa, it occurs in Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, and Mpumalanga provinces, with numerous recorded localities.[2]
Habitat and ecology
This species is a ground dweller that makes sheet-webs in low vegetation.[2]
It is commonly found in Grassland and Savanna biomes at altitudes ranging from 1 to 2102 m.[2]
Description
Conservation
The species has a very large range and is protected in more than ten protected areas across southern Africa. There are no significant threats to the species.[2]
Taxonomy
The species was originally described by Lawrence in 1927 from Ingwavuma in KwaZulu-Natal.[3] It was later revised by Alderweireldt and Jocqué in 2005.[4]
References
- ^ a b "Hippasa australis Lawrence, 1927". World Spider Catalog. Retrieved 2025-10-01.
- ^ a b c d e f Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S.; Haddad, C.R.; Foord, S.H.; Lotz, L.N. (2021). The Lycosidae of South Africa. Version 1: part 1 (A-H). South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide. pp. 53–54. doi:10.5281/zenodo.6324709. This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.
- ^ Lawrence, R.F. (1927). "Contributions to a knowledge of the fauna of South-West Africa V. Arachnida". Annals of the South African Museum. 25 (1): 47, pl. 2, f. 35.
- ^ Alderweireldt, M.; Jocqué, R. (2005). "A taxonomic review of the Afrotropical representatives of the genus Hippasa (Araneae, Lycosidae)". Journal of Afrotropical Zoology. 2: 53, f. 18-21.