Hirriusa arenacea

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Namibia Ground Running Spider
Hirriusa arenacea 306175674 552121449.jpg
female
Hirriusa arenacea 306176139 552122272.jpg
male
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Infraorder: Araneomorphae
Family: Philodromidae
Genus: Hirriusa
Species:
H. arenacea
Binomial name
Hirriusa arenacea
(Lawrence, 1927) [1]

Hirriusa arenacea is a species of spider in the family Philodromidae. [2] It is commonly known as the Namibia ground running spider. [3]

Contents

Distribution

Hirriusa arenacea is recorded from Namibia, Botswana, and South Africa. [2] In South Africa, it is known from seven provinces including seven protected areas, with an altitudinal range of 377-1513 m above sea level. [3]

Habitat and ecology

The species is a free-living agile ground dweller readily collected in pitfall traps. With their cryptic colouration, they are well camouflaged and not easily seen on the soil surface. They are frequently encountered in areas infested with termites. The species has been sampled from the Grassland, Desert, Nama Karoo, Savanna, Succulent Karoo and Thicket biomes, and is also recorded from pistachio orchards. [3]

Description

Conservation

Hirriusa arenacea is listed as Least Concern by the South African National Biodiversity Institute due to its wide range. The species is protected in several protected areas. [3]

Etymology

The specific name means "sandy" in Latin.

Taxonomy

The species was originally described by Lawrence (1927) as Hirrius arenaceus from Namibia. The genus has not been revised and the species is known from both sexes. [3]

References

  1. ↑ 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): 1–75.
  2. 1 2 "Hirriusa arenacea (Lawrence, 1927)". World Spider Catalog. Retrieved 21 September 2025.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S.; Haddad, C.R.; Foord, S.H.; Lotz, L.N. (2022). The Philodromidae of South Africa. Version 2. South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide. pp. 9–10. doi:10.5281/zenodo.6634009 . Retrieved 21 September 2025. Creative Commons by small.svg  This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.
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