Hirriusa bidentata

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Northern Cape Ground Running Spider
Hirriusa bidentata 298372205 537443454.jpg
Female from South Africa
Hirriusa bidentata 298372205 537443747.jpg
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. bidentata
Binomial name
Hirriusa bidentata
(Lawrence, 1927) [1]

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

Contents

Distribution

Hirriusa bidentata is known from Namibia and South Africa. [2] In South Africa, it is recorded from four provinces including two protected areas, with an altitudinal range of 78-1587 m above sea level. [3]

Habitat and ecology

The species are free-living ground dwellers. They were sampled from pitfall traps and are frequently associated with termites. The species has been sampled from the Grassland, Fynbos, Nama Karoo and Savanna biomes. [3]

Description

Conservation

Hirriusa bidentata is listed as Least Concern by the South African National Biodiversity Institute due to its wide range. The species is protected in the Gamkaberg Nature Reserve and in several localities in the Cederberg Wilderness Area. [3]

Etymology

The specific name means "two-toothed" in Latin.

Taxonomy

The species was originally described by Lawrence (1927) as Hirrius bidentatus 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 bidentata (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. p. 11. 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.