Hirriusa variegata

Banded Leg Ground Running Spider
	female
	female
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Chelicerata
Class:	Arachnida
Order:	Araneae
Infraorder:	Araneomorphae
Family:	Philodromidae
Genus:	Hirriusa
Species:	H. variegata
Binomial name
	Hirriusa variegata; (Simon, 1895)

Last updated October 11, 2025

Hirriusa variegata is a species of spider in the family Philodromidae.^[2] It is commonly known as the banded leg ground running spider and serves as the type species for the genus Hirriusa.^[3]

Distribution

Hirriusa variegata is endemic to South Africa.^[2] The species has a wide distribution and has been recorded from five provinces including eight protected areas, with an altitudinal range of 172-1828 m above sea level.^[3]

Habitat and ecology

The species is a free-running ground dweller frequently sampled from pitfall traps. They have been associated with termites. The species has been sampled from the Grassland, Nama Karoo and Savanna biomes.^[3]

Description

female
female
female

Conservation

Hirriusa variegata is listed as Least Concern by the South African National Biodiversity Institute due to its wide range. The species is protected in eight protected areas including Blouberg Nature Reserve, Nylsvley Nature Reserve and Kruger National Park.^[3]

Taxonomy

The species was originally described by Simon (1895) as Hirrius variegatus from the type locality listed as Transvaal. The genus has not been revised and the species is known only from the female.^[3]

References

↑ Simon, E. (1895). "Descriptions d'arachnides nouveaux de la famille des Thomisidae". Annales de la Société Entomologique de Belgique. 39: 432–443.
1 2 "Hirriusa variegata (Simon, 1895)". World Spider Catalog. Retrieved 21 September 2025.
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. 12. doi:10.5281/zenodo.6634009 . Retrieved 21 September 2025. This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.

External links

Citizen science observations for Hirriusa variegata at iNaturalist

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[simon1895-1] Simon, E. (1895). "Descriptions d'arachnides nouveaux de la famille des Thomisidae". Annales de la Société Entomologique de Belgique. 39: 432–443.

[wsc-2] 1 2 "Hirriusa variegata (Simon, 1895)". World Spider Catalog. Retrieved 21 September 2025.

[dippenaar2022-3] 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. 12. doi:10.5281/zenodo.6634009 . Retrieved 21 September 2025. This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.

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