Haplodrassus splendens

Haplodrassus splendens is a species of spider in the family Gnaphosidae.^[1] It occurs in southern Africa.^[2]

Haplodrassus splendens
Conservation status
Least Concern (SANBI Red List)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Chelicerata
Class:	Arachnida
Order:	Araneae
Infraorder:	Araneomorphae
Family:	Gnaphosidae
Genus:	Haplodrassus
Species:	H. splendens
Binomial name
Haplodrassus splendens (Tucker, 1923)
Synonyms
Drassodes splendens Tucker, 1923

Distribution

Haplodrassus splendens is found in Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, and South Africa. Within South Africa, it is recorded from all nine provinces.^[2]

Habitat and ecology

The species is a free-living ground dweller that inhabits the Fynbos, Grassland, Nama Karoo, Savanna, and Succulent Karoo biomes at altitudes ranging from 33 to 1,850 m above sea level.^[2]

Description

See also: Glossary of spider terms

Haplodrassus splendens is known from both sexes.^[2]

Conservation

Haplodrassus splendens is listed as Least Concern by the South African National Biodiversity Institute due to its wide geographic range. The species is protected in more than ten protected areas.^[2]

Taxonomy

The species was originally described by R.W.E. Tucker in 1923 as Drassodes splendens from Zimbabwe. In 2025, Yuri M. Marusik and Charles R. Haddad transferred the species to the genus Haplodrassus.^[3]