Hypsosinga pygmaea

Hypsosinga pygmaea is a species of orb weaver in the spider family Araneidae, found in North America, Eurasia and southern Africa.^[2] It is commonly known as the spotted false pajama spider.^[3]

Spotted False Pajama Spider
female from South Africa
male from South Africa
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Chelicerata
Class:	Arachnida
Order:	Araneae
Infraorder:	Araneomorphae
Family:	Araneidae
Genus:	Hypsosinga
Species:	H. pygmaea
Binomial name
Hypsosinga pygmaea (Sundevall, 1831)[1]
Synonyms
H. pygmaea synonyms Theridion pygmaeum Sundevall, 1831 Micryphantes anthracinus C. L. Koch, 1837 Phrurolithus trifasciatus C. L. Koch, 1839 Singa trifasciata C. L. Koch, 1844 Singa anthracina C. L. Koch, 1844 Epeira nigrifrons Westring, 1851 Epeira trifasciata Westring, 1851 Singa abbreviata Karsch, 1873 Singa aenea Kroneberg, 1875 Singa maculata Thorell, 1875 Singa variabilis Emerton, 1884 Singa grammica Simon, 1885 Microneta distincta Banks, 1892 Singa cubana Banks, 1909 Pronous laevisternis Simon, 1909 Linyphia banksi Petrunkevitch, 1911 Araneus varians Petrunkevitch, 1911 Singa quadripunctata Kishida, 1931 Singa melania Chamberlin & Ivie, 1947 Araneus itemvarians Bonnet, 1955 Aranea linyphiformis Bösenberg & Strand, 1906 Aranea theridiformis Bösenberg & Strand, 1906 Linyphia bicolor Banks, 1906

Distribution

Hypsosinga pygmaea is widespread and known from North America, Europe, Turkey, Israel, Caucasus, Russia to Central Asia, China, Korea, Japan and South Africa.^[3]

In South Africa, the species is known from four provinces across a moderate range at altitudes from 47 to 1,471 m above sea level. The South African distribution includes Mpumalanga, Gauteng, and KwaZulu-Natal provinces. Notable localities include Loskop Dam Nature Reserve, Nelspruit, Irene, Ezemvelo Nature Reserve, Roodeplaatdam Nature Reserve, and Ndumo Game Reserve.^[3]

Habitat and ecology

Hypsosinga pygmaea constructs a complete orb-web probably sometimes with a retreat. The species is sampled mainly by sweep-netting grasses and herbs from the Grassland and Savanna biomes.^[3]

Description

See also: Glossary of spider terms

• 
  female from Japan
• 
  female from Japan
• 
  male from Japan

Conservation

Hypsosinga pygmaea is listed as Least Concern by the South African National Biodiversity Institute due to its wide global range.^[3] The species is protected in several reserves including Loskop Dam Nature Reserve, Ezemvelo Nature Reserve, Roodeplaatdam Nature Reserve, Ndumo Game Reserve, and Blouberg Nature Reserve. No conservation actions are recommended.^[3]

Taxonomy

• 
  female (Becker, 1882)
• 
  male (Becker, 1882)

The species is known from both sexes.^[3]

Subspecies

These three subspecies belong to the species Hypsosinga pygmaea:

• H. p. pygmaea (Sundevall, 1831)
• H. p. nigra (Simon, 1909)
• H. p. nigriceps (Kulczynski, 1903)