Proevippa hirsuta

Proevippa hirsuta is a species of spider in the family Lycosidae.^[2] It is found in southern Africa and is commonly known as the hairy Proevippa wolf spider.^[3]

Hairy Proevippa wolf spider
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Chelicerata
Class:	Arachnida
Order:	Araneae
Infraorder:	Araneomorphae
Family:	Lycosidae
Genus:	Proevippa
Species:	P. hirsuta
Binomial name
Proevippa hirsuta (Russell-Smith, 1981)[1]
Synonyms
Chaleposa hirsuta Russell-Smith, 1981

Distribution

Proevippa hirsuta is found in Lesotho and South Africa.^[2] In South Africa, the species is recorded from the provinces Eastern Cape, Gauteng, Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal, and Western Cape. It occurs at altitudes ranging from 130 to 1,730 m. Notable locations include Asante Sana Private Game Reserve, Irene Gem Village, Klipriviersberg Nature Reserve, Roodeplaatdam Nature Reserve, and Royal Natal National Park.^[3]

Habitat and ecology

Proevippa hirsuta is a free-running ground dwelling spider that seems to inhabit damp places near water. It has been sampled from the Fynbos, Grassland, and Savanna biomes.^[3]

Description

See also: Glossary of spider terms

Conservation

Proevippa hirsuta is listed as Least Concern by the South African National Biodiversity Institute due to its distribution range. There are no significant threats to the species and it is presently protected in Royal Natal National Park, Roodeplaatdam Nature Reserve, and Klipriviersberg Nature Reserve.^[3]

Etymology

The specific name means "hairy" in Latin.

Taxonomy

Proevippa hirsuta was described by Russell-Smith in 1981 as Chaleposa hirsuta from Lesotho. The species was subsequently moved to Proevippa and is known from both sexes.^[3]