Proevippa wanlessi

Proevippa wanlessi is a species of spider in the family Lycosidae.^[2] It is endemic to South Africa and is commonly known as the banded Proevippa wolf spider.^[3]

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

Distribution

Proevippa wanlessi is found in South Africa.^[2] It is recorded from three provinces: Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, and Limpopo. The species occurs at altitudes ranging from 647 to 1,719 m. Localities include Melville Koppies, Pietermaritzburg, Blouberg Nature Reserve, Lhuvhondo Nature Reserve, Polokwane Nature Reserve, Lekgalameetse Nature Reserve, and Ben Lavin Nature Reserve.^[3]

Habitat and ecology

Proevippa wanlessi is a common ground dwelling spider in Acacia savanna. It has been sampled from the Grassland and Savanna biomes.^[3]

Description

See also: Glossary of spider terms

Conservation

Proevippa wanlessi is listed as Least Concern by the South African National Biodiversity Institute due to its wide geographical range. There are no known threats to the species and it is protected in Blouberg Nature Reserve, Lhuvhondo Nature Reserve, Polokwane Nature Reserve, Lekgalameetse Nature Reserve, and Ben Lavin Nature Reserve.^[3]

Etymology

The species is named after British arachnologist Fred Wanless.

Taxonomy

Proevippa wanlessi was described by Russell-Smith in 1981 as Chaleposa wanlessi from Pietermaritzburg. The species was subsequently moved to Proevippa and is known only from males.^[3]