Hypsosinga holzapfelae
| Spotted Araneus Hairy Field Spider | |
|---|---|
| female | |
| male | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Araneidae |
| Genus: | Hypsosinga |
| Species: | H. holzapfelae
|
| Binomial name | |
| Hypsosinga holzapfelae (Lessert, 1936)[1]
| |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Hypsosinga holzapfelae is a species of spider in the family Araneidae.[2] It is commonly known as the spotted Araneus hairy field spider.[3] The species found from Kenya to South Africa.
Distribution
Hypsosinga holzapfelae is known from Mozambique, Kenya and South Africa. The species is possibly under-collected and is suspected to occur in countries in between.[3]
The South African distribution includes Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and North West provinces. Notable localities include Ezemvelo Nature Reserve, Faerie Glenn Nature Reserve, Empangeni, Tembe Elephant Park, Blouberg Nature Reserve, Kruger National Park, and Rustenburg Nature Reserve.[3]
Habitat and ecology
Hypsosinga holzapfelae are orb-web spiders that construct their webs in vegetation. The species has been sampled from the Savanna and Thicket biomes at altitudes from 78 to 1,556 m above sea level. It has also been recorded from macadamia and avocado orchards, and tomatoes.[3]
Description
-
female
-
juvenile
-
juvenile
Conservation
Hypsosinga holzapfelae is listed as Least Concern by the South African National Biodiversity Institute due to its wide geographical range.[3] The species has been sampled from 11 protected areas including Tembe Elephant park, Blouberg, Makelali Nature Reserve and Kruger National Park. No conservation actions are recommended.[3]
Etymology
Swiss arachnologist Roger de Lessert named this species after Monika Holzapfel-Meyer, a Swiss biologist active in the 1930s and 1940s.[2]
Taxonomy
The species has not been revised and is known from both sexes.[3]
References
- ^ Lessert, R. de (1936). "Araignées de l'Afrique orientale portugaise, recueillies par MM. P. Lesne et B.-B. Cott". Revue Suisse de Zoologie. 43: 207–306. doi:10.5962/bhl.part.144393.
- ^ a b "Hypsosinga holzapfelae (Lessert, 1936)". World Spider Catalog. Retrieved 2025-09-26.
- ^ a b c d e f g Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S.; Haddad, C.R.; Foord, S.H.; Lotz, L.N.; Webb, P. (2022). The Araneidae of South Africa. Version 2: part 2 (E-Ne). South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide. p. 19. doi:10.5281/zenodo.6619195. This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.