Pirata africanus

African water wolf spider
	Female
	Female
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Chelicerata
Class:	Arachnida
Order:	Araneae
Infraorder:	Araneomorphae
Family:	Lycosidae
Genus:	Pirata
Species:	P. africanus
Binomial name
	Pirata africanus; (Roewer, 1960)
Synonyms
	Hippasa africana Roewer, 1960 ;

Pirata africanus is a species of spider in the family Lycosidae.^[2] It is found in southern Africa and is commonly known as the African water wolf spider.^[3]

Distribution

Pirata africanus is found in Namibia and South Africa.^[2] In South Africa, it is known from the provinces Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal, and Mpumalanga. Notable locations include Kruger National Park, Mlazi River at Killarney Game Farm, and Nelspruit.^[3]

Habitat and ecology

Pirata africanus is a free running ground spider associated with fresh water. The species is able to dive underneath water where individuals can stay for periods of time. It has been sampled from the Savanna biome at altitudes ranging from 7 to 418 m.^[3]

Description

female

Conservation

Pirata africanus is listed as Least Concern by the South African National Biodiversity Institute due to its wide geographical range. It is protected in Kruger National Park, though additional sampling is needed to collect males.^[3]

Taxonomy

Pirata africanus was originally described by Roewer in 1960 as Hippasa africana from Namibia. The species was reviewed by Alderweireldt and Jocqué in 2005 and transferred to the genus Pirata. It is known only from females.^[3]

References

^ Roewer, C.F. (1960). "Araneae Lycosaeformia II (Lycosidae) (Fortsetzung und Schluss)". Exploration du Parc National de l'Upemba, Mission G. F. De Witte. 55: 519–1040.
^ ^a ^b "Pirata africanus (Roewer, 1960)". World Spider Catalog. Natural History Museum Bern. doi:10.24436/2. Retrieved 2025-10-01.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S.; Haddad, C.R.; Foord, S.H.; Lotz, L.N. (2021). The Lycosidae of South Africa. Version 1: part 2 (L-Z). South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide. p. 32. doi:10.5281/zenodo.6324723. This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.

[roewer1960-1] Roewer, C.F. (1960). "Araneae Lycosaeformia II (Lycosidae) (Fortsetzung und Schluss)". Exploration du Parc National de l'Upemba, Mission G. F. De Witte. 55: 519–1040.

[wsc-2] "Pirata africanus (Roewer, 1960)". World Spider Catalog. Natural History Museum Bern. doi:10.24436/2. Retrieved 2025-10-01.

[dippenaar2021-3] Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S.; Haddad, C.R.; Foord, S.H.; Lotz, L.N. (2021). The Lycosidae of South Africa. Version 1: part 2 (L-Z). South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide. p. 32. doi:10.5281/zenodo.6324723. This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.

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