Heliophanus (Heliophanus) pygmaeus Wesołowska & Russell-Smith, 2000

Wesołowska, Wanda & Haddad, Charles R., 2013, New data on the jumping spiders of South Africa (Araneae: Salticidae), African Invertebrates 54 (1), pp. 177-177 : 207

Heliophanus (Heliophanus) pygmaeus Wesołowska & Russell-Smith, 2000

Heliophanus pygmaeus: Wesołowska & Russell-Smith 2000: 36 , figs 73–76; Wesołowska 2004: 277, figs 1–13; Wesołowska & Cumming 2008: 184, figs 50, 51.

Xuriella prima: Wesołowska & Russell-Smith 2000: 115 , figs 322–325 (♀ misidentified).

Wesołowska & Cumming (2008) described both sexes.

Material examined: SOUTH AFRICA: Mpumalanga: 1♀ Kruger National Park , Satara, N’wanetsi, 24°26.940'S 31°51.060'E, sweepnetting, iii.2008, B. Reynolds (NCA, 2010/2739) ; 1♂ same data but 24°26.700'S 31°51.340'E (NCA, 2010/2740) ; 1♀ same locality, Pretoriuskop , Shabeni, 25°06.420'S 31°13.920'E, sweepnetting, iv.2008, B. Reynolds (NCA, 2010/2738) ; 1♀ same locality, Pretoriuskop , Kambeni, 25°09.240'S 31°16.260'E, litter sifting, ix–x.2008, B. Reynolds (NCA, 2010/2737) .

Distribution: Species known from Tanzania and Zimbabwe, recorded for the first time from South Africa ( Fig. 86).

Habitat and biology: This species can be regarded as a beetle-mimicking spider and somewhat resembles small black ladybirds ( Coleoptera : Coccinellidae ) in general appearance and size. All of the material was collected close to the ground in leaf-litter, or sweeping grass in savanna woodlands.