Heliocapensis

Heliocapensis is a mainly South African genus of the spider family Salticidae (jumping spiders).

Distribution

Most species in this genus are endemic to South Africa, with a few found in .

Life style

These are free-living spiders found on the ground or plant-dwellers collected from various habitat types.

Description

These are small salticids, measuring between 3.0 and 4.5 mm in length.

Males are characterized by black coloration with distinctive white markings. A thin line traverses the anterior region of the abdomen, accompanied by two or three pairs of rounded or obliquely-oriented white markings. These markings consist of white setae or microscopic scales and tend to fade as the specimen ages.

Taxonomy

The genus Heliocapensis was elevated from a subgenus of Heliophanus <small>C. L. Koch, 1833</small> by Wesołowska in 2024.

Species

, this genus includes fourteen species:

• Heliocapensis aberdarensis <small>(Wesołowska, 1986)</small> – Kenya, South Africa
• Heliocapensis bellus <small>(Wesołowska, 1986)</small> – South Africa
• Heliocapensis capensis <small>(Wesołowska, 1986)</small> – South Africa
• Heliocapensis charlesi <small>(Wesołowska, 2003)</small> – South Africa
• Heliocapensis chikangawanus <small>(Wesołowska, 1986)</small> – Angola, Malawi
• Heliocapensis claviger <small>(Simon, 1901)</small> – Mozambique, South Africa
• Heliocapensis deserticola <small>(Simon, 1901)</small> – South Africa
• Heliocapensis lola <small>Wesołowska & Henrard, 2025</small> – Guinea
• Heliocapensis maluti <small>(Wesołowska & , 2014)</small> – South Africa, Lesotho
• Heliocapensis mirabilis <small>(Wesołowska, 1986)</small> – South Africa
• Heliocapensis peckhami <small>(Simon, 1902)</small> – South Africa (type species)
• Heliocapensis portentosus <small>(Wesołowska, 1986)</small> – South Africa
• Heliocapensis redimitus <small>(Simon, 1910)</small> – South Africa
• Heliocapensis termitophagus <small>(Wesołowska & Haddad, 2002)</small> – South Africa

References

External links