South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide: The Lycosidae of South Africa. Part 1 (A-H)

The family Lycosidae is a large family with 2428 known genera. From South Africa 24
genera represent by 110 species of which 60 species are endemics. Since the use of
pitfall trap in terrestrial invertebrate surveys, the number of lycosids in spider collections
has increased dramatically. Several authors have stated that, at present, the taxonomy
of lycosid spiders is far from well understood. The number of African wolf spider species
is very high, and thorough revisions are needed to clarify the situation. The Afrotropical
representatives were revised by Roewer (1959, 1960) in a voluminous, amply illustrated
revision. Unfortunately this work abounds with inaccuracies and should be used with
caution (Alderweireldt & Jocqué 1992). The need for thorough revision of this abundant
family is, as a consequence, pressing. So far the following African genera have recently
been revised: Ocyale (Alderweireldt 1966), Chaleposa (Russell-Smith 1981), Trabae
(Russell-Smith 1982), Evippomma (Alderweireldt 1992), nebulosa-group of Pardosa
(Alderweireldt & Jocqué 1992), Tricassa (Alderweireldt & Jocqué 1993), Hippasa
(Alderweireldt & Jocqué, 2005), Minicosa (Alderweireldt & Jocqué 2007) and Pterartoria
(Russell-Smith & Roberts 2017). Of the presently known South African species 63% of
the species are listed as Least Concern and the rest are Data Deficient with 66 % known
only from one sex. Only one species Pterartoria cederbergensis Russell-Smith & Roberts,
2017 is presently listed as Critical Rare.