Allocosa aurata

Allocosa aurata is a species of spider in the family Lycosidae. It is endemic to South Africa and is commonly known as the Barberton Allocosa wolf spider.

Distribution

Allocosa aurata is known from four provinces of South Africa: Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, and Mpumalanga.

Habitat and ecology

The species is a free running ground-dweller sampled from the Savanna Biome at altitudes ranging from 563 to 1816 m.

Conservation

Allocosa aurata is listed as Least Concern by the South African National Biodiversity Institute due to its wide geographical range. The species is protected in the Lekgalameetse Nature Reserve.

Taxonomy

The species was originally described by Purcell in 1903 from Barberton in Mpumalanga. The species was revised by Roewer in 1959 and is known only from the female.