Helafricanus proszynskii

Helafricanus proszynskii is a species of spider in the family Salticidae. It is endemic to southern Africa and is commonly known as Proszynski's Helafricanus sunny jumping spider.

Distribution

Helafricanus proszynskii is found in Lesotho and South Africa.
In South Africa, it is known from eight provinces..

Habitat and ecology

Helafricanus proszynskii is a free-living plant-dwelling spider sampled from the Fynbos, Grassland, Indian Ocean Coastal Belt, and Savanna biomes at altitudes ranging from 7 to 2,398 m. The species was also sampled from cotton, tomato, and wheat fields.

Conservation

Helafricanus proszynskii is listed as Least Concern by the South [African National Biodiversity Institute] due to its wide geographical range. In South Africa, it is conserved in nine protected areas.

Etymology

The species is named in honor of arachnologist Jerzy Prószyński, who has made significant contributions to the taxonomy of jumping spiders.

Taxonomy

Helafricanus proszynskii was originally described by Wesołowska in 2003 from Bredasdorp in the Western Cape. Additional data was added by Wesołowska and Haddad in 2009. The species was transferred to Helafricanus by Wesołowska in 2024.