{{Short description|Species of spider}} {{Speciesbox | image = | image_caption = | image2 = | image2_caption = | taxon = Purcelliana problematica | authority = Cooke, 1964<ref name="cooke1964" /> | synonyms = {{Species list |Prodidomus scaber|Purcell, 1904 (misidentification) }} }}
'''''Purcelliana problematica''''' is a species of spider in the family Prodidomidae.<ref name="wsc" /> It is endemic to South Africa.<ref name="dippenaar2023" />
==Distribution== ''Purcelliana problematica'' is known only from the Western Cape province of South Africa.<ref name="dippenaar2023" /> The species ranges in altitude from 613 to 614 m above sea level.<ref name="dippenaar2023" /> It has been recorded from Prince Albert and Anysberg Nature Reserve.<ref name="dippenaar2023" />
==Habitat and ecology== The species is a free-running ground dweller sampled from the Nama Karoo biome.<ref name="dippenaar2023" />
==Description== {{see also|Glossary of spider terms}} {{missing section|date=September 2025}}
==Conservation== ''Purcelliana problematica'' is listed as Data Deficient for taxonomic reasons.<ref name="dippenaar2023" /> The species is under-sampled and expected to be found in more localities. More sampling is needed to collect the female and determine the species' range. There are no known threats, and it is protected in the Anysberg Nature Reserve.<ref name="dippenaar2023" />
==Taxonomy== The species was described by J.A.L. Cooke in 1964 from Prince Albert.<ref name="cooke1964" /> It was originally misidentified by Purcell in 1904 as ''Prodidomus scaber''. The species was revised by Rodrigues & Rheims in 2020 and is known only from the male.<ref name="dippenaar2023" />
==References== {{Reflist|refs= <ref name="wsc">{{cite web | url=https://wsc.nmbe.ch/species/27755 | title=Purcelliana problematica Cooke, 1964 | publisher=World Spider Catalog | version=26 | accessdate=24 September 2025 | doi=10.24436/2}}</ref> <ref name="dippenaar2023">{{cite book | last1=Dippenaar-Schoeman | first1=A.S. | last2=Haddad | first2=C.R. | last3=Foord | first3=S.H. | last4=Lotz | first4=L.N. | year=2023 | title=The Prodidomidae of South Africa | publisher=South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide | version=1 | pages=1–42 | doi=10.5281/zenodo.7515818 | url=https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7515818 | accessdate=24 September 2025}}{{Creative Commons text attribution notice|cc=by4}}</ref> <ref name="cooke1964">{{cite journal | last=Cooke | first=J.A.L. | year=1964 | title=A revisionary study of some spiders of the rare family Prodidomidae | journal=Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London | volume=142 | issue=2 | pages=257–305 | doi=10.1111/j.1469-7998.1964.tb04625.x}}</ref> }}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q2143594}}
Category:Gnaphosidae Category:Spiders of Africa Category:Endemic spiders of South Africa Category:Spiders described in 1964