The species is found in Southern Africa: southern Angola, Namibia, Botswana, southwestern Zimbabwe, southern Mozambique, and south-central to northern South Africa.

[1][3] Juveniles of H. lugubris are black with light spots and move with a hunched gait, mimicking the appearance of Anthia ground beetles.

This mimicry is thought to discourage predation, as the beetles spray formic acid as a defense mechanism and are thus less appealing targets for predators.

This is one of very few recorded examples of a vertebrate mimicking an invertebrate.

This lizard from family Lacertidae article is a stub.