SANSA NEWS South African National Survey of Arachnida
No. 24 JULY-OCT 2015
African Invertebrates: Festschrift dedicated to Ansie Dippenaar-Schoeman
Inside this issue: Dr Ansie Dippenaar-Schoeman, who is currently employed on contract at the
Arachnida Unit in the Biosystema cs Divi- Festschrift .. ...... 1 New bird dropping spider .... 2 sion, has recently been honoured in a Rothus spp . .. 2 Festschri issue published in African In- Tusitala .. ....3 vertebrates , volume 56, issue 2. This edi- New crab spider record 3 on of the journal was dedicated to her in Diplogena .. 3 recogni on of her contribu ons to the New huntsman . .. . 4 field of arachnology throughout her ca- Dark sac spider ... . 5 reer. Highlights of her career include her New long neck .. 5 book ‘African Spiders: An Iden fica on New scorpion ... .... 5 Manual’, which was co-authored with Dr Other new records 6 Diamond route surveys 7 Rudy Jocqué; the many papers that she Student projects 7 has published; and the key role she played Important paper .. ..... 8 in the South African Na onal Survey of Scientific meetings . 9 10 Arachnida (SANSA) project. This work was Anna Sophia Dippenaar-Schoeman New book . 10 done while contribu ng to the establish- Publications . 11 ment and growth of the Na onal Collec- LAST WORD . .. 12 on of Arachnida (non-acari) throughout her 46 years at the ARC. NEW ARACHNID RECORDS FOR SA
The Festschri edi on is dedicated to The number of arachnid species is growing with arachnid papers from the African con - each new paper published or new survey un- nent. A total of 19 papers are included dertaken. The Festschrift this year was an that represent four orders, namely Arane- important contribution, adding 15 new spider Editors and coordinators: ae (spiders), Scorpiones (scorpions), Soli- fugae (red romans) and Pseudoscorpiones species to the national list and a new scorpion. Ansie Dippenaar-Schoeman & (false scorpions). To acknowledge Ansie’s All the new species, as well as the new species Robin Lyle ARC-Plant Protec on Research contribu on to African Arachnology, con- records from South Africa, are discussed in the tributors worldwide have named one new Ins tute following pages. Private Bag X134 genus and 15 new species of arachnids Queenswood a er her in this Festchri . To find out 0121 South Africa more about the papers that are in the E-mail: [email protected] Festschri , please see the African Inverte- brates website: h p:// NATIONAL SPIDER COUNT Charles Haddad africaninvertebrates.org/ Department of Zoology & Entomology JANUARY 2015 — 2171 species University of the Free State The issue was edited by Dr Charles Had- P.O. Box 339 dad, with notes on Ansie’s career by Rudy JUNE 2015 — 2192 species Bloemfontein Jocqué and Stefan Foord. 9300 South Africa OCTOBER 2015 — 2220 species E-mail: [email protected] Contact: Ms Robin Lyle at [email protected] Page 2 SANSA NEWS 24
New bird dropping araneid for South Africa
Four Pasilobus A new species of bird-dropping spider, Pasilo- bus dippenaarae , was described from the Kwa- spp. from Zulu-Natal midlands, South Africa. This species con nental was first observed in a wooded suburban gar- Africa are now den and is the first record of the genus from known: the country. A mature female spider was ob- served on the upper surface of a leaf of P. dippenaarae Cestrum laevigatum , where it had made a thin P. insignis covering of silk threads on which it was si ng. P. laevis READ MORE
P. mammosus ROFF, J. & HADDAD, C.R. 2015. Pasilobus dip- penaarae sp. n. (Araneae: Araneidae), a new species of cyrtarachnine spider from South Africa, with a key to the Afrotropical species. African Invertebrates 56 (2): 445–454. Pasilobus dippenaarae
Spiders of the African genus Rothus LATEST ON THE CROWNED NURSERY-WEB SPIDERS IN SA Simon, 1898 have tu s of setae be- tween the anterior eyes. Their body The African genus Rothus Simon, 1898 was reviewed. The male of Rothus vi atus Simon, coloura on is cryp c and the carapace 1898, is described and illustrated for the first me. Based on the examina on of available frequently decorated with symmetrical type material and type illustra ons, R. purpurissatus Simon, 1898 and R. magnus pa erns of black on a brown or grey Caporiacco, 1940, are here considered junior subjec ve synonyms of R. aethiopicus Pave- background or with pale longitudinal si, 1883. The three currently accepted species ( R. auratus Pocock, 1900, R. aethiopicus and stripes. The carapace is longer than R. vi atus ) are illustrated and redescribed. The body coloura on is variable and animals wide, clothed with plumose setae, and may be light coloured or much darker with bands and lines. Genitalia are important to there are longitudinal bands or spots on dis nguish between species. the abdomen. Their eight eyes are ar- READ MORE ranged in two rows (4:4) and the poste- rior eye row is recurved. There are CRUZ DA SILVA, E..J. & SIERWALD, P. 2015. First descrip on of the male of Rothus vi atus teeth on the cheliceral furrow. Their Simon, 1898 (Araneae: Pisauridae), with a review of the African nursery web spider genus legs are rela vely long, some mes Rothus Simon, 1898. African Invertebrates 56 (2): 325–341. slightly laterigrade and spines are pre- sent on the patellae, femora, biae and metatarsi. The tarsi have three claws. An elongate abdomen tapers towards the back and usually has plumose setae.
The plant-living nursery-web spiders are commonly found on vegeta on at night. Their movements are erra c, but they move swi ly on the substrate, some mes in leaps or jumps.
P. Webb
P. Webb Rothus aethiopIcus from Irene Page 3 SANSA NEWS 24
The long-jawed jumping spider genus Tusitala Tusitala includes ten species known from Afrotropical Region and Yemen. Two species of Tusitala , T. barbata Peck- ham & Peckham, 1902 and T. hirsuta Peck- ham & Peckham, 1902, were redescribed and one subspecies, T. barbata longipalpis was synonymised with T. barbata . One new species, T. ansieae , was described from Botswana based on both sexes.
READ MORE
AZARKINA, G.N. & FOORD, S.H. 2015. A review of three Tusitala (Araneae: Sal ci- dae) species from southern Africa, with a new synonymy and descrip on of a new Vida van der Walt species from Botswana. African Inverte- Tusitala barbata Figure extracted from ar cle brates 56 (2): 285–307. to show the long chelicerae NEW CRAB SPIDER GENUS RECORD FOR SOUTH AFRICA
The genus Geraesta Simon, 1889 is restricted to the Afrotropical Region and currently comprises three poorly studied species. An ongoing study of the genus, Stephanopis, revealed that at least two African species placed in it are misplaced and should be transferred to Geraesta . This includes one species, Geraesta congoensis , known from South Africa as well as Botswana, Democra c Republic of the Congo and the Ivory Coast. P. Webb
READ MORE A Geraesta congoensis female and male collected and photo- BENJAMIN, S.P. 2015. On the African crab spider graphed by Peter Webb from genus Geraesta Simon, 1889 (Araneae: Thomisi- Kloof in KwaZulu-Natal dae). African Invertebrates 56 (2): 309–318. P. Webb
Diploglena arida —known only from the arid northern parts of the Northern Cape Prov- FOUR NEW TWO-EYED SPIDERS FOR SOUTH AFRICA ince.
D. capensis —known only from two locali- The Afrotropical two-eyed orange lungless es in the Western Cape Province. spider genus Diploglena Purcell, 1904 was revised. Four new species were described: D. D. dippenaarae –known only from two local- arida , D. dippenaarae and D. proxila from i es in the vicinity of Saldanha Bay in the South Africa, and D. karooica from South Afri- Western Cape Province. ca and Namibia. All of the species are distrib- uted in arid and semi-arid vegeta on types, D. karooica —broadly distributed from including desert, Nama and Succulent Karoo, southern Namibia to southwestern South fynbos and dry savannas. Africa. READ MORE D. major —known from western Namibia, eastern Botswana and the northern parts of HADDAD, C.R. 2015. A revision of the south- South Africa ern African two-eyed spider genus Diploglena (Araneae: Caponiidae). African Invertebrates D. proxila —known only from the type locali- 56 (2): 343–363. ty in the vicinity of Saldanha Bay in the Western Cape Province. Page 4 SANSA NEWS 24
A NEW GENUS OF HUNTSMAN SPIDER FOR SA
Southern African Sparassidae have The new genus May is described from been only rarely included in taxo southern Africa, together with four nomic revisions. From material col new species. Only one species, May lected by Dirk Kunz in South Africa, bruno , is new to South Africa. a species was recognised as new to science. Several character states These spiders live in arid environments, make this genus unique among the specifically in sand dunes. One spider Sparassidae. was observed in a burrow in a sand dune, while others were active during Diagnostic characters proposed the night, running on the ground on include not only those for the ge gravel. nus but also for the so called Afri Only known from the Witsand Nature can clade. Unique within the en D. Kunz Reserve (type locality) and the Twee tire family are the reduction of the Rivieren Rest Camp, Northern Cape, May bruno gnathocoxal serrula and the pro South Africa. laterad embolus. Special claw tuft setae and metatarsi I to III with three prolateral and retrolateral READ MORE spines, respectively, occur in the JÄGER, P. & KREHENWINKEL, H. 2015. May gen. n. (Araneae: Sparassidae): a unique lineage from entire African clade. southern Africa supported by morphological and molecular features. African Invertebrates 56 (2): 365 – 392.
TWO GRASS HUNTSMAN SPECIES IN SA
The grass huntsman spider genus Pseudomicrommata Järvi, 1914 is revised in the Afrotropical Region, resulting in the recognition of four valid species. Pseudomicrommata species • The type species, P. longipes (Bösenberg & Lenz, 1895), is redescribed and are medium-sized Sparassidae recorded from Kenya, Tanzania, Botswana, South Africa and Namibia. strongly associated with vege- ta on, mostly grasslands and • Pseudomicrommata vittigera (Simon, 1897) (from South Africa and Namibia) is savannahs, hence the com- revalidated and its male is described for the first time. The species is recorded mon name “grass huntsman from Nelspruit, Pafuri, and Loskop Dam Nature Reserve. spider”. The genus is easily • Two new species are described: P. mary (male and female) from Guinea and dis nguished from other Afri- Ivory Coast, and P. schoemanae (female) from Cameroon. can Sparassidae because of its unique colora on, with the READ MORE body decorated by a single MORADMAND, M. 2015. Revision of the grass huntsman spider genus Pseudomicrom- darker median stripe dorsally mata Järvi, 1914 (Araneae: Sparassidae) in the Afrotropical Region. African Inverte- in contrast to the rest of the brates 56 (2): 425 –443. paler body. This kind of color- a on can be observed in other foliage-dwelling Sparassidae, such as the species of the Eu- ropean genus Micrommata Latreille, 1804. Prior to this revision all individuals of Pseu- domicrommata were thought to be P. longipes .
P. Webb P. Webb
Pseudomicrommata longipes from Mooinooi SANSA NEWS 24 Page 5
Two new dark sac spider species for South Africa Both new dark sac In the last decade there has number of species to 16 and spiders were sampled been a dramatic increase in the number of South African the number of described spe endemic Afroceto to 13. This during long term cies of Afrotropical trachelid increases the total endemic survey projects in spiders. Two new species of South African trachelids to the genus Afroceto Lyle & 32, with a total of 60 species South Africa: Haddad, 2010 were de found in the Afrotropical Re scribed, raising the total gion. Afroceto ansieae - KwaZulu-Natal : Sani Pass, University of Pretoria READ MORE Afroceto dippenaarae - Cederberg, Crystal Pools, LYLE, R. 2015. Two new species of the Afrotropical sac spider genus Afroceto Lyle & Haddad, Wupperthal, Centre for 2010 (Araneae: Trachelidae). African Invertebrates 56 (2): 415 –423. Invasive Biology, University of Stellenbosch A NEW LONG NECK SPIDER FROM ST LUCIA
The Archaeidae is a small fam- The Archaeidae is represented by ily of very rare spiders, repre- one genus and twelve species in sented by four genera and 70 southern Africa. From South Afri- extant species, known only ca 12 Afrarchaea species are pres- from southern Africa, Mada- ently recognised. gascar and Australia. The ar- A new species of Afrarchaea from chaeids are very small, free- KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa ( A. living cryptozoic hunters, easi- ansieae sp. n.) was described from ly recognised by the long the Greater St. Lucia Wetland raised cephalic region and Park, Eastern Shores Nature Re- elongated chelicerae. serve, in KwaZulu-Natal. READ MORE LOTZ, L.N. 2015. A new species of Afrarchaea (Araneae: Archaeidae) from South Africa. African Invertebrates 56 (2): 409 –414.
NEW UROPLECTES SCORPION
The scorpion fauna of southern Africa is very diverse, espe cially in the arid western half of the subcontinent. New spe cies continue to be discovered as the region is surveyed with ultraviolet light detection methods.
The present contribution describes Uroplectes an- siedippenaarae a new species which is endemic to the Suc culent Karoo Biome in the Northern Cape and Western Cape provinces of South Africa. The new species is the smallest known species of Uroplectes and among the smallest scorpi on species in southern Africa, with adults ranging from 16–20 mm in total length. The addition of this new species raises the number of Uroplectes species and subspecies in South Africa to 19, and the number of endemics to 10. Uroplectes ansiedippenaarae Glen Lyon, Northern Cape Province
READ MORE PRENDINI, L. 2015. A remarkably small species of Uroplectes Peters, 1861 (Scorpiones: Buthidae), endemic to the Succulent Karoo of South Africa. African Invertebrates 56 (2): 499–513 Page 6 SANSA NEWS 24
SPECIES RECORDED FROM THE FIRST TIME FROM SOUTH AFRICA
MIMETIDAE GNAPHOSIDAE ZODARIIDAE SPARASSIDAE Ero aphana (Walckenaer, Ibala okorosave Fitzpatrick, Palfuria caputlari Szűts & Eusparassus jocquei 1802), photographed by 2009, first records from Jocqué, 2001 from Tanza- Moradmand, 2013 from Linda Wiese, from Jeffreys Rooipoort Game Reserve and nia, first recorded from Zimbabwe, now also Bay. Known from Palearc c Tswalu Kalahari Reserve. Nwanedi Game Reserve, recorded from Mare- (St. Helena, Queensland, Zelotes ovambensis Law- Limpopo mani Game Reserve. Western Australia, intro- rence, 1927, first records duced). from Tswalu Kalahari Re- serve.
Zelotes chinguli Fitzpatrick, 2009, recorded for the first me recorded from Mashovela Lodge, Soutpans- berg.
CTENIDAE SALTICIDAE THERIDIIDAE ARANEIDAE
Stenos caligineus des Arts, Belippo calcarata Coleosoma normale Bryant, 1944 first Cladomelea longipes 1912 from Central and East (Roewer, 1942), first record from Royal Natal Na onal Park. (O.P. Cambridge, 1877 Africa, first record from record from from Congo, now rec- orded in Zimbabwe and Lekgalameetse Nature Re- Lekgalameetse Nature serve. Reserve sampled by Peter South Africa.
Webb .
Platnickina mneon (Bösenberg & Strand, 1906), recorded from Ndu- mo Game Reserve.
Eriovixia excelsa Ctenus spectabilis Lessert, (Simon, 1889) from the 1921 from Central and East East, recorded from Africa, recorded from Ben- South Africa. fontein Nature Reserve. Parasteatoda lunata (Clerck, 1757), a Pantropical species now also in SA.
SANSA NEWS 24 Page 7
Survey results: Ophathe Game Reserve, KZN
This study reports on the arachnid diversity of the Ophathe Game Reserve (OGR) in northern KwaZulu- Natal, as found during a preliminary survey in June 2007 (mid winter) and a SANSA field survey in October 2008 (mid spring) in four representative habitats. The SANSA survey included seven sampling methods: pitfalls, beating, sweep-netting, litter sifting, hand collecting, night collect- ing and Winkler traps.
A total of 282 arachnid species were collected during two visits to OGR. Spiders (Araneae) were the overwhelmingly dominant order, represented by 268 species from 47 fami- Ophathe Game Reserve (OGR) lies. Five other arachnid orders were also sampled: Scor- piones (five species in two families), Pseudoscorpiones (four species in four families), Opiliones (three species in two families), and Amblypygi and Solifugae (one species each).
These survey results are comparable with several longer- term surveys in the Savanna biome, and indicate that the SANSA sampling protocol can yield an impressive diversi- ty of arachnids during a relatively short period of sampling, with a high level of coverage.
READ MORE V. vd Walt HADDAD, C. R. & DIPPENAAR-SCHOEMAN, A.S., 2015. Diversity of non-acarine arachnids of the Ophathe Game V. vd Walt Thyene ogdeni Reserve, South Africa: Testing a rapid sampling protocol. Koedoe 57(1), Art. #1255, 15 pages. http:// dx.doi.org/10.4102/koedoe. v57i1.1255. One of the sal cid species sampled in all the habitats
Student projects : EDGE EFFECTS IN THE KNYSNA FOREST
Rudi Swart is studying edge and road effects in the Knysna Forest by using arthropods as indicator species. Arthropods make good bio indicators due to their short reproductive phase, their abun dance and the fact that they are relatively sensitive to small changes in the environment. During last year, he spent five weeks in late autumn and five weeks in late spring sampling arthropods from the Knysna Forest at different locations. In this area, which is a proclaimed national park, there are large tracts of land covered by commercial pine plantations bordering the indigenous afromon tane forests. The effect of these unnatural land uses on the natural forest's biodiversity is still unknown.
With the conversion of natural forest / fynbos to commercial timber production areas, we not only lose large areas of natural vegeta tion, but we also have the associated effects of a changing micro climate and altered soil properties, possibly reaching into the re maining natural forest. These effects, termed edge effects (where two differing land uses border), may alter the assemblages, abun dances and diversity of species naturally occurring within the for est, usually with significant effects on the integrity / health of the indigenous landscape. A typical example of a clear felled-forest edge. Micro-clima c chang- Clear felled areas do seem to affect natural forest arthropod diver es readily occur in these areas and o en penetrate the natural forest, sity, and preliminary findings suggest that arthropods in forests affec ng arthropod diversity up to 50 m in the forest. bordering clear felled areas are affected up to 50 m from the clear felled forest edge. Restoration efforts are planned for many of these areas. I am currently busy with the final results and write up of my thesis and hope to finish at the end of this year. Contact: Mr Rudy Swart at [email protected] A total of 64 species of spiders were sampled during my field work. Voucher specimens are kept in the National Collection of Arachnida in Pretoria. Page 8 SANSA NEWS 24
IMPORTANT PAPER - FEEDBACK ON SANSA ACTIVITIES
What SANSA is all about: A very important 31 page paper DATA CONSOLIDATION has recently been published, SANSA FIELD SURVEYS SPECIMEN IDENTIFICATION summarising the results of the 18
years that SANSA has existed. SPIDER DIVERSITY DATA The paper was a joint effort of the ∗ Spider atlas and spider diversity SANSA team members. ∗ Na onal species list It shows the role SANSA has played in ∗ Conserva on assessment unifying and strengthening arachnid ∗ Red Data assessments research, with the major thrust to dis-
cover the spider diversity in South Afri- FOCUSED SAMPLING THRUSTS ca. We discuss the present status of ∗ Agro-ecosystem diversity knowledge, constraints to improving ∗ Protected areas (PAs) this, and the future direc ons for re- search. SANSA has provided the founda- ∗ Floral biomes ons for a more integra ve approach to ∗ Provincial diversity spider diversity research.
Future research should build on this SPIDER DIVERSITY AND ECOLOGY legacy by linking taxonomic diversity ∗ Barcoding with func onal diversity, predic ng the ∗ Cave diversity response of this diversity to global ∗ Climate change change drivers. ∗ Effects of exo c and invasive plant Func onal approaches link these studies species on spider diversity to ecosystem processes. Global collabo- ∗ Effects of fire and grazing on diversity ra ve studies at several sites following ∗ Micro-scale heterogeneity standardised sampling protocols and ∗ Op mised sampling protocol focused research ques ons would add ∗ Rehabilita on and reloca on value to the SANSA collec on and the ∗ Surrogacy importance of spiders for the health of
ecosystems. SPIDERS IN ANTHROPOGENIC HABITATS
∗ Spider diversity in urban and suburban areas READ MORE
SPIDER BIOLOGY AND BEHAVIOUR DIPPENAAR SCHOEMAN, A.S., HAD DAD, C.R., FOORD, S.H., LYLE, R., ∗ Microhabitat u lisa on and preferences LOTZ, L.N. & MARAIS, P. 2015. South ∗ Myrmecomorphy and myrmecophagy African National Survey of Arachnida (SANSA): review of current knowledge, ∗ Termitophily and termitophagy constraints and future needs for document ing spider diversity (Arachnida: Araneae). ∗ Diversity of social spiders Transac ons of the Royal Society of South ∗ Web-building behaviour Africa, 2015 Effect of natural enemies on spider di- h p:// ∗ dx.doi.org/10.1080/0035919X.2015.1088486 versity
AWARENESS, OUTPUTS AND CAPACITY BUILD- ING
∗ Invasive spider species ∗ SANSA awareness and publica ons SANSA NEWS 24 Page 9
SCIENTIFIC MEETINGS ENTOMOLOGICAL CONGRESS IN GRAHAMSTOWN
The 19th Biannual Congress of the Entomological Society of Southern Africa (ESSA) was hosted jointly with the 37th Biannual congress of the Zoological Society of Southern Africa (ZSSA) by the Department of Zoology and Entomology at Rhodes University, Grahamstown between the 12th and 17th of July 2015.
During a special session focusing on databases two papers were presented on SANSA. The aim of this session was to draw togeth er different experiences from a wide range of successful databas ing projects undertaken in South Africa. The session covered tech nical database concepts, integration into larger systems, experi ences from implementation and managements of these projects, along with the current technology being used.
The following presentations were given at ESSA:
DIPPENAAR-SCHOEMAN, A.S., LYLE, R., HADDAD, C.R., FOORD, S.H. & LOTZ, L.N. 2015. The South African National Survey of Arachnida (SANSA) – the way forward.
LYLE, R., DIPPENAAR-SCHOEMAN, A.S. & MARAIS, P. 2015 . The history of databasing the South African National Collection of Arachnida.
Colin Schoeman reported on his PhD study dealing with surveys Robin Lyle reported on her PhD study during a speed talk session in the Vhembi Bioshere for which she won the best talk award
SCHOEMAN, C., FOORD, S.H. & DIPPENAAR-SCHOEMAN, LYLE, R., DIPPENAAR-SCHOEMAN, A.S. & JACOBS, A. A.S. 2015. Sample coverage and spider species richness esti 2015 . Phylogenetic study of the Afrotropical Idiopinae (Araneae: Idiopidae). XIX Congress of the Entomo mates in the Vhembe Biosphere. logical Society of Southern Africa, Grahamstown. [Best speed talk].
Linda Wiese represent- THICKET FORUM IN PORT ELIZABETH ed SANSA at the Thick- et Forum held in Port This study forms part of the South African Na onal Thomisidae is the most species rich family with 36 Elizabeth from 29 Sep- Survey of Arachnida (SANSA), ini ated in 1997 with spp., followed by the orb-web spiders (Araneidae) tember to 1 October. the main aim to create an inventory of the arachnid with 30 spp. and the jumping spiders (Sal cidae) with Linda presented a talk fauna of South Africa. One of the objec ves of 28 spp. This includes new distribu on records for tled: ‘Spider diversity SANSA is to assess the number of spider species most species, and six possible new species have been of the Addo Elephant presently conserved in protected areas in the coun- iden fied. The surveys are con nuing. try. The rela vely poor knowledge of the arachnids Na onal Park’. Twenty of the Eastern Cape and Thicket Biome provided the papers and one poster impetus to set up surveys for the greater Addo Ele- were presented at the phant Na onal Park (AENP). Although specimens of forum. Albany Thicket all of the arachnid orders (excluding Acari) were is unique to the East- collected, the primary focus of this study was to ern Cape and threat- sample spiders (Araneae) using sweep-ne ng ened by agriculture (grasses), bea ng (bushes and trees) and pit traps and goat farming. (ground). Surveys of the spiders in AENP started in Interes ng results June 2009 and con nued un l 2013. So far a total of 246 spider species from 50 families have been rec- from research done by orded. students at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Surveys in the AENP were undertaken in the follow- University, such as the ing areas: the semi-arid Sundays River succulent limita on of frost on karoo area around Darlington Dam, where 105 spi- the growth and distri- der spp. have been sampled; the fynbos and Af- bu on of Spekboom, romontane forests of the Zuurberg Mountains have will be valuable for 74 spp.; the subtropical thickets of Kabouga area future restora on pro- just north of Kirkwood have 52 spp., the Woody Cape area has 50 spp., and the main camp in the jects. Sundays River Valley 65 spp. The crab spider family Page 10 SANSA NEWS 24
SCIENTIFIC MEETINGS cont.
6th Annual Diamond Route Research Conference
Since 2010, six successful Annual Diamond Route Research Conferences (DRRC) have been held at the De Beers Corporate Headquarters in Ormonde, Johannesburg. This year’s congress took place on Tuesday, 20 th and Wednesday, 21 st October 2015. During all six years SANSA presented papers or posters on their research at the different Diamond Route Reserves. This year we presented the following talk and poster:
Diamond Route reserves important for spider con- Spider collecting at Wakefield servation in the Northern Cape R. JOCQUÉ, A.S. DIPPENAAR SCHOEMAN & R. LYLE R. LYLE, A .S. DIPPENAAR SCHOEMAN & P. WEBB As part of the South African National Survey of Arachnida (SANSA), spiders were sampled from Wakefield in the Midlands As part of the South African National Survey of Arachnida (SANSA) spiders of KwaZulu Natal during January 2015. A sweep net, beating were sampled from three Diamond Route reserves in the Northern Cape tray, litter sieve Province: Benfontein, Rooipoort and Tswalu. Different collecting methods and pittraps were used, namely sweep nets, beating trays, litter sieves and pittraps to were used to sample different habitats. Two hundred species from 40 families are pres sample the dif ently protected in these reserves. This represents 40% of the known North ferent habitats. ern Cape spider species and 9% of all South African spiders. This is im Several mem portant information for the red listing of spiders, presently underway . bers of the class Arachnida were sampled, includ ing a scorpion, several species of Opiliones and Pseudoscorpi ones. The spi ders were the most abundant and diverse order, and 25 families repre sented by 56 species have 6th Annual Diamond Route Research Conference delegates been sampled.
Freshwater life – the first illustrated field guide of its kind for the wider southern NEW BOOK African region –describes a vast range of aqua c plant and animal groups in a single volume. This groundbreaking publica on encompasses diverse groups from the large and conspicuous vertebrates to the diverse microscopic taxa, facilita ng iden fica on and describing the ecology of more than 1 000 freshwater organisms. Species have been selected on the basis of how likely they are to be encountered, and each account is accompanied by photographs and a distribu on map. A comprehensive introduc on details the ecology and significance of freshwater systems. This indispensible, easy-to-use guide will prove invaluable to outdoor enthusiasts, students and conserva onists. The book include some spider species associated with fresh water. SANSA NEWS 24 Page 11
RECENT PULICATIONS ON SOUTH AFRICAN FAUNA
AZARKINA, G.N. & FOORD, S.H. 2015. A review of three Tusitala JÄGER, P. & KREHENWINKEL, H. 2015. May gen. n. (Araneae: Spar (Araneae: Salticidae) species from southern Africa, with a new assidae): a unique lineage from southern Africa supported by morpho synonymy and description of a new species from Botswana. Afri- logical and molecular features. African Invertebrates 56 (2): 365–392. can Invertebrates 56 (2): 285–307. KRONESTEDT, T. 2015. Species of Wadicosa (Araneae, Lycosidae): BENJAMIN, S.P. 2015. On the African crab spider genus Geraesta transfer of two species from Pardosa and description of three new spe Simon, 1889 (Araneae: Thomisidae). African Invertebrates 56 (2): cies from Africa. European Journal of Tax onomy 132 : 1–19. 309–318. LOTZ, L.N. 2015. A new species of Afrarchaea (Araneae: Archaeidae) CRUZ DA SILVA, E.J. & SIERWALD, P. 2015. First description of from South Africa. African Invertebrates 56 (2): 409–414. the male of Rothus vittatus Simon, 1898 (Araneae: Pisauridae), with a review of the African nursery web spider genus Rothus Si LYLE, R. 2015. Two new species of the Afrotropical sac spider genus mon, 1898. African Invertebrates 56 (2): 325–341. Afroceto Lyle & Haddad, 2010 (Araneae: Trachelidae). African Inverte- brates 56 (2): 415–423. DIPPENAAR SCHOEMAN, A.S., HADDAD, C.R., FOORD, S.H., LYLE, R., LOTZ, L.N. & MARAIS, P. 2015. South African National MONOD, L. & PRENDINI, L. 2015. Evidence for Eurogondwana: the Survey of Arachnida (SANSA): review of current knowledge, con roles of dispersal, extinction and vicariance in the evolution and bioge straints and future needs for documenting spider diversity ography of Indo Pacific Hormuridae (Scorpiones: Scorpionoidea). Cla- (Arachnida: Araneae). Transactions of the Royal Society of South distics 31 : 71–111. Africa, 2015. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0035919X.2015.1088486 MORADMAND, M. 2015. Revision of the grass huntsman spider genus Pseudomicrommata Järvi, 1914 (Araneae: Sparassidae) in the Afrotrop FOORD, S.H., GELEBE, V. & PRENDINI, L. 2015. Effects of as ical Region. African Invertebrates 56 (2): 425–443. pect and altitude on scorpion diversity along an environmental gradient in the Soutpansberg, South Africa. Journal of Arid Envi- PETRÁKOVÁ, L., LÍZNAROVÁ, E., PEKÁR, S., HADDAD, C.R., SEN ronments 113 : 114–120. TENSKÁ, L. & SYMONDSON, W.O.C. 2015. Discovery of a monopha gous true predator, a specialist termite eating spider (Araneae: Ammox HADDAD, C.R. 2015. A revision of the southern African two eyed enidae). Scientific Reports 5: 14013. spider genus Diploglena (Araneae: Caponiidae). African Inverte- brates 56 (2): 343–363. PRENDINI L. 2015. A remarkably small species of Uroplectes Peters, 1861 (Scorpiones: Buthidae), endemic to the Succulent Karoo of South HADDAD, C.R. & DIPPENAAR SCHOEMAN, A.S. 2015. Diversity Africa. African Invertebrates 56 (2): 499–513. of non acarine arachnids of the Ophathe Game Reserve, South Africa: Testing a rapid sampling protocol. Koedoe 57(1), Art. ROFF, J. & HADDAD, C. 2015. Pasilobus dippenaarae sp. n. (Araneae: #1255, 15 pages. http:// dx.doi.org/10.4102/koedoe. v57i1.1255. Araneidae), a new species of cyrtarachnine spider from South Africa, with a key to the Afrotropical species. African Invertebrates 56 (2): 445– 454. HADDAD, C.R. & FOORD, S.H. 2015. The life and times of Africa’s First Lady of Arachnology, Ansie Dippenaar Schoeman. African WRIGHT, C.M., KEISER, C.N. & PRUITT, N.J. 2015. Personality and Invertebrates 56 (2): 269–283. morphology shape task participation, collective foraging and escape behaviour in the social spider Stegodyphus dumicola . Animal Behaviour JOCQUÉ, R. 2015. Festschrift for Anna Sophia Dippenaar 105 : 47–54. Schoeman. African Invertebrates 56 (2): 267–268.
PROJECT NEWS
Surveys in the NATIONAL PARKS received a green light and SANSA is con nuing gathering data in several parks: • Addo Na onal Park • Namaqua Na onal Park • Richtersveld Na onal Park • Kruger Na onal Park • Table Mountain Na onal Park READ MORE IN NEXT ISSUE
Renewed efforts are being made to sample arachnids in the NATIONAL BOTANICAL GARDENS. Surveys are under- way in: • Pretoria Botanical Garden • Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden • Lowveld Botanical Garden • Free State Na onal Botanical Garden READ MORE IN NEXT ISSUE Page 12 SANSA NEWS 24
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