Common Spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) in the Wichita Mountains and Surrounding Areas
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A Checklist of the Non -Acarine Arachnids
Original Research A CHECKLIST OF THE NON -A C A RINE A R A CHNIDS (CHELICER A T A : AR A CHNID A ) OF THE DE HOOP NA TURE RESERVE , WESTERN CA PE PROVINCE , SOUTH AFRIC A Authors: ABSTRACT Charles R. Haddad1 As part of the South African National Survey of Arachnida (SANSA) in conserved areas, arachnids Ansie S. Dippenaar- were collected in the De Hoop Nature Reserve in the Western Cape Province, South Africa. The Schoeman2 survey was carried out between 1999 and 2007, and consisted of five intensive surveys between Affiliations: two and 12 days in duration. Arachnids were sampled in five broad habitat types, namely fynbos, 1Department of Zoology & wetlands, i.e. De Hoop Vlei, Eucalyptus plantations at Potberg and Cupido’s Kraal, coastal dunes Entomology University of near Koppie Alleen and the intertidal zone at Koppie Alleen. A total of 274 species representing the Free State, five orders, 65 families and 191 determined genera were collected, of which spiders (Araneae) South Africa were the dominant taxon (252 spp., 174 genera, 53 families). The most species rich families collected were the Salticidae (32 spp.), Thomisidae (26 spp.), Gnaphosidae (21 spp.), Araneidae (18 2 Biosystematics: spp.), Theridiidae (16 spp.) and Corinnidae (15 spp.). Notes are provided on the most commonly Arachnology collected arachnids in each habitat. ARC - Plant Protection Research Institute Conservation implications: This study provides valuable baseline data on arachnids conserved South Africa in De Hoop Nature Reserve, which can be used for future assessments of habitat transformation, 2Department of Zoology & alien invasive species and climate change on arachnid biodiversity. -
Casting a Sticky Trap: SPIDERS and Their Predatory Ways
Casting a Sticky Trap: SPIDERS and Their Predatory Ways Bennett C. Moulder, ISM Research Associate and Professor Emeritus, Illinois College, Jacksonville, Illinois ating insects and other small sticky silk, capable of trapping and holding to the spot, and impales the insect with its arthropods is what spiders do for even relatively large an powerful insect prey. long chelicerae. First using her mouthparts a living. That spiders are an Damage to the orb caused by wind or strug- to cut a small slit in the tube, the spider enormously successful group of gling prey can be quickly repaired, or the then pulls the insect inside. After her meal, animals is testimony to how efficient they entire can be web taken down and replaced. the spider repairs the tear in the tube, re- Eare at catching their prey. Most insects move Many orb weavers replace their tattered web sumes her position below ground, and swiftly and, for their size, are quite powerful. with a new one every day. awaits the next victim. “For spiders to capture such prey, they have, Other spiders do not utilize webs for prey Mastophora, the bolas spider, is a mem- as a group, developed an impressive arsenal capture. Crab spiders, perfectly camouflaged ber of the family Araneidae, the typical orb of weapons and a variety of strategies. against their background, lie in wait on flow- weavers. This small spider has abandoned Except for one small family (Ul- ers or on the bark of trees to ambush unsus- the practice of orb web construction alto- oboridae), all spiders in Illinois have venom pecting insects. -
The Road Travelled by Australian Trapdoor Spiders
Discovered words and photo by Mark Harvey, WA Museum ustralia is home to many unique spiders with most species occurring Anowhere else on Earth. Many have their origins in the distant past, when Australia was part of Gondwana in the Mesozoic, ca. 180 million years ago. Australia, New Zealand, South America, Africa, Madagascar, Antarctica and the Indian sub-continent, plus a few small islands, once formed a massive southern supercontinent known as Gondwana that gradually fragmented from the Jurassic, ca. 180–160 million years ago. Evidence of the connection between these continental blocks can be found in the fossil record The road travelled by Australian of some plants and animals, but most strikingly in the presence of related groups trapdoor spiders of organisms in the modern biota. But back to spiders. There are three major groups of spiders: the Mesothelae (a Australia that lives in shallow burrows with Above An undescribed species of Conothele. group of primitive spiders now only found in a flap-like lid. It was discovered by Adelaide Asia), the Mygalomorphae (trapdoor spiders University PhD student, Sophie Harrison, and their relatives) and the Araneomorphae to be most closely related to spiders of (all other spiders). The Australian the same genus from South Africa. Using timeline of Australia bumping into Asia. mygalomorphs include trapdoor, funnel- molecular sequence data, Sophie found that He also noted that there were two distinct web and mouse spiders, and tarantulas. the spider, Moggridgea rainbowi, diverged habitat preferences for Australian Conothele. Most Australian mygalomorph spiders from its African cousins sometime between Some species built burrows on tree trunks have their origins in Gondwana. -
Sexual Selection Research on Spiders: Progress and Biases
Biol. Rev. (2005), 80, pp. 363–385. f Cambridge Philosophical Society 363 doi:10.1017/S1464793104006700 Printed in the United Kingdom Sexual selection research on spiders: progress and biases Bernhard A. Huber* Zoological Research Institute and Museum Alexander Koenig, Adenauerallee 160, 53113 Bonn, Germany (Received 7 June 2004; revised 25 November 2004; accepted 29 November 2004) ABSTRACT The renaissance of interest in sexual selection during the last decades has fuelled an extraordinary increase of scientific papers on the subject in spiders. Research has focused both on the process of sexual selection itself, for example on the signals and various modalities involved, and on the patterns, that is the outcome of mate choice and competition depending on certain parameters. Sexual selection has most clearly been demonstrated in cases involving visual and acoustical signals but most spiders are myopic and mute, relying rather on vibrations, chemical and tactile stimuli. This review argues that research has been biased towards modalities that are relatively easily accessible to the human observer. Circumstantial and comparative evidence indicates that sexual selection working via substrate-borne vibrations and tactile as well as chemical stimuli may be common and widespread in spiders. Pattern-oriented research has focused on several phenomena for which spiders offer excellent model objects, like sexual size dimorphism, nuptial feeding, sexual cannibalism, and sperm competition. The accumulating evidence argues for a highly complex set of explanations for seemingly uniform patterns like size dimorphism and sexual cannibalism. Sexual selection appears involved as well as natural selection and mechanisms that are adaptive in other contexts only. Sperm competition has resulted in a plethora of morpho- logical and behavioural adaptations, and simplistic models like those linking reproductive morphology with behaviour and sperm priority patterns in a straightforward way are being replaced by complex models involving an array of parameters. -
Prey of the Jumping Spider Phidippus Johnsoni (Araneae : Salticidae)
Jackson, R. R . 1977 . Prey of the jumping spider Phidippus johnsoni (Araneae : Salticidae) . J. Arachnol. 5 :145-149 . PREY OF THE JUMPING SPIDER PHIDIPPUS JOHNSONI (ARANEAE : SALTICIDAE) Robert R. Jackson I Zoology Departmen t University of Californi a Berkeley, California 9472 0 ABSTRACT Field data indicate that P. johnsoni is an euryphagous predator, whose diet includes organisms (aphids, ants, opilionids) sometimes considered distasteful to spiders . Other spiders are preyed upon , including conspecifics. Prey size tends to be one quarter to three quarters the size of the predator . INTRODUCTION Since spiders are probably a dominant group of predators of insects (Bristowe, 1941 ; Riechert, 1974; Turnbull, 1973), there is considerable interest in their feeding ecology . Spiders have usually been considered to be euryphagous predators with a stabilizing , rather than regulative, effect on insect populations (Riechert, 1974) . However, informa- tion concerning the prey taken by particular spider species, in the field, is limited . Field studies by Edgar (1969, 1970), Robinson and Robinson (1970) and Turnbull (1960) are especially noteworthy . During the course of a study of the reproductive biology of Phidippus johnsoni (Peckham and Peckham) (Jackson, 1976), occasionally individuals of this species were found in the field holding prey in their chelicerae . Each prey discovered in this way i s listed in Table 1 . In addition, Ken Evans and Charles Griswold, who were familiar wit h this species, recorded observations of P. johnsoni with prey. (Their data are included in Table 1 .) These data came from a variety of habitats in western North America, most o f which have been described elsewhere (Jackson, 1976) . -
Insect and Arachnid Collection Quest
INSECT AND ARACHNID COLLECTION QUEST This quest encourages you to explore and investigate what you might normally ignore. To complete this quest, find 10 different species of insects, at least one species of arachnids, preserve the insects and arachnids, and then pin your collection. Once you have completed these steps, label the parts of the insects and the arachnids. At the end of this quest, you will receive a “Critters of Texas” pocket guide and points to use toward the trade items at Texas Nature Traders. STEP 1: Identify and collect 10 different insect species. The collection should include five different families of insects. STEP 2: Identify and collect at least one species of arachnids. STEP 3: Perform the proper procurement and preservation methods. STEP 4: Properly pin insects and arachnids. STEP 5: Label parts of insects: head, thorax and abdomen. Label parts of arachnids: cephalothorax and abdomen. STEP 6: Bring in the collection to Texas Nature Traders. FUN FACTS AND ANSWERS TO CURIOUS QUESTIONS What is the difference between insects and arachnids? o Mostly anatomical, such as: arachnids lack antennae; insects have mandibles and arachnids have fangs; insects have six legs and arachnids have eight. Can insects hear? o Yes. Insects use sounds to communicate and navigate their environment. Most insects have a pair of tympanal organs. In many cases, there is also a receptor on the antennae called the Johnston’s organ, which also collects sound vibrations. Are insects/arachnids considered animals? o Yes, they belong to the kingdom Animalia. Where in the world has the most mosquitoes? o Alaska has the most mosquitoes due to the melting snow, which leaves large amounts of standing water – perfect conditions for mosquito breeding. -
A New Species of North American Tarantula , Aphonopelma Paloma (Araneae, Mygalomorphae, Theraphosidae )
1992. The Journal of Arachnology 20 :189—199 A NEW SPECIES OF NORTH AMERICAN TARANTULA , APHONOPELMA PALOMA (ARANEAE, MYGALOMORPHAE, THERAPHOSIDAE ) Thomas R. Prentice: Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside , California 92521, US A ABSTRACT. Aphonopelma paloma new species, is distinguished from all other North American tarantula s by its unusually small size and presence of setae partially or completely dividing the scopula of tarsus IV i n both sexes. Both sexes also are characterized by a general reduction of the scopula on metatarsus IV . Males are characterized by a swollen third femur . In 1939 and 1940 R. V. Chamberlin and W. with anterior and posterior edges in the same Ivie described almost all of the currently recog- plane. All ink drawings except femora were aide d nized North American theraphosid spiders . De- by a camera lucida. Palpal bulb and seminal re- spite the acknowledged significance of their work , ceptacles were cleared in 10% NaOH (for 12 hr. it is difficult to apply Chamberlin's keys wit h at 50 °C.) prior to illustration . Scanning electron much success even in dealing with specimen s micrographs were taken with a JEOL JSM C35 . from type localities, primarily because their small Abbreviations for eyes are standard for Araneae. sample sizes did not allow variational assess- For leg spination, abbreviations are as follows : ment. Eleven of these species descriptions were a = apical, b = basal, d = dorsal, e = preapical, based on single males, five on single females, an d L = left, m = medial, p = prolateral direction, r three on two males each (Chamberlin & Ivie 1939; = retrolateral direction, R = right, usu . -
Homeowner Guide to Scorpions and Their Relatives
HOMEOWNER Guide to by Edward John Bechinski, Dennis J. Schotzko, and Craig R. Baird CIS 1168 Scorpions and their relatives “Arachnid” is the scientific classification category for all eight-legged relatives of insects. Spiders are the biggest group of arachnids, with nearly 3800 species known from the U.S and Canada. But the arachnid category includes other types of eight-legged creatures that sometime cause concern. Some of Idaho’s non-spider arachnids – such as scorpions -- pose potential threats to human health. Two related non-spider arachnids – sun scorpions and pseudoscorpions – look fearsome but are entirely harmless. This publication will help you identify these three groups and understand the threats they pose. All three of these groups almost always are seen as lone individuals that do not require any control. Scorpions IDENTIFICATION AND BIOLOGY FLUORESCENT SCORPIONS Scorpions are easily identified by their claw-like pincers at the The bodies of some scorpions – normally pale tan to darker red-brown – front of the head and their thin, many-segmented abdomen that glow yellow-green when exposed to ultraviolet light. Even fossils millions ends in an enlarged bulb with a curved sting at the tip (figure 1). of years old fluoresce under ultraviolet light. Sun spiders similarly glow yel- Five species ranging in size from 2 to 7 inches long occur in low-green under UV light. Idaho. Scorpions primarily occur in the sagebrush desert of the southern half of Idaho, but one species – the northern scorpion (Paruroctonus boreus)– occurs as far north as Lewiston, along the Snake River canyon of north-central Idaho. -
A Summary List of Fossil Spiders
A summary list of fossil spiders compiled by Jason A. Dunlop (Berlin), David Penney (Manchester) & Denise Jekel (Berlin) Suggested citation: Dunlop, J. A., Penney, D. & Jekel, D. 2010. A summary list of fossil spiders. In Platnick, N. I. (ed.) The world spider catalog, version 10.5. American Museum of Natural History, online at http://research.amnh.org/entomology/spiders/catalog/index.html Last udated: 10.12.2009 INTRODUCTION Fossil spiders have not been fully cataloged since Bonnet’s Bibliographia Araneorum and are not included in the current Catalog. Since Bonnet’s time there has been considerable progress in our understanding of the spider fossil record and numerous new taxa have been described. As part of a larger project to catalog the diversity of fossil arachnids and their relatives, our aim here is to offer a summary list of the known fossil spiders in their current systematic position; as a first step towards the eventual goal of combining fossil and Recent data within a single arachnological resource. To integrate our data as smoothly as possible with standards used for living spiders, our list follows the names and sequence of families adopted in the Catalog. For this reason some of the family groupings proposed in Wunderlich’s (2004, 2008) monographs of amber and copal spiders are not reflected here, and we encourage the reader to consult these studies for details and alternative opinions. Extinct families have been inserted in the position which we hope best reflects their probable affinities. Genus and species names were compiled from established lists and cross-referenced against the primary literature. -
Arthropods of Elm Fork Preserve
Arthropods of Elm Fork Preserve Arthropods are characterized by having jointed limbs and exoskeletons. They include a diverse assortment of creatures: Insects, spiders, crustaceans (crayfish, crabs, pill bugs), centipedes and millipedes among others. Column Headings Scientific Name: The phenomenal diversity of arthropods, creates numerous difficulties in the determination of species. Positive identification is often achieved only by specialists using obscure monographs to ‘key out’ a species by examining microscopic differences in anatomy. For our purposes in this survey of the fauna, classification at a lower level of resolution still yields valuable information. For instance, knowing that ant lions belong to the Family, Myrmeleontidae, allows us to quickly look them up on the Internet and be confident we are not being fooled by a common name that may also apply to some other, unrelated something. With the Family name firmly in hand, we may explore the natural history of ant lions without needing to know exactly which species we are viewing. In some instances identification is only readily available at an even higher ranking such as Class. Millipedes are in the Class Diplopoda. There are many Orders (O) of millipedes and they are not easily differentiated so this entry is best left at the rank of Class. A great deal of taxonomic reorganization has been occurring lately with advances in DNA analysis pointing out underlying connections and differences that were previously unrealized. For this reason, all other rankings aside from Family, Genus and Species have been omitted from the interior of the tables since many of these ranks are in a state of flux. -
Seasonal Abundance and Diversity O F Web-Building Spiders in Relation to Habita T Structure on Barro Colorado Island, Panama
Lubin, Y . D. 1978 . Seasonal abundance and diversity of web-building spiders in relation to habita t structure on Barro Colorado Island, Panama . J. Arachnol. 6 :31-51 . SEASONAL ABUNDANCE AND DIVERSITY O F WEB-BUILDING SPIDERS IN RELATION TO HABITA T STRUCTURE ON BARRO COLORADO ISLAND, PANAMA Yael D . Lubin Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute P. O. Box 2072, Balboa, Canal Zone ABSTRAC T Web-building spiders were censused by a visual censuring method in tropical forest understory o n Barro Colorado Island (BCI), Panama Canal Zone. An overall trend of low numbers of spiders in th e late dry season and early wet season (March to May) was seen on all transects . The majority of th e species on the transects had wet season distribution patterns . Some species which occurred year-round on the forest transects had wet season distributions on a clearing-edge transect . A shortage of flyin g insect prey or dessication may have been responsible for the observed distributions . Species diversity and diversity of web types followed the overall seasonal pattern of spider abun- dance. The diversities of species and of web types were greatest on the forest transect with the highes t diversity of structural supports for spider webs . Web density, however, was greatest on the transect a t the edge of a small clearing . Faunal composition, diversity of web types, and seasonal patterns of distribution of spiders on th e BCI transects differed markedly from similar measures derived from censuses taken in a tropica l montane habitat in New Guinea . The differences were attributed in part to differences in the habitat s and in the evenness of the climate . -
The Generic and Specific Status of Four Ohio Spiders of the Genus Agelenopsis
THE OHIO JOURNAL OF SCIENCE VOL. XLI MARCH, 1941 No. 2 THE GENERIC AND SPECIFIC STATUS OF FOUR OHIO SPIDERS OF THE GENUS AGELENOPSIS PAUL J. SEYLER, Ohio State University INTRODUCTION Every taxonomist sooner or later faces a situation in which he must determine whether he is dealing with a single highly variable species, or with several species which appears to intergrade. This problem confronting us has been recognized by Petrunkevitch, Emerton, Comstock, Chamberlin, Ivie, Gertsch and others. Arachnologists have been perplexed by the variability of a species which has been considered Agelena naevia Walckenaer as the following quotations will indicate. Petrunkevitch (1925) on page 561 states: "It does not require prolonged study to show that variation in size in A gelena naevia is very great. Specimens collected in the same locality, often under the same piece of loose bark, guarding their cocoons with eggs, and therefore in the same stage of maturity, are occasionally twice the size of others. The fact that two such distinguished arachnologists as Graf Keyserling and Becker have described two new species of Agelena from North America, which long since have been recognized as synonyms of A. naevia, shows that the variation in structure is also sufficient to be considered as specific in absence of intergradient forms." Emerton (1890) recognized the great variation that exists in both the palpus of the male and epigynum of the female. He has illustrated four types of palps and seven variations in the atrial opening of the epigynum. He says that, "The shape of the external opening of the epigynum is even more variable than that of the palpal organ." Comstock (1912), page 586, in his spider book: "This species is either a variable one in the form of the palpi of the males and 51 52 PAUL J.