AAuusstrtraallaassiianan AArrachnachnoolloogygy Price $3 Number 72 ISSN 0811-3696 August 2005

Newsletter of

Newsletter of the AustralasianArachnologicalSociety Australasian Arachnology No. 72 Page 2

THE AUSTRALASIAN ARTICLES ARACHNOLOGICAL SOCIETY The newsletter depends on your contributions! We encourage articles on a (www.australasian-arachnology.org) range of topics including current research activities, student projects, upcoming We aim to promote interest in the events or behavioural observations. ecology, behaviour and of of the Australasian region. Please send articles to the editor:

MEMBERSHIP Volker Framenau Department of Terrestrial Invertebrates Membership is open to amateurs, Western Australian Museum students and professionals, and is Locked Bag 49 managed by our Administrator: Welshpool, W.A. 6986, .

Richard J. Faulder [email protected] Agricultural Institute Yanco, 2703. Format: i) typed or legibly printed on A4 Australia paper or ii) as text or MS Word file on email: [email protected] CD, 3½ floppy disk, or via email.

Membership fees in Australian LIBRARY dollars, per 4 issues: The AAS has a large number of

reference books, scientific journals and *discount standard institution papers available for loan or as Australia $8 $10 $12 photocopies, for those members who do NZ/PNG $10 $12 $14 not have access to a scientific library. elsewhere $12 $14 $16 Professional members are encouraged to There is no agency discount. send in their arachnological reprints. All postage is by airmail. *Discount rates apply to unemployed, pensioners Contact our librarian: and students (please provide proof of status). Jean-Claude Herremans Cheques are payable in Australian PO Box 291 dollars to “Australasian Arachnological Manly, New South Wales 1655. Society”. Any number of issues can be Australia paid for in advance. Receipts are issued email: [email protected] on request. Status box on the envelope indicates the last issue paid for. Lapsed members COVER PHOTOGRAPH: Selenocosmia sp. ♂ (Paynes Find, Western receiving the pdf-version will be notified of Australia) their membership status by email. Mark S. Harvey Previous issues of the newsletter are available at $2 per issue plus postage. Australasian Arachnology No. 72 Page 3

EDITORIAL Conservation Conference” from the 4th – th 9 December in Canberra, with our It has finally arrived! Just days Symposium on ‘Australasian before this newsletter went to the printer, Arachnology – Evolution, Ecology and the Australasian Arachnological Conservation’ is closing in (extended yo Society launched its own website: 15 September 2005). If you want to participate in our symposium, please www.australasian-arachnology.org register soon, at: It was a great effort from all involved, but two people in particular (who are not even http://www.invertebrates2005.com directly involved with our society) deserve a special mention: Randolf Manderbach Registration Fees: Before 15 After 15 (web programming) and Thomas García Godines (graphic design) professionally September September developed and programmed the lay-out of Registration AUD$480 AUD$560 our website, for free! Thanks to both of Student AUD$230 AUD$270 them! You will find further registration * acknowledgements and some information in regard to the ‘philosophy’ of our site in The Registration fee includes: an introductory article on page 4. Conference bag, access to all sessions, Similar to this newsletter, the book of abstracts, welcome reception (4 website will prosper only through December, morning and afternoon tea contributions and feedback from all of each day (lunch not included) you! The current site must be regarded as ------a ‘beta-version’ in relation to its contents. No editorial is complete without Many more pages relating to particular acknowledging the contributors of the arachnological groups and topics are issue! We have major articles from needed and all specialists of such groups Julianne Waldock with a centenary and topics are encouraged to send me appreciation on Michaelsen and drafts for pages following the structure Hartmeyer’s south-west Australian you can find on the website. We will also expedition (page 5) and Michael Rix host your personal home page and will reports on the Australian Pararchaeidae list any link you find important within the (page 12). Thanks also to Cathy Car for context of our society. Please do not an abstract of her Master’s thesis (page format any contribution; we will do that for 13). you! We aim to develop the website as Please consider submitting a the ‘first stop for all things Australasian contribution for the December newsletter, Arachnology’. otherwise there won’t be a December ------newsletter! The early registration deadline Happy reading and internet for the “Combined Australian browsing! Entomological Society, Society of Australian Systematic Biologists and Volker Invertebrate and Australasian Arachnology No. 72 Page 4

MEMBERSHIP mine from my university days in UPDATES Germany, and his graphic designer colleague, Thomas García Godines, both of which spent a lot of time implementing New Members the site, and all that for free! Brad Durrant Department of C.A.L.M. PO Box 51 Wanneroo, WA 6946 [email protected]

Sydney L. Jordan Zoology Department University of New England Armidale, NSW 2351 [email protected]

Change of Address Tracey Churchill has dedicated a Dr David Evans Walter considerable amount of time, in particular Department of Biological Sciences during the initial stages when we University of Alberta discussed menues, submenues and the Edmonton, Alberta layout of the site. Mark Harvey provided T6G 2E9 feedback during the whole construction

phase and has contributed to its contents. ------Many others have helped by sending

contents for pages, in particular Barbara Australasian Arachnological Baehr, Rob Raven and Barry Richardson. Society now online!!! I have learned a great deal during this www.australasian-arachnology.org project. In particular, how patient web programmers have to be with people who promise contents for a site. The design It has been a few years in the making, was finalised months, possibly years, ago from the initial idea to the recent launch and it took a long time to send Randolf of the website of the Australasian the words and images to fill the pages. Arachnological Society. But finally it is And still, there is a lot more to add in the here! future and here we need the help of We have to thank all those who specialists of groups. Our web contributed to the project. First and site is by far not finished, it’s just a foremost the programmer and designer of rudimentary framework, but will hopefully this website: Dr Randolf Manderbach grow with your contributions. (www.manderbachmedia.de), zoologist turned web programmer, and old friend of Australasian Arachnology No. 72 Page 5

One of the most important parts and the one I would like to prioritise for 100 years on: the of the development is ‘Arachnid Identification’. “Hamburg South-west Australian The identificaion of arachnids in our Expedition”, collected by W. region is extremely difficult, mainly Michaelsen & R. Hartmeyer in 1905 because keys on generic and species level don’t exist for most groups and by Julianne M. Waldock resources have to be compiled from Department of Terrestrial Invertebrates numerous scattered sources, including Western Australian Museum pre 1900s original descripitons, single Locked Bag 49, Welshpool D.C. species descriptions, revisions, partial Western Austraia 6986 revisions, and web sites. This part of th www.australasian-arachnology.org is Just over 100 years ago, on the 5 designed to provide summaries of these May 1905, two Germans disembarked in resources for each arachnid group. It Fremantle from the ship ‘Karlsruhe’ from should also be a place where we can list Bremen on a journey of discovery. amendments to currently available keys Professor W. Michaelsen from Hamburg drawn from the experience of users. and Dr R. Hartmeyer from Berlin Especially for ‘Arachnid Identification’, I commenced their ‘Hamburger Südwest- am interested in receiving information Australische Forschungsreise’. from arachnologist who are familiar with particular groups as soon as possible. If you don’t have your own homepage, www.australasian-arachnology.org can host one for you! Have a look through some of our sample pages via the ‘Arachnologists’ menue. It’s easy: Send me an unformatted file with the contents you wish to see on your homepage, for example ‘Research Interests’, ‘Education’, and ‘Publications’ and maybe some of your favourite links. Of course, we would love to include a photo! Needless to say, since we had help from professionals, all links to email addresses are encrypted so that ‘robots’ (spyders) searching for email addresses for spam won’t be able to pick it up. Volker Framenau Western Australian Museum Figure 1: Collecting stations of the ‘Hamburger Südwest-Australische Forschungsreise (Michaelsen & Hartmeyer 1907) Australasian Arachnology No. 72 Page 6

Over the next six months they Dr Michaelsen also forwarded three managed to survey marine and terrestrial reports of the on-going work, which were sites from as far south as Albany, north to published by the Western Australian Shark Bay and inland to Kalgoorlie, listing Natural History and Science Society a total of 167 survey stations by rail, (Michaelsen, 1908b, 1911 and 1914). horse and boat (Fig. 1). This survey included both invertebrates and These are the spiders that E. Simon vertebrates. On completion of their described from the expedition with expedition they filled 49 cases with comments on their currently known specimens for return to , of which distribution and some taxonomic only “two very small glasses arrived in the remarks. I have listed the original and homeland damaged, with the contents currently valid name based on The World dried out” (Michaelsen, 1908). Catalog, V6.0 (Platnick, 2005). [original locality data is given in square Their journeys throughout the South- brackets]: west were assisted by free travel on the rail system and the generosity of the German community in . Dipluridae Australian Government assistance was Palaevagrus fugax = Cethegus fugax also provided, particularly by not charging (Simon) [Geraldton, Lion Mill = Mt customs duty for all the equipment and Helena] supplies the researchers had brought with The “Curtain-web Spider” of southern them (this generosity was not looked Western Australia (also in South upon favourably by later local Australia). researchers, see Dakin, 1916). Upon their return to Europe, the Cantuaria hoggi = Misgolas hoggi (Simon) material was disseminated to the various [Eradu] leading researchers working across Nemesiidae Europe. Of course the spiders were given Proshermacha tigrina = Aname tepperi to Dr Eugène Simon at the Museum (Simon) [Jarrahdale, Serpentine] d’Histoire Naturelle in Paris. Widespread across southern Australia. Only two years later, in 1907, the first Proshermacha subarmata = Aname volume of the report of the expedition was tepperi (Simon) [Wooroloo, Harvey] printed as “Die Fauna Südwest- Barychelidae Australiens” edited by Michaelsen and Idiommata sp.? [Mundaring Weir] Hartmeyer and published by Gustav Simon considered this specimen very Fischer in Jena. Five volumes were similar to Idiommata blackwalli eventually published by the year 1930. Cambridge [ex Swan River], which is The report on the spiders was published widespread in southern Western in two parts. Part one is in volume one Australia and known as the “Brush- (Simon, 1908) and the second part is in footed Trapdoor Spider”. volume two (Simon, 1909). Synothele michaelseni Simon [Lion Mill] Australasian Arachnology No. 72 Page 7

Araneomorphae Gonatium lividulum (nomen dubium, Millidge, 1981) [Torbay] Trichocyclus nigropunctatus Simon Laetesia egregia Simon [Eradu] [Yalgoo] Laetesia mollita Simon [Bunbury, Segestriidae Boyanup] Ariadna thyrianthina Simon [Edel Land, Linyphia cupidinea = Laperousea blattifera Baba Head, Tamala, Norseman, (Urquhart) [Subiaco] Albany] Tetragnathidae Oonopidae Nanometa gentilis Simon [Lion Mill, Gamasomorpha servula Simon [Eradu] Yallingup, Broomehill, South Albany] Hersiliidae Tetragnatha luteocincta Simon [Midland, Tama brachyura Simon (nomen dubium, Guildford, Serpentine, Brunswick see Baehr & Baehr, 1987) [Geraldton, Junction] Karrakatta, East Fremantle, Tetragnatha maeandrata Simon [Subiaco, Brunswick Junction, Boyanup] Serpentine, Albany] Araneidae Billima attrita = Theridion attritum (Simon) Araneus amblycyphus Simon [Busselton] [Subiaco] Araneus cyphoxis Simon [Perth, Rottnest Crustulina bicruciata Simon [Eradu] Island, Brunswick Junction] (Lasaeola) austera Simon Araneus senicaudatus Simon [Denham] [Northampton, Subiaco, Rottnest Enoplognatha bidens Simon [Eradu, Island, Jarrahdale, Serpentine] Fremantle, York, Broome Hill] Araneus senicaudatus simplex Simon Euryopis maga Simon [Torbay] [Lion Mill, Midland, Subiaco, Lithyphantes niveo-signatus = Steatoda Cottesloe, East Fremantle, Brunswick niveosignata (Simon) [Denham, Junction, Beverley] Eradu] Arkys nitidiceps Simon [Torbay] Lithyphantes octonotatus = Steatoda Cyclosa bacilliformis Simon [Lion Mill] octonotata (Simon) [Day Dawn] Larinia eburneiventris = Araneus Moneta longicauda Simon [Subiaco] eburneiventris (Simon) [Dirk Hartog Teutana adumbrata Simon [Yalgoo] Island, Brown Station, North Theridion hartmeyeri Simon [Moora] Fremantle] Theridion mortuale Simon [Subiaco, Paraplectanoides ceruleus Simon [Dirk Harvey, Collie, Boyanup] Hartog Island, Brown Station] Theridion subpingue Simon [Jarrahdale, Lycosidae Boyanup] Artoria cingulipes Simon [Collie] Very common in south-west Western Ceratinopsis melanura = Ostearius Australia. melanopygius (O.P.-Cambridge) Artoria flavimanus = Artoria flavimana [Fremantle] Simon [Mundaring Weir] Delorrhipis erythrocephalus = Savigna Widespread in forests of southern erythrocephala (Simon) [North Australia and . Fremantle] Artoria taeniifera Simon [Bunbury] Australasian Arachnology No. 72 Page 8

Lycosa christopheri = Lycosa leuckarti Lycosa godeffroyi L. Koch (V.W. (Thorell) [Fremantle] Framenau, personal communication), Lycosa dimota Simon [Day Dawn] very common in southern half of Lycosa immansueta = Hogna immansueta mainland Australia. (Simon) [Wooroloo, Cannington] Pardosa praevelox = Pardosa serrata (L. Lycosa impedita = Artoria impedita Koch) [Buckland Hill near Fremantle]. (Simon) (Framenau, in press) [Gooseberry Hill] Aphyctoschaema storeniforme = Baiami Lycosa marcentior = Venatrix pullastra storeniformis (Simon) [Day Dawn, (Simon) (Framenau, submitted) near Cue]. [Dongarra, Boyanup] Epimecinus tegenarioides = Baiami Lycosa meracula = Tetralycosa oraria (L. tegenarioides (Simon) [Collie]. Koch) (Framenau et al. in press) A common spider in the South-west. [Denham, Albany] Epimecinus volucripes = Baiami volucripes Juvenile syntypes from Denham are (Simon) [Rottnest Island, Jarrahdale, not conspecific with male syntype Brunswick Junction, Bunbury]. from Albany (Framenau et al. in A common spider in the South-west. press). Lathyarcha tetrica Simon [Boyanup]. Lycosa percauta = Venatrix pullastra Zoridae (Simon) (Framenau, submitted) Argoctenus hystriculus Simon [Rottnest Island] [Cannington] Lycosa phegeia = Trochosa tristicula Argoctenus nebulosus Simon [Cranbrook] phegeia (Simon) [Canningtion] Elassoctenus harpax Simon [Geraldton, Unpublished junior synonym of Wooroloo, Lion Mill] Lycosa properipes (V.W. Framenau, Hestimodema ambigua Simon [Lion Mill, personal communication) Cannington] Lycosa properipes Simon [Guildford, Hestimodema latevittata Simon Subiaco] [Fremantle cemetery, Donnybrook] Lycosa propitia = Venatrix pullastra (Simon) (Framenau, submitted) [Cannington] Amaurobius microps = Badumna microps Lycosa pullastra = Venatrix pullastra (Simon) [Bridgetown, Albany] (Simon) [Mundaring Weir, near Similar to Badumna insignis (L.Koch, Albany] 1872), the common “Black House Very common in south-west Western Spider” of southern Western Australia, Australia. but B. microps prefers habitats away Lycosa segregis = Venatrix pullastra from houses and is found in the (Simon) [Fremantle] forests of the south-west. Lycosa sibyllina = Tetralycosa oraria (L. Aphyctoschaema albicauda = Badumna Koch) [Albany] vultuosa (Simon) [Eradu]. Lycosa woodwardi = Allocosa woodwardi Aphyctoschaema bivittatum = Forsterina (Simon) [Northampton, Dongara, velifera (Simon) [Dongara]. Beverley] Unpublished junior synonym of Australasian Arachnology No. 72 Page 9

Aphyctoschaema cryphoeciforme = Miturga ferina Simon [Broomehill] Badumna cryphoeciformis (Simon) Miturga impedita Simon [Pickering Brook] [Kalgoorlie, Guildford]. Miturga occidentalis Simon [Tamala, Aphyctoschaema veliferum = Badumna Yalgoo, Eradu, Mt Robinson near velifera (Simon) [Dirk Hartog Island, Kalgoorlie] Brown Station]. Miturga severa Simon [*] Aphyctoschaema virgosum = Badumna Miturga thorelli Simon [eastern Australia*] virgosa (Simon) [Kalgoorlie, Miturga whistleri Simon [Collie, Upper Coolgardie]. Blackwood district (Hamburg Mus. Aphyctoschaema vultuosum = Badumna collection)] vultuosa (Simon) [Eradu, Liocranidae Moonyoonooka, Wooroloo, Liparochrysis resplendens Simon Cannington]. [Lunenberg in the Darling Range] Desis hartmeyeri Simon [Albany] Clubionidae Phryganoporus gausapatus occidentalis = Clubiona cycladata Simon [Guildford, Phryganoporus candidus (L.Koch, Collie, Torbay] 1872) [Cannington] Clubiona munis Simon [Day Dawn] A communal spider which occurs Clubiona laudabilis Simon [Denham] across Australia. Corinnidae Phryganoporus nigrinus Simon [Boyanup] Supunna michaelseni Simon [Harvey] Western Australia to . Supunna smaragdinea Simon [Wooroloo] Phryganoporus tubicola = Phryganoporus Zodariidae candidus (L.Koch, 1872) [Denham]. Storena tetrica = Storosa tetrica (Simon) Syrorisa seriata = Syrorisa misella [Albany] (Simon) [Yalgoo] Storena torosa = Neostorena torosa (Simon) [Northampton] Callevophthalmus lividus = C. albus Storena eximia Simon [Kalgoorlie, (Keyserling, 1890) [Buckland Hill, East Boorabbin] Fremantle]. Storena tricolor Simon [Lion Mill, Collie, Australia-wide. Boyanup] Dictyna anaulax = Sudesna anaulax Trochanteriidae (Simon) [Cottesloe]. Rebilus castaneus Simon [Edel Land, Tamala, Day Dawn, Yalgoo, Mt Cheiracanthium nervosum Simon [North Robinson near Kalgoorlie] Fremantle] Corimaethes campestratus Simon [Day Cheiracanthium pennuliferum Simon Dawn] [Subiaco, Albany] Trachytrema castaneum Simon [Day Diaprograpta striola Simon [Boorabbin] Dawn] Miturga agelenina Simon [Buckland Hill near Nth Fremantle, East Fremantle, Lampona punctigera Simon also in Victoria and Tasmania] [Northampton, Moora, Lion Mill, Miturga catograpta Simon [Geraldton, Midland, Karrakatta, East Fremantle Lion Mill, Pickering Brook] Australasian Arachnology No. 72 Page 10

recreation ground, Harvey, York, Drassodes sarritus = Anzacia sarrita Torbay] (Simon) [Tasmania*] Lampona foliifera Simon [Boorabbin] Drassodes dimotus = Anzacia dimota Lampona obnubila Simon = Lampona (Simon) [inland Victoria*] brevipes L. Koch [Boyanup] Homoeothele micans Simon [Denham, Lampona paupercula Simon = Lampona Moonyoonooka] brevipes L. Koch [Boyanup] Megamyrmaekion penicillatum Simon Asadipus nitidiceps = Prionosternum [Yalgoo, Boorabbin, Wooroloo, nitidiceps (Simon) [East Fremantle, Guildford, Collie, Brunswick Junction, Busselton] York, Torbay] Aristerus phaleratus = Asadipus Megamyrmaekion vestigator Simon [Mt phaleratus (Simon) [Day Dawn, Robinson near Kalgoorlie] Yalgoo, Boorabbin] Megamyrmaekion austrinum Simon Prodidomidae [Geraldton] Myandra bicincta Simon [Boyanup] Megamyrmaekion echemophthalmum Molycria splendida Simon [Northampton] Simon [Pickering Brook, York] Molycria flavipes Simon [East Fremantle Megamyrmaekion perpusillum Simon at recreation ground] [Edel Land, Tamala, Wooroloo] Molycria alboplagiata Simon [Lion Mill] Aphantaulax scotophaea Simon Honunius quadricaudus Simon [Harvey] [Boyanup] Gnaphosidae Sergiolus australianus Simon (nomen Ceryerda cursitans Simon [Day Dawn] dubium, Platnick & Shadab, 1981) Hemicloea insidiosa Simon [East [Northampton] Fremantle, Subiaco Sparassidae Hemicloea michaelseni Simon [Yalgoo, Eodelena nigrifrons = Delena nigrifrons Kalgoorlie] (Simon) [Boorabbin] Hemicloea sublimbata Simon [Kalgoorlie, Isopoda woodwardi = Holconia nigrigularis Coolgardie, Boorabbin, Beverley] (Simon) [Kalgoorlie] Hemicloea crocotila Simon [Northampton] Isopoda nigrigularis = Holconia nigrigularis Hemicloea semiplumosa Simon (Simon) [Edel Land, Tamala, [Boorabbin, Cranbrook] Northampton] Drassodes respersus = Anzacia respersa Isopoda cerussata = Isopedella cerussata (Simon) [Northampton] (Simon) [Northampton] Drassodes petilus = Anzacia petila Isopoda cana = Isopedella cana (Simon) (Simon) [Fremantle at Obelisk Hill, [Cranbrook] Bunbury] Drassodes nugatorius = Anzacia Xysticus periscelis Simon [Perth, Subiaco, nugatoria [Simon) (Albany] Rottnest Island, Fremantle] Drassodes micaceus = Anzacia micacea Stephanopis palliolata Simon [Wooroloo] (Simon) [Dongara] Sidyma kochi = Sidymella kochi (Simon) Drassodes musteculus = Anzacia [Wooroloo] mustecula (Simon) [Boyanup] Australasian Arachnology No. 72 Page 11

Salticidae The original spider material was Astia tristicula = Sondra tristicula (Simon) disseminated to museums in Europe [Subiaco, Bunbury, Boyanup] (Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle in Helpis occidentalis Simon [Guildford, Paris, ; Zoologisches Staatsinstitut Torbay] und Zoologisches Museum, Hamburg, Adoxotoma nigroolivacea Simon [Collie] Germany; Museum für Naturkunde, Adoxotoma chionopogon Simon Zentralinstitut der Humbold-Universität, [Wooroloo, Lion Mill] Berlin, Germany) and the Western Saitis michaelseni = Lycidas michaelseni Australian Museum, Perth. The Western (Simon) (Boyanup) Australian Museum collection contains 42 Saitis michaelseni obscurior = Lycidas type specimens of 41 species, comprising obscurior (Simon) [Subiaco, 39 syntypes (38 species) and three Cannington] paralectotypes (Main & Harvey, 1992). Saitis heteropogon = Lycidas heteropogon This survey was not an exhaustive (Simon) [Busselton] survey of south-western Australia with Holoplatys quinquecingulata = Zebraplatys many of the spiders collected quinquecingulata (Simon) [Day Dawn] representing the most commonly Holoplatys fractivittata = Zebraplatys encountered species. However, this is still fractivittata (Simon) [Moonyoonooka, a highly significant collection and any Midland] survey of ground spiders in south-western Muziris carinatus Simon [Wooroloo] Australia will consist almost exclusively of albopictus = Clynotis severus species named by Eugène Simon in (L.Koch) [Harvey, Bunbury] addition to numerous undescribed Habrocestum chrysomelas = Lycidas species. chrysomelas (Simon) [Lion Mill] Habrocestum speculiferum = Lycidas References speculifer (Simon) [North Fremantle] Baehr, B. & Baehr, M. 1987. The Eugasmia chlorophthalma = Lycidas Australian Hersiliidae (Arachnida: chlorophthalmus (Simon) [York] Araneae): taxonomy, phylogeny, Servaea spinibarbis Simon [Subiaco, zoogeography. Invertebrate Cottesloe, Buckland Hill, North Taxonomy 1, 351-437. Fremantle, East Fremantle, Fremantle cemetery] Dakin, W. J. 1916. Marine biology in Opisthoncus devexus Simon [Dirk Hartog Western Australia. Journal and Island, Brown Station] Proceedings of the Royal Society of Opisthoncus machaerodus Simon Western Australia 1, 11-27. [Midland] Framenau, V. W. in press. The wolf Simaethula chalcops Simon [Subiaco] spider Artoria (Thorell)

(Araneae, Lycosidae) in Australia: *It appears that Simon used the new synonyms and generic transfers. opportunity of the publication to describe Records of the Western Australian species from his own collection from Museum. localities elsewhere in Australia. Australasian Arachnology No. 72 Page 12

Framenau, V. W., Gotch, T. B. and Millidge, A. F. 1981. A revision of the Austin, A. D. in press. The wolf genus Gonatium (Araneae: spiders of artesian springs in arid Linyphiidae). Bulletin of the British , with a revalidation of arachnological Society 5, 253-277. Tetralycosa (Araneae, Lycosidae). Platnick, N.I. 2005. The World Spider Framenau, V. W. submitted. The wolf Catalog, V6.0. online at: spider genus Venatrix: new species, http://research.amnh.org/entomology/ synonymies and generic transfers spiders/catalog. (Araneae, Lycosidae). Records of the Western Australian Museum. Platnick, N. I. & Shadab, M. U. 1981. A revision of the spider genus Sergiolus Main, B. Y. and Harvey, M. S. 1992. Type (Araneae, Gnaphosidae). American material of spiders (: Museum Novitates 2717, 1-41. Araneae) collected on the Michaelsen and Hartmeyer Expedition of 1905 and Simon, E. 1908. Araneae, 1re partie. In: lodged in the Western Australian Die Fauna Südwest-Australiens. Museum. Records of the Western Ergebnisse der Hamburger südwest- Australian Museum 15, 703-712. australischen Forschungsreise 1905. (W. Michaelsen and R. Hartmeyer, Michaelsen, W. & Hartmeyer, R. (eds) eds.). Jena, Gustav Fischer Verlag: 1907-1910. Die Fauna Südwest- 359-446. Australiens, Gustav Fischer, Jena. Vol. 1 & 2. Simon, E. 1909. Araneae, 2me partie. Die Fauna Südwest-Australiens. Michaelsen, W. 1908b. First report upon Ergebnisse der Hamburger südwest- the publications on the “Hamburger australischen Forschungsreise 1905. südwest-australische (W. Michaelsen and R. Hartmeyer, Forschungsreise, 1905. Journal of the eds.) Jena, Gustav Fischer: 155-212. Western Australian Natural History

Society 5, 6-25. Michaelsen, W. 1911. Second abstract of the reports of the German Expedition Systematics of the Australasian spider of 1905 to South-Western Australia. family Pararchaeidae (Arachnida, Journal of the Natural History and Araneae) Science Society of Western Australia 3, 137-164. Michael G. Rix Queensland Museum, Michaelsen, W. 1914. Third abstract of South Bank, PO Box 3300, the reports of the German Expedition South Brisbane, Queensland 4101 of 1905 to south-western Australia. Journal of the Natural History and The Pararchaeidae are an Science Society of Western Australia unusual family of small to very small 5, 65-107. spiders (3 mm or less in body length; Figs 1-2), known only from the forests of Australasian Arachnology No. 72 Page 13

Australia and . Most species live within moss or thick leaf litter, although some occur under tree bark or even among dense foliage. Pararchaeid spiders are never common in nature, rarely collected alive, and specimens are usually only sampled during long-term pitfall or tree-trapping surveys.

Figure 2: Female pararchaeid in resting posture.

In 2002 and 2003 I revised the Tasmanian species of Pararchaeidae and Holarchaeidae, as a framework study for a larger revision (Rix, 2005). There are now seven species of Pararchaea described from Tasmania, eight from Australia, and ten in total from Australia Figure 1: Female pararchaeid in and New Zealand. Based on morphology, defensive posture. I also proposed four species groups for the described Australian Pararchaeidae. After collecting several live With this framework in place I am pararchaeid spiders from sclerophyll currently revising the entire family bushland near Brisbane in 2000, my Pararchaeidae, and my aims are as interest in this group quickly developed. I follows: soon learned that our taxonomic and biological knowledge of the family was 1. To describe the 24 new species and six rudimentary at best, with only five species new genera of Pararchaeidae present described from Australia, four of these in collections. All but one of these new being Tasmanian. Preliminary fieldwork species are from mainland Australia. around Brisbane, plus an examination of 2. To examine taxa in a phylogenetic the Queensland Museum collection, analysis, allowing insights into the revealed five species in south-eastern biogeography of the group. Queensland alone, two of which are often 3. To summarise all known biological sympatric in Brisbane suburban bushland information, and to describe for the reserves. first time moulting, courtship and mating behaviour and the egg sac of a pararchaeid species. 4. To discuss the conservation of Pararchaeidae, and the implications Australasian Arachnology No. 72 Page 14

this study has for future land This study documented the species management in Australia. diversity of thomisids associated with the understorey vegetation of four study sites. In 2006 I will begin a Ph.D. on In addition, the relationships between spider systematics at the University of thomisid species richness and abundance Western Australia, in collaboration with and the following parameters were Mark Harvey (Western Australian investigated: attributes of the vegetation, Museum). other spider families, insect abundance,

seasonal influences and abiotic factors. References The relationships between environmental Rix, M.G. 2005. A review of the factors and insects and spiders other than Tasmanian species of Pararchaeidae thomisids were also investigated. and Holarchaeidae (Arachnida, The study showed that, while insect Araneae). The Journal of Arachnology numbers as a whole were affected 33: 135-152. strongly by the flowering of plants, spider family numbers were affected by a variety of abiotic and biotic factors, although most tended to be influenced by attributes THESIS of the vegetation. Each family seemed to ABSTRACT respond in a different way to environmental conditions. The family A Case Study of Crab Spiders Thomisidae appeared to be most (Araneae: Thomisidae) in Remnant influenced by vegetation cover. Woodlands of the South Western On a finer taxonomic scale, thomisids Slopes Region of New South Wales. showed considerable variation, both Cathy Car temporally and spatially, in their responses to environmental factors. (Thesis submitted for the degree of Responses of genera and age groups Master of Applied Science (Environmental within genera did not mirror those of the Science), Charles Sturt University) family as a whole. There appeared to be Supervisors: Dr Helen Wood, Dr Tracey two main groups of thomisid genera: Churchill (external) those that matured in spring and were influenced by the flowering of shrubs and Despite their ecological significance those that matured in summer and were and potential as an indicator group, little influenced by other factors. Age groups is known about the patterns of distribution within genera also did not respond in the and abundance of Australian crab spiders same way to environmental factors. (Araneae: Thomisidae) and their taxonomic relationships are uncertain. In This study has indicated that, despite order to address this lack of knowledge, fragmentation, the understorey Thomisidae were chosen as a focal group invertebrate fauna of box woodland is within areas of remnant woodlands in the diverse and abundant, exhibiting a variety South Western Slopes region of NSW. of responses to environmental factors Australasian Arachnology No. 72 Page 15 across time and space. At each Reviews of the Cambridge taxonomic level, the responses appeared Philosophical Society 80, 1-15. to change, suggesting that the aims of ‘snap-shot’ surveys and choice of Shochat E., Stefanov, W., Whitehouse potential indicator species need to be M. E. A. & Faeth S. 2004. clearly defined to provide meaningful Urbanization and spider diversity: data. influences of human modification of habitat structure and productivity. ------Ecological Applications 14, 268-280. Recent Australasian Thomas, M. L. & Framenau, V. W. 2005. Arachnological Foraging decisions of individual Publications workers vary with colony size in the greenhead ant Rhytidoponera This column aims to collate metallica (Formicidae, Ectatomminae). arachnological publications that were Insectes Sociaux 52, 26-30. issued (but not those ‘in press’) since the last volume of Australasian Arachnology Zabka M. & Gray M. 2004. Salticidae and those that appeared since 2004 and (Arachnida: Araneae) from Oriental, were not listed previously. This includes: Australian and Pacific Regions, XVII. Huntiglennia – a new genus from Ø papers on Australasian Australia. Annales Zoologici 54, 297- arachnology and 300. Ø written by Australasian Zabka M. 2004 Salticidae (Arachnida: arachnologists (including non- Araneae) of New Zealand. Genus arachnid papers). Adoxotoma Simon, 1909. Annales I am particularly interested to list Zoologici 54, 301-304. entries of publications that are not easily trackable through the common library search engines, including theses and abstracts of theses. Please provide me with information on your latest publications for the next issue. Rix, M. G. 2005. A review of the Tasmanian species of Pararchaeidae and Holarchaeidae (Arachnida, Araneae). The Journal of Arachnology 33: 135-152. Whitehouse, M. E. A. & Lubin, Y. 2005. The functions of societies and the evolution of group living: spider societies as a test case. Biological

Australasian Arachnology Issue 72 August 2005

Contents

Editorial…………………………………………………….. 3 Membership Updates……………………………………... 4 Australasian Arachnological Society now online! by Volker Framenau ……………………………………. 4 Feature Article: 100 years on: the spiders of the “Hamburg South-west Australian Expedition”, collected by W. Michaelsen & R. Hartmeyer in 1905 by Julianne M. Waldock………………………………… 5 Feature Article: Systematics of the Australasian spider family Pararchaeidae (Arachnida, Araneae) by Michael G. Rix………………………………………… 12 Thesis abstract: A Case Study of Crab Spiders (Araneae, Thomisidae) in Remnant Woodlands of the South Western Slopes Region of New South Wales by Cathy Car…………………………………………….... 14 Recent Australasian Arachnological Publications…… 15