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The Spiders of the Swartberg Nature Reserve in South Africa (Arachnida: Araneae)

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The Spiders of the Swartberg Nature Reserve in South Africa (Arachnida: Araneae) dippenaar.qxd 2005/08/17 08:39 Page 77 The spiders of the Swartberg Nature Reserve in South Africa (Arachnida: Araneae) A.S. DIPPENAAR-SCHOEMAN, A.E. VAN DER WALT, M. DE JAGER, E. LE ROUX and A. VAN DEN BERG Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S., A.E. van der Walt, M. de Jager, E. le Roux and A. van den Berg. 2005. The spiders of the Swartberg Nature Reserve in South Africa (Arachnida: Araneae). Koedoe 48(1): 77–86. Pretoria. ISSN 0075-6458. The Swartberg Nature Reserve is situated in the Large Swartberg mountain range, in the Oudtshoorn district of the Western Cape Province. Spiders were collected from the reserve over a 10-year period. This is one of the inventory projects of the South African National Survey (SANSA) for spiders of the Succulent Karoo Biome. A total of 45 fam- ilies comprising 136 genera and 186 species were collected, all which are new records for the area. This represents about 9.4 % of the total known South African spider fauna. Of the spiders collected 142 species (76.5 %) were wanderers and 44 (23.5 %) web dwellers. The plant dwellers comprised 43.3 % of the total number of species and the ground dwellers 56.7 %. The Gnaphosidae was the most diverse family represented by 33 species, followed by the Salticidae with 23 and Thomisidae with 15. Ten species are possibly new to science and the Filistatidae is a first record for South Africa. An anno- tated checklist with information on the guilds, habitat preference and web types are pro- vided. Key words: Araneae, Swartberg Nature Reserve, South African National Survey, spi- ders. A.S. Dippenaar-Schoeman, ARC-Plant Protection Research Institute, Private Bag X 134, Queenswood 0121 / Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Preto- ria, Republic of South Africa; A. van den Berg, ARC-Plant Protection Research Insti- tute, Private Bag X 134, Queenswood 0121, Republic of South Africa; A.E. van der Walt and E. le Roux, Cape Nature Conservation, District Karoo, Private Bag X658, Oudts- hoorn, 6620, Republic of South Africa; M. de Jager, P.O. Box 328, Middelburg 5900, Republic of South Africa. Introduction Nature Reserve (Dippenaar-Schoeman et al. 1989), Makelali Nature Reserve (Whitmore et Although spiders constitute an abundant and successful group of invertebrates, little is still al. 2001), as well as the Soutpansberg West known about their diversity in large parts of Conservancy (Foord et al. 2002). South Africa. The South African National Sur- Conservation biologists are starting to recog- vey of Arachnida (SANSA), was initiated in nise the importance of the invertebrate com- 1997 with the main aim to make inventories ponent in the functioning of healthy ecosys- of the arachnid fauna of South Africa (Dippe- tems. However, meaningful conservation can naar-Schoeman & Craemer 2000). As part of not take place if the species involved are not SANSA, various projects are in progress to known. The survey undertaken at the Swart- determine the biodiversity of the arachnids from the floral biomes. Surveys are also berg Nature Reserve (SBNR) not only provide undertaken to determine the species presently information on the species presently protected protected in existing conserved areas. Surveys in the reserve, but also contribute towards our have been undertaken in the Mountain Zebra knowledge of the diversity of the Succulent National Park (Dippenaar-Schoeman 1988), Karoo Biome. This paper does not reflect the Karoo National Park (Dippenaar-Schoeman et results of an intensive survey but is a record al. 1999), Kruger National Park (Dippenaar- of specimens collected in the reserve on a Schoeman & Leroy 2003), Roodeplaat Dam regular basis over a period of 10 years. ISSN 0075-6458 77 Koedoe 48/1 (2005) dippenaar.qxd 2005/08/17 08:39 Page 78 Table 1 Guild classification of spiders collected in the Swartberg Nature Reserve Guilds Abbreviation Guild explanation (a) Wandering spiders Ground dwellers (GD) FGD free-living spiders running on the soil surface when active BGD live in burrows Plant dwellers (PD) FPD free-living, commonly found on plants (b) Web-dwellers Orb-web OWB orb-web consisting of a frame with mooring and bridge lines that anchor the web, and radial signal threads arranged like the ribs of an umbrella converging onto the centre of the web with circular spiral threads Funnel-web FWB sheet-web made over soil surface with a funnel-shaped retreat on one side Gumfoot-web GWB three-dimensional web consisting of a central area with or without a retreat; upper part with mooring, signal and catch threads; lower part with mooring and catch threads studded with sticky droplets Retreat-web RWB silk threads radiating from retreat and used to locate/catch prey Sheet-web SWB sheet-like web consisting of an upper part with mooring, signal and catch threads Space-web SPWB web filling open space usually attached with mooring threads to different substrates. Study area sea level. The Gamka River runs through the reserve, cutting through the mountains from The Swartberg Nature Reserve (SBNR) is in north to south. The reserve was actively the Oudtshoorn district in the Western Cape farmed for 160 years and only declared a con- Province. It is an area of about 130 000 ha sit- servation area about 13 years ago. uated between the Great Karoo and Little Karoo, bordered by the Gamka River in the The winters are cold, frequently with snow on west. The nearest town is Prince Albert the mountains with temperatures well below (33°13'S, 22°02'E), about 5 km to the North. freezing point. In the summer the tempera- The reserve lies in the Large Swartberg tures can reach a high of 40 ºC. Rain falls mountain range, with some peaks higher than both in summer and winter, but the winter 2000 m above sea level. The Swartberg rains are more intense and important. Rainfall mountains are part of the Cape fold mountain records, taken over the last six years, indicate range. The geological formation is chiefly of an average rainfall of 208 mm annually. the Table Mountain Group and to a lesser The veld type of the valley floor is Broken extent the Bokkeveld and Cango groups. Karoo with scattered Acacia karroo Hayne Most of the collecting was done in the larger trees. The northern face of the mountains sit- part of the reserve, situated in a valley (laying uated in the southern parts of the reserve is east to west) between the two mountain mainly dwarf, succulent shrubs while the ranges Osberg and Gamkasberg. The valley is southern face of the mountains in the north of known as Gamkaskloof (GK) or ‘Die Hel’ the valley is a crossover between Renoster with heights between 300 m and 500 m above Veld, Fynbos and Succulent Karoo. Koedoe 48/1 (2005) 78 ISSN 0075-6458 dippenaar.qxd 2005/08/17 08:39 Page 79 Methods 1997), has been collected during this survey Sporadic collecting was undertaken from 1991-2002. for the first time from South Africa. Spiders were collected using hand collecting (ground Ground layer: Thirty-five families represent- and plant searching, turning rocks) or using a sweep- ed by 105 species (56.7 %) are associated net or beating tray for grass and low shrubs. Addi- tional material from the Swartberg Pass (SP) housed with the ground layer (Table 3). in the National Collection of Arachnida (NCA) at the Ground web dwellers: Eighteen species of 11 ARC-Plant Protection Research Institute in Pretoria families make their webs on or close to the was added to the checklist. All material collected has been deposited in the NCA. The lack of taxonomic ground surface. The web dwellers are main- research in southern Africa within certain families ly members of the funnel-web spiders (Age- made the identification of some genera to species lenidae and Dipluridae), sheet-web spiders level impossible. In addition, only immature speci- (Linyphiidae) and retreat-web spiders of the mens were collected in some families, hampering Amaurobiidae (Pseudauximus), Eresidae identification to species level. In such cases only the (Dresserus), Filistatidae (Afrofilistata), generic names were included in the checklist. Oecobiidae (Oecobius), Pholcidae Because most spiders live in a defined environment (Smeringopus), Phyxelididae (Namaqu- with limitations set by both physical conditions and arachne) and Segestriidae (Ariadna). The biological factors (Foelix 1982), species can be gum-foot webs of the Theridiidae (Latrodec- grouped into guilds based on available information on their habitat preferences and predatory methods. tus, Steatoda) are usually made between For the present study two main guilds were recog- plants close to the ground. The bites of nised, namely wandering spiders and web dwellers, Latrodectus spp. are known to be of medical with further subdivisions based on micro-habitat and importance. The one species, Latrodectus web construction (Table 1). geometricus (C.L. Koch), is a species intro- duced into South Africa, while the other, L. indistinctus (O.P.-Cambridge), is an endemic Results and discussion species known from the Western Cape Province. Most of the funnel-webs and Numbers present retreat-webs are made between or below rocks and plant debris. The space-webs of Forty-five families represented by 136 gen- the Pholcidae are usually made in old mam- era and 186 species were collected from the mal holes and in other dark crevices. SBNR (Table 2). The family Gnaphosidae is the most diverse with 33 species, followed Burrow ground dwellers (BGD): The bur- by the Salticidae with 23 and Thomisidae row-living ground dwellers are all members with 15. Twenty families were represented of the Mygalomorphae and represent three by a single species. The 186 species collect- trapdoor spider species in the families ed are all new records for the Swartberg Ctenizidae, Cyrtaucheniidae and Nemesi- Nature Reserve.
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