SANSA NEWS South African National Survey of Arachnida

No. 21 MAY-SEPT 2014

SPIDER ATLASSING PROJECTS

How many spiders are there in South Africa? scriptions of >100 new species presently being Inside this issue: The first South African spider was mentioned in prepared for publication. the literature by Petiver (1702). The first spiders Spider atlassing projects…...……....1 described from southern Africa were two arane- Considerable effort has been put into surveying Gauteng Province ……. …..2-3 id species, Pycnacantha tribulus (Fabricius, the Gauteng, Limpopo and Mpumalanga Prov- Limpopo Province ……….……….4 1781) and Caerostris sexcuspidata (Fabricius, inces through long-term surveys since 1967, North West Province …………….. .5 1793), while the first mygalomorph collected especially with the recent efforts by Stefan Foord Spiders in the news……...……….6-7 and described from the region was a thera- of the University of Venda. Sampling in the Free Student projects………..……...... 8-10 phosid, Mygale atra Latreille, 1832. Due to State started with the appointments of Leon Lotz New families, genera and species.11 colonial expansion, hundreds of specimens at the National Museum in Bloemfontein, and the New publications…………………..12 from Africa were dispatched to museums in effort increased with the appointment of Charles Spider open day………..………….12 France, Germany and the United Kingdom. Haddad at the University of the Free State and Last word…..……………………….13 the participation of his students in the SANSA Between 1700 and 1799, only 10 species were project, e.g. Robin Lyle and Rene Fourie. documented from South Africa (Fig. 1). The next century saw an increase to 360 species, The SANSA atlassing project has been gener- but the most species were described over the ously supported by the Spider Club of Southern following twenty years (1900-1920), when 739 Africa, members of the public and numerous species were added. students throughout the years. Student projects and other research projects’ bycatch material

Most taxonomic research on South African have made significant contributions in providing Editors and coordinators: arachnids, undertaken during the period from material to SANSA, e.g. the Cederberg tran-

1820-1960, was based on the fauna of the sects. Members of the public contributing to the Ansie Dippenaar-Schoeman coastal provinces, as most of the practicing Virtual Museum have provided valuable data on ARC-Plant Protection Research Institute arachnologists were stationed there. It was only the distribution of South Africa arachnids. Private Bag X134 in the late 1960s that the first long-term sam- Queenswood pling started in the central and northern prov- The first national check lists of South Africa 0121 inces of South Africa, with the appointment of spiders has been prepared for the ’South African South Africa Ansie Dippenaar at the ARC (then Department National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) in 2013 E-mail: [email protected] of Agriculture) in 1967. (SANSA NEWS 18: 1). A total of 2030 spp. from 70 families were listed. The discovery of new Charles Haddad The next peak in new species descriptions is species are still continuing and the latest Na- Department of Zoology & Entomology probably due to SANSA activities and the effort tional Spider List report on 2165 species from University of the Free State put into extensive sampling in the country. 73 families an increase of 135 species in one P.O. Box 339 Since 1990, about 112 genera were revised by year. A list will be published in the near future. Bloemfontein local and overseas arachnologists, resulting in 9300 the description of 530 new species, with de- Contact: Ansie Dippenaar-Schoeman at Dip- South Africa [email protected] E-mail: [email protected]

SA SPIDER COUNT

SEPTEMBER 2014

2165 spider spp.

Fig. 1. The number of South African species described between 1700-2014. 1= 1700-1799; 2= 1800-1899; 3=1900-1920; 4= 1921-1940; 5= 1941-1960; 6= 1961-1980; 7= 1981-1999; 8= 2000-2014 SANSA NEWS 21

SANSA ATLASSING SURVEYS

GAUTENG PROVINCE TSWAING CRATER NATURE RESERVE

Ansie Dippenaar-Schoeman, Peter Webb and Vida van der Walt visited the Tswaing Crater Nature Reserve (TCNR) in April 2014 to sample spiders. The TCNR is situated 47 km north of Pretoria and was formerly known as Pretoria Saltpan (or Zaltpan). It is situated in the Savanna Biome and includes an extensive wetland system, a large variety of plant species, and herbivorous mammals such as kudu, impala and zebra.

Tswaing is a prime example of an impact crater in South Afri- ca. This astrobleme is 1.13 km in diameter and 100 m deep, and the age is estimated to be 220,000 ± 52,000 years THOMISIDAE: Mystaria savannensis THOMISIDAE: Thomisus citrinellus (Pleistocene). The Tswaing Lake in the centre of the crater is 100 m in diameter, and is filled with water originating from rainfall and a natural spring. The lake once contained high concentrations of salt and soda ash that were mined for 44 years until 1956. The remains of the factory still stand near the lake. The TCNR is managed by the Northern Flagship Institution, Gauteng Nature Conservation and the City of Tshwane. The 1 946 hectare protected area is covered in dense bush and comprises mostly acacia bushveld, broad- leaved woodland and riverine vegetation.

A large number of the spiders sampled during the visit were photographed by Peter, while Vida took care of all the salticids. All the images were added to the SANSA Virtual Muse- ARANEIDAE: Cyrtophora citricola ARANEIDAE: Prasonica seriata um. From data in the National Collection of Arachnida (NCA), the TCNR checklist presently contains:  17 families  55 species.  The Araneidae and Salticidae are the most diverse with 10 species each, followed by the Thomisidae with eight.

In the summer the reserve will be sampled again.

Contact: Ansie Dippenaar-Schoeman at [email protected] ARANEIDAE: Cyphalonotus sp., possibly a new species ROODEPLAATDAM NATURE RESERVE

The first surveys of spiders at the Roodeplaat Dam Nature Reserve (RDNR) near Pretoria were carried out over a 4-year period from January 1980 to August 1983. A total of 10 270 spiders were collected from grasses, herbs and trees. At that stage a total of 98 species from 27 families could be identified (Dippenaar-Schoeman et al. 1989). Of all the spiders caught, 29 % belonged to the Tetragnathidae, 22 %to the Araneidae and 21 % to the Salticidae.

Additional collecting by Gauteng Department of Agriculture SALTICIDAE: Pachyballus sp. and Rural Development (GDACE) were undertaken over the SALTICIDAE: Afromarengo bimaculata last few years, as well as a visit to the reserve by Ansie Dip- penaar-Schoeman, Peter Webb and Vida van der Walt in June 2014. Almost 100 species were added to the previous checklist and RDNR is now the type locality of five species. A total of 934 records have been added to the National Collec- tion of Arachnida and 33 images to the SANSA Virtual Muse- um. The Thomisidae are the most diverse family with 31 species, followed by the salticids with 28 species and the arane- ids with 27 species. This illustrates the importance to sample areas regularly. Presently the spider checklist of the reserve contains:  43 families SALTICIDAE: Myrmarachne uvira. THOMISIDAE: Ansiae sp. 143 genera  FURTHER READING:  201 species DIPPENAAR-SCHOEMAN, A.S., VAN DEN BERG, A.M. & VAN DEN BERG, A. 1989. Species composition and relative seasonal abundance of spi- Contact: Ansie Dippenaar-Schoeman at ders from the field and tree layers of the Roodeplaat Dam Nature Reserve. [email protected] Koedoe 32: 51-60. 2 SANSA NEWS 21

SANSA ATLASSING SURVEYS

GAUTENG PROVINCE — continued

IRENE GRASSLAND SURVEY

Irene (25°53’29.81”S, 28°14’04.62”E) is a small village in Centurion, Tshwane, and home to Peter Webb and Ansie Dippenaar-Schoeman. Over a period of six years, Peter visited a small pristine grassland area about 10 km from Irene (Fig. 1). The area where spiders were searched for is approximately 1 km² in extent at an altitude of 1465 m a.s.l. The field slopes upwards from west to east, with the lowest point being the western boundary at 1450 m, climbing up to 1510 m in the far north eastern corner. The western boundary appears to be a little disturbed with alien weeds etc., possibly due to the houses on its border, but is still good habitat for insects and spiders in the summer. The area is on dolomite, and is a haven for many different species of grasses, with an abundance of wildflowers in the spring. Although trees are sparse, the odd Buffalo thorn, white stinkwood, dogwood, karee, taaibos and Grewia flava make it very typical Highveld grassland. Where there are clumps of trees there is often a very deep sinkhole in the centre. The climate Fig. 1 Grassland survey area near Irene is mild sub-tropical and the grassland is burnt on an annual basis, usually around July.

The vast majority of collecting was by hand, but it also included occasional use of sweep-netting and pitfall traps. This small grassland turned out to house a diverse group of spiders, and so far > 200 species have been sampled. Several of them, e.g. members of the Prodidomidae: Prodidominae are possibly new to science (Fig. 3) , while several are first records for South Africa eg Apochinomma elongate (Fig. 4) and Gauteng (Orthobula radiata Fig. 5). It is so important that pristine areas like this be protected and not developed. Pe- ter photographed all the spiders and we now have a very valuable record of the spider fauna. To date, 347 images of spiders have been loaded on the SANSA Virtual Museum from this grassland area. The most diverse family is the Salticidae with 38 spp. (Fig. 2) followed by the Araneidae with 33 spp. and Thomisidae with 25 spp.

So far the following data have been sampled:  35 families  124 genera Fig. 2 SALTICIDAE: Rhene sp.  208 species

A community participation project, “Spider monitoring in cities (SMIC)”, will involve the residents of Irene and is planned for November 2014. This will include compiling a checklist of the spiders found in Irene, undertaking surveys in the area, presenting lectures on the spiders sampled, and displays of spiders in the library.

This will be the first survey for a town in South Africa undertaken by the public. Data will be compared to surveys undertaken in pristine fields around Irene. The project is managed by Peter Webb and Ansie Dippenaar- Schoeman.

Contact: Peter Webb at [email protected] and Ansie Dippenaar- Schoeman at [email protected]

Fig. 3 PRODIDOMIDAE: possible new species of Prodidomus

Fig. 4 CORINNIDAE: Apochinomma elongata, newly recorded from South Fig. 5 PHRUROLITHIDAE: Orthobula radiata Africa during the grassland survey near Irene 3 SANSA NEWS 21

LIMPOPO PROVINCE BIOBLITZ AT THE FARM ZANDRIVIER NEAR LEPHALALE IN THE LIMPOPO PROVINCE

During March 2014, a few interested naturalists participated in an unofficial BioBlitz. The BioBlitz took place on the farm Zandrivier, approximately 10km South of Lephalale (Ellisras), Limpopo Province, South Africa. The farm is owned by Jan Eckard. The study started on 28 March 2014 at 20:00 and ended 30 March 2014 at 10:00. A total of 38 hours were spent sampling or surveying animals. The farm is situated in the Savanna Biome and forms part of the Waterberg Biosphere Reserve.

Peter Webb accompanied the Lepidoptera team and although her is a expert butterfly catcher, he is also an efficient spider collector. A total of 59 species were photographed by Peter and most of the Salticidae were photographed by Vida. The photos will soon be available on the SANSA Virtual Museum. Ansie Dippenaar-Schoeman identified all the sampled material, which were accessioned in the National Collection of Arachnida. The most diverse families were the Araneidae (11 spp.), Thomisidae (10 spp.) and Salticidae (9 spp.). A total of 22 families were sampled, representing 70 spp.

Contact: Peter Webb at [email protected] and Ansie Dippenaar-Schoeman at Dip- [email protected]

A BioBlitz is an Peter Webb in action intense period of biological surveying in an attempt to record all the living species (in this case limited to animals) over a specific time frame.

This BioBlitz was a pilot for an event that we hope to organise in the near future, where experts on various groups of animals can meet up to see how many species can be recorded in a given area during a given time frame.

DEINOPIDAE: Menneus camelus SALTICIDAE: Hyllus argyrotoxus

BETA DIVERSITY AND TURNOVER OF GROUPS IN THE VHEMBE BIOSPHERE RESERVE

Colin Schoeman is studying beta diversity and turnover of ants, beetles and spiders across five longitudinal transects in the Vhembe Bio- sphere Reserve, representing the different vegetation units in the region. The rate of turnover in species diversity over large geographic areas differs not only between vegetation units, but within them as well, which has important implications for conservation. The study is for his PhD, supervised by Stefan Foord from the University of Venda and Michelle Hamer from SANBI.

Sampling was done in February, March and December 2012, and January 2013. The richness and abundance of specimens from the pitfall traps is considerable, but the project has enjoyed huge support from the most incredible people. Colin is currently sorting the beetles to morphospecies. Because of the size of the pitfalls used, beetles, unexpectedly, comprised the greatest proportion of species in the samples. Ruth Müller from the Ditsong Museum and Dr Mary-Louise Penrith (retired Entomologist) have already identified many of these to genus and species level during a research trip to SANBI earlier this year.

All the spiders were sent to An- sie Dippenaar-Schoeman, who has kindly agreed to identify Salticidae Stenaelurillus them. The millipedes are being guttiger one of the more sorted and will be identified by abundant species sam- Michelle Hamer. The project poled to date should be completed by the end of next year.

Contact: Colin Schoeman at [email protected]

4 SANSA NEWS 21

SANSA SURVEYS NORTH WEST PROVINCE

SPIDER DIVERSITY OF THE NORTH WEST PROVINCE

The North West Province has seen the annual transformation of 1 % of its natural vegetation (i.e. 1,000 km² / year) to other non-natural The North West Province (NWP) lies in the north of South Africa on forms. These include agriculture, mining and urbanisation, of which the Botswana border, fringed by the Kalahari desert in the west, agriculture accounts for 73 % of this change. If this trend continues for Gauteng Province to the east, and the Free State Province to the the next 60 years, there will be no natural vegetation left. A state of the south. With a total area of 106,512 square kilometres, North West is biodiversity report was undertaken and compiled during 2009 using the country's fourth-smallest province, taking up 8.7% of South Afri- 'state of the art' data on spatial land coverage, and vegetation, called ca's land area and with a population of 3.5 million people. Much of the the Biodiversity Conservation Assessment (BCA). province consists of flat areas of scattered trees and grassland. The Magaliesberg mountain range in the northeast extends about 130 km A problem with the BCA, however, was that it lacked detailed biodiver- (about 80 miles) from Pretoria to Rustenburg. The Vaal River flows sity feature data. The report concluded that the province is reaching a along the southern border of the province. Temperatures range from threshold in what biodiversity remains, as 60 % of the land area is 17° to 31 °C (62° to 88 °F) in the summer and from 3° to 21 °C (37° to considered natural, and which can contain indigenous biodiversity. 70 °F) in the winter. Annual rainfall totals about 360 mm, with almost Since a large part of the human population in the North West relies on all of it falling during the summer months, between October and April. the bounty of natural resources, a project was thus initiated to make a detailed inventory of the status quo of what remains of the province's natural landscapes.

In response to this information dearth, a three year survey (2010– 2013), with the emphasis on three broad taxa, viz. mammals, birds, and plants has been completed. At the outset, the bias towards charis- matic species was stark. However, to overcome this bias, the task of the specialists was simply to go forth and find as many species of other groups throughout the province. While in the field, a commitment was made to obtaining data on other taxa - since one record is better than none! They did well with reptiles, amphibians, butterflies and moths, but unfortunately did not perform well on the arachnid front. The information obtained will be used to update the existing BCA, and based on species diversity in areas and the rarity of specific taxa, a priority areas map will be generated for province-wide conservation planning. The ultimate aim is to generate a biodiversity information monitoring system (BIMS) to facilitate this process.

The new mandate as of September 2013 is to add four other taxa, two vertebrate and two invertebrate, respectively. These are: reptiles, am- IDIOPIDAE: Galeosoma sp. phibians, spiders and scorpions. At this stage the North West Province have contacted the Arachnida Unit of the ARC for data from their SANSA database. Sticking with the two arachnid orders, a distribution database will be added to the BCA and refined. The end prod- uct will be a map of priority areas with varying degrees of conservation need, and such that it can facilitate issues such as new park establish- EASTERN CAPE PROVINCE ments, stewardship programmes, EIA’s, municipal planning inter alia (Power 2014). SPIDER SURVEY AT TSOLWANA NATURE RESERVE From the existing SANSA arachnid database, 2182 records were ex- tracted of specimens sampled in the North West Province. The arach- The Tsolwana Game Reserve (TNR) in the Eastern Cape is an 8500 nid orders are represented by: hectare reserve located along the northern slopes of the Winterberg  Amblypygi: 1 family; 1 species Mountains at the edge of the Karoo, and the western boundary is  Araneae: 52 families; 402 species formed by the upper Black Kei River. It is situated near Tarkastad, between Cradock and Queenstown. The vegetation is mostly made up  Opiliones: 2 families; 2 species of grassy plains and acacia thornveld. TNR is wet but hot in summer,  Pseudoscorpiones: 3 families; 5 species when temperatures can reach 38°C.  Scorpiones: 3 families; 13 species A survey was undertaken 1-10 March 2014 by members of the East-  Solifugae: 2 families; 5 species ern Cape Parks. About 100 spider specimens were sampled. The

material was identified by Ansie Dippenaar-Schoeman and voucher From the SANSA Virtual Museum database, images of 122 spiders are specimens are deposited in the National Collection of Arachnida. A available from North West. A publication on the spider diversity in the total of 12 families represented by 45 species were sampled. The NWP is in preparation. Lycosidae was the most diverse with 12 species, followed by the Ara-

neidae and Theridiidae with 5 species each. REFERENCE:

Contact: Ansie Dippenaar-Schoeman at POWER, R.J. 2014. The arachnofauna of the North West Province: [email protected] a literature survey. Department of Economic Development, Environ- ment, Conservation & Tourism, North West Provincial Government, Mahikeng.

Contact: Ansie Dippenaar-Schoeman at Dip- [email protected]

5 SANSA NEWS 21

SPIDERS IN THE NEWS

MINERS WIN ENVIRO KUDOS FOR SAVING SPIDERS

Coal miners are often considered environmental villains for their impact on themselves. natural systems, but one mining company is winning green kudos for a project that is both highly unusual and a first for the sub-continent: the translocation of Eskom was “very excited” by the results. A construction com- indigenous baboon spiders. Their experiment, that produced highly positive pany had heard about the project and brought through a num- results, will help others re-establish a fuller range of biodiversity – and hence ber of spiders that they had found while working on a pipeline promote functioning ecosystems – in areas rehabilitated after mining and other project in the Lephalale area, and another mining company highly disruptive industrial activities. The spider relocation project was initiated had also expressed interest in the project, he added. “I’m really by mining group Exxaro Resources near Lephalale in Limpopo, and involved proud to have been involved. It’s given us an opportunity to two species: the golden-brown baboon spider (Augacephalus junodi) and burst show that while mining will impact an area, we do have mitiga- horned baboon spider (Ceratogyrus darlingi). tion methods, thereby giving us an opportunity to meet our commitment to sustainability.” - Cape Argus These long-lived spiders are common and not endangered, but are protected by biodiversity legislation because they are illegally targeted for the pet trade. An insert on this project was also featured on the M-Net The relocation project team consisted of the mining company’s ecologist Koos programme Carte Blanche. Smit, research manager at its Manketti Game Reserve Marius Fuls, and entomologist Dr Dawid Jacobs. Smit explained that the project had been initiated because of construction activities at its Grootegeluk mine that was being ex- panded to provide coal for Eskom’s new Medupi power station nearby.

The spiders were caught by a Lephalale resident and spider expert, Marius Koekemoer and moved to an 800 hectare section of Manketti. Soil augers were used to create 200 burrows of different diameters, and steel cages were fixed over each burrow to prevent spiders from escaping and to keep predators out.

The researchers were delighted to find a 95 % acceptance of artificial burrows within the first week. Sixty spiders that were relocated on Eskom’s rehabilitated Matimba power station ash dump in order to test the results of the research project, also fared well.

P. Webb “We were surprised and absolutely thrilled with a 95 % acceptance rate” said Fuls, who said that releasing the spiders without a ready-made burrow was not very successful because they were usually eaten by predators such as ba- boons, mongooses, birds and other spiders before they could build a shelter for Golden-brown baboon spider (Augacephalus junodi)

BBC WINNING PHOTOGRAPH

Isak Pretorius from South Africa won a BBC Award with the photo of a red legged nephila catching a bird in her web. Although the spider occurs in South Africa, the photo was taken in the Seychelles.

6 SANSA NEWS 21

SPIDERS IN THE NEWS

Webs at Vermont Salt Pan

At Hermanus in the Western Cape Province there are always peo- These spiders with their long jaws are predators and feed on mosquitoes, ple outdoors enjoying nature. During April 2014 a lady walking the gnats (“muggies”) and other spiders. Mosquitoes and muggies are cur- path around the Vermont Salt Pan was intrigued by the extensive rently hatching in abundance at Vermont Pan. Late afternoon the exo- webs in the plants bordering the water. She took a photograph and skeletons of these larvae form layers at the water edge and amongst the sent it with a question to the local newspaper, the Hermanus vegetation. Two seasons ago the muggies could be observed as clouds Times. On closer inspection, it transpired that these webs are con- during late afternoon and early evenings around the Pan. With all the structed by thousands of spiders. The mass of webs must be an horizontal webs just above the water, the spiders must enjoy a feast. indication of the size of the food source supporting this vast number of organisms - spiders, preying on mantises, damselflies, etc. Contact: Dr Victor Hamilton-Attwell at [email protected]

The Vermont Pan is a local depression (on average 20 m a.s.l.) between the Onrus Mountains to the north and rocky outcrops and REFERENCES: sand dunes to the south. The pan has a very interesting history. It 1. HARDING, W.R. 2000. Vermont Pan Assessment. For Overstrand was originally fed from a small waterfall, run-off and seepage from Municipality. 18pp the mountains and a wetland from the west. With development in 2. EURO-AFRICA. 2003. Pollution study of the Vermont Pan. 26pp. the area, some of the natural run-off was rerouted and replaced Discussions and newspaper clippings collected from a number of local with surface run-off from built-up areas and leaking sewage sys- residents. tems. The pan becomes highly eutrophic during certain periods of 3. DIPPENAAR-SCHOEMAN, A.S. & JOCQUE, R. 1997. African spi- the year. The main aquatic plant is Cladophora spp. Due to the ders. An identifcation Manual. ARC – Plant Protection Research Institute, enrichment of the pan it is frequented by a variety of birds. The Biosystematics Division, National Collection of Arachnida. 392pp arrival of the lesser flamingoes[1,2] is a happening every season. 4. DIPPENAAR-SCHOEMAN, A.S. & VAN DEN BERG, A.M. 2010. Spi- ders of the Kalahari. ARC – Plant Protection Research Institute, Biosys- Between 1928-1940, this Pan provided all the salt needed at the tematics Division, National Collection of Arachnida. 114pp fish processing plant at Stanford. From 1942 salt production was infrequent as the Pan was flooded during some years and com- pletely dry during others. In 1948 the water level was so high that it overflowed for such a lengthy period that fish migrated from the sea and spawned in the pan. During 1950 the owner of the plot to the north-west planted blue-gums on his property. This was the begin- ning of the end for the pan. During some years the pan was so dry that it was used for sport events. From 1990 to 1998 it was often flooded and kept a fairly full level during the whole period. This was also the time that Vermont started to develop extensively and residents became aware of the mosquito and “muggie” plagues. Anal- yses done during 2011-2012 it was found that the salt (conductivity) increased to the end of the season to 50x seawater levels.

With the construction of the R43 road to Hermanus more of the mountain run-off was redirected through storm water systems to the ocean. Since then the Pan has fluctuated between “appreciable” water levels and being dry. Since mid-2013 the water level is as high as it was during the 1960’s. Since 2012 the water level has remained exceptionally high and reaches into the vegetation bordering the Pan. This includes mainly Cyperus spp. (restios) up to one meter high. It is in these plants that the webs were con- structed.

The spiders build horizontal orb-webs in the vegetation close to or Long-jawed water spider Tetragnatha sp. (male) on plants in the water. During late afternoons the webs are very thick and extensive. By early morning there are nearly no webs noticeable. These webs are short-lived as they are taken down daily (early mornings) and digested by the spiders that construct them. The web has an open hub and up to 30 viscid spirals. The spider hangs over the hub with the front legs stretched forwards. During periods of inactivity the spider will sit on plant stems with the body and legs pressed to the substrate. If these spiders fall in the water they are able to walk on the surface. This is done with a very fast pace[3,4].

In close cooperation and consultation with Dr Ansie Dippenaar- Schoeman (Plant Protection Research Institute, Agricultural Re- search Council) the reddish-brown spiders were identified as long- jawed water spiders of the family Tetragnathidae, of the genus Tetragnatha sp. They have elongate, well-developed chelicerae (“jaws”) with strong spurs and teeth. They have eight eyes and an elongate abdomen. What is surprising is the fact that the five spiders photographed are all males.

Horizontal webs in vegetation

7 SANSA NEWS 21

STUDENT PROJECTS

Surprisingly high arthropod diversity in agro-ecosystems

Maize farming in South Africa is predominantly centred in the Grassland Biome and to a lesser extent in the Savanna Biome, and ultimately contributes to the loss of species diversity. Maize is the most important crop in the country with an average of 2.5 million hectares being planted annually. Long-term monitoring can generate valuable biodiversity data to assess the effects of agriculture on biodiversity patterns in grassy areas adjacent to the vast areas under maize cultivation. The effect of crop production on species diversity and composition in grassy biomes is unknown for South Africa and virtually nothing is known regarding the specific patterns of plant and arthropod communities in these agro-ecosystems. Studies that include complete arthropod diversity are scarce, and there is a need for more surveys of arthropod diversity in field margins adjacent to crop fields and to link this data to non-crop plant communities.

As a result, a baseline study at the North-West University was conducted during 2011-2013 that described for the first time the plant and arthropod species composition and diversity patterns along maize fields and field margins in two different biomes across South Africa. In maize fields and margins, a total of 15019 plant individuals and 846 plant species were recorded while 39 497 arthropod individuals and 1 689 morphospecies were recorded during the study. In this collection, 181 spider (Araneae) morphospecies were identified. Furthermore, 189 parasitoid species were identified, mostly in the order Hymenop- tera (165 morphospecies) and Diptera (24 morphospecies). A total of 323 predator species were identified, which consisted largely of Araneae (181 morphospecies), followed by Coleop- tera (39 morphospecies) and Hymenoptera (32 morphospecies). Within maize fields, 121 predator species were identified, of which the Araneae represented by far the most prominent group with 58 identified morphospecies. Plots were located in each of three treatments, namely the maize field (MF), tension zone - From this established baseline dataset, further analyses are adjacent land with a high level of anthropological disturbance (TZ) and natural area (NA). currently being done to determine specific patterns of plant and arthropod communities in maize agro-ecosystems. This involves investigations regarding aspects such as beta diversity (spatial turnover in species composition) in maize fields and natural field margins across two biomes, the effect of agricultural activities on plant and arthropod functional group composition and diversity, as well as investigations of possible cases of weed shift in South African maize agro-ecosystems. This is an on-going research project that will ultimately contribute towards the identifi- cation and monitoring of priority species and will allow for future conservation of ecosystem services, especially natural enemies of pests, in maize agro-ecosystems.

Contact: Monique Botha, S.J. Siebert & Prof Johnny van den Berg at the Unit for Environmental Sciences, North West University (Email: [email protected]).

D-vac suction sampling in a typical savanna field margin

Example of a maize field and margin near Jacobsdal in the Free State 8 SANSA NEWS 21

STUDENT PROJECTS—continued

Araneae (spiders) serve as good bioindicators and are present in Predacious arthropod diversity of urban and agricul- high numbers on Robben Island. I sampled both foliage and epige- tural areas in highveld grasslands ic spiders from seven sites (Wolfgat Nature Reserve; Blouberg; Yzerfontein; Dwarskersbos; Elandsbaai; Doringbaai; Papendorp) along the west coast to compare to Robben Island. Pan traps, pitfall traps and a Stihl BG 56 Vacuum sampler (D-vac) was used in The effects of agriculture and urbanization on the diversity and compo- the study. The spider assemblages of Robben Island were found to sition of predatory arthropods in grassy biomes are still relatively un- be very similar to those at Elandsbaai, Papendorp and Blouberg, known for South Africa. Research conducted at the Unit for Environ- which includes two of the northernmost sites. It is hypothesized that mental Sciences at North-West University focuses on the effect of the rain shadow effect from Table Mountain, which causes Robben urbanization and agriculture on predaceous arthropod species, more Island to have a dry habitat similar to Elandsbaai and Papendorp, specifically Lacewings (Chrysopidae), Praying mantids (Mantodea), is responsible for this pattern. Spiders (Araneae) and Ladybirds (Coccinellidae). Robben Island had amongst the highest species richness and spider abundance for all sites in most tests except for ground-dwelling The aim of the research is to determine the effects of urbanization and spiders. Community composition of the ground-dwelling spiders agriculture on these predatory organisms. Research is being conduct- showed little difference between Robben Island and other sites ed on the optimal time to sample each of these unique groups. Tem- along the west coast as a whole. However, community composition perature, in particular, has an important influence on sampling effica- of web-building spiders on Robben Island differed enormously from cy. Determining the optimal time of day to collect insects is important those on the mainland, which probably stems from highly trans- formed plant communities on the island. I suggest that instead of to enhance the efficacy of sample collections. Study sites include reintroducing native plant species, the removal of alien species like maize fields, semi-natural/disturbed areas, untransformed grasslands, Eucalyptus and Acacia cyclops should be continued. This may lead ruderal urban areas and fragmented urban grasslands. to a recovery in native vegetation and subsequently also the Arane- ae communities. A large diversity of predators has been recorded during the first season’s surveys: 317 individuals of 37 spider species, 365 individuals of Voucher specimens of the spiders is housed in the National Collec- two lacewing species, 567 individuals of 13 ladybird species and also tion of Arachnida. 79 individuals of eight praying mantid species. Abstract from 2013 BSc (hons.) study of Elani Steenkamp of the Spiders are good bio-indicators of ecological disturbances, whilst lace- University of Stellenbosch wings are considered good bio-indicators of ecosystem health. Lady- Contact: Elani Steenkamp at [email protected] birds play a particularly important role in agro-ecosystems as resource biota that contribute to productivity through biological control. Although praying mantids are less abundant than other predators, their inclusion provides an improved holistic overview that could fill gaps with regards to assemblage and composition that abundant species might be una- ble to show. Arthropods are ideal indicators of environmental change due to their fast reproduction cycles, as well as their diverse and dy- namic nature.

This study will aid in conservation efforts by setting a benchmark against which to gauge and compare the predator diversity of various urban- and agro-ecosystems in South Africa.

Contact: Bianca Greyvenstein, S.J. Siebert and Prof J. van den Berg at the Unit for Environmental Sciences, North West Univer- sity (E-mail: [email protected]).

A comparative study of spider diversity from Robben Island to sites along the west coast in search of restoration targets

Oceanic island species have evolved in isolation from the mainland and remain some of the most threatened biota. Some islands, such Robben Island in South Africa, represent a fragmented part of a continent and species present are usually similar to those on the nearby mainland. Robben Island is a highly disturbed island, and its anthropo- genic threats date back to the late 1400’s. Originally, the island’s vege- A pan trap (left) and pitfall trap (right) tation was Cape Flats Dune Strandveld. However, due to introduced mammals, little of it remains at present. The aim of this study was to identify which area on the west coast South Africa has spider assemblages most similar to those of Robben Island, with the identified site serving as a possible restoration target.

http://www.productreview.com.au/p/stihl-bg-56.html

Stihl BG 56 Vacuum sampler

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STUDENT PROJECTS—continued

Response to invasive species

Itani Muthavhatsindi is investigating the response of ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) and spider (Arachnida: Araneae) assemblages to invasive species and their clearing as part of his honours degree in Zoology under supervision of Stefan Foord at the University of Venda. The ecological effects of invasive alien species are often irreversible, and once established, invasive species are extremely difficult and costly to control or eradi- cate.

The threat of invasive alien species varies considerably, based on the invading species in question, the extent of the invasion, and the vulnerabil- ity of the ecosystem being invaded. Although there is a rapidly growing body of research into the effects of invasive alien plant species on insects, there has been very little research on the impacts of invasive alien plant species directly on ants and spiders.

This study is investigating the response of and ant and spider assemblages to invasive alien species and their clearance in three small catchments in Mooketsi, Limpopo Province. Sampling consists of ten replicated pitfall samples in three small catchments under different treatment re- gimes, viz. natural, cleared and invaded.

Map of catchments in the Koedoes River catchment

Spider and ant diversity in an arid peri-urban landscape of the Vhembe Biosphere

As part of his MSc degree at the University of Venda, Vucani Mauda will be describing spider and ant diversity in an arid peri-urban landscape of the Vhembe Biosphere, South Africa. Arguably the greatest threat to diversity is a loss of habitat through landscape fragmentation and attrition.

This study aims to investigate community response of spiders and ants to a peri-urban landscape that include urban, agriculture and natural elements, and to test the two-circled method of pitfall trapping described by Zhao et al. (2013) in determining abundance. The study area is within the Vhem- be region of Limpopo Province. Two action sites were identified along a gradient, viz. Vyeboom and Ka- Ndengeza in the northeast of the Limpopo Province, and forms Study sites in a mosaic of agricultural land, urban development and native vegetation part of a collaborative research project with Gottingen University (Germany) in modeling REFERENCE future land use alterna- Zhao, Z., Shi, P., Hui, C., Ouyang, F., Ge, F. & Li, B. 2013. Solving tives in response to the pitfalls of pitfall trapping: a two-circle method for density estimation global climate change. of ground-dwelling arthropods. Methods in Ecology and Evolution 4: 865-871. Evans Mauda in laboratory

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Dionycha is a large and diverse group THE MORPHOLOGY AND PHYLOGENY OF DIONYCHAN SPIDERS of 16–17 families of spiders, loosely defined by having only two claws on Several changes have been made to spider classification in the publication of the paper by Ramirez (2014). the leg tarsi, flanked by tufts of spe- cial setae that adhere to smooth sur- faces. Dionychan spiders comprise about a third of the spider species known so far. HOW DOES THIS AFFECT THE CLASSIFICANTION OF SOUTH AFRICAN SPIDERS?

CORINNIDAE Now including only the subfamilies Corinninae and Castianeirinae: Apochinomma, Austrophaea, Cambalida, Cas- tianeira, Copa, Copuetta, Corinnomma, Echinax, Graptartia, Hortipes, Med- massa, Merenius, Messapus, Pronophaea and Vendaphaea.

Apochinomma elongata Merenius alberti P. Webb

EUTICHURIDAE Raised to family status, previously a subfamily of Miturgidae. The following genera are transferred from Miturgidae to Eutichuridae: Cheiracanthium, Cheiramiona, and Tecution. Lessertina is transferred from Corinnidae.

Cheiracanthium sp. Cheiramiona sp. P. Webb

MITURGIDAE Only two genera, each with one species, are now known from South Africa: Voraptus affinis Lessert, 1925 and Parapostenus hewitti Lessert, 1923

Voraptus affinis

PHRUROLITHIDAE Subfamily raised to family level from Corinnidae. One genus from South Africa is transferred from Corinnidae, including two species, Orthobula infima Simon, 1896 and Orthobula radiata Simon, 1897. Several new species will be described soon.

P. Webb Orthobula radiata

TRACHELIDAE Raised to family status from the Corinnidae. Sev- eral genera are transferred from Corinnidae: Af- roceto, Cetonana, Fuchiba, Fuchibotulus, Patello- ceto, Poachelas, Spinotrachelas, Thysanina and Trachelas.

REFERENCE Afroceto sp. Patelloceto secutor P. Webb RAMÍREZ, M. 2014. The morphology and phylogeny of dionychan spiders (Araneae: Ar- ameomorphae). Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 390: 1–374.

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NEW PUBLICATIONS

ALLANSON, B., SMITH, F. & SMITH, P. 2014. The invertebrate KUNTNER, M., NĂPĂRUŞ, M., LI, D. & CODDINGTON, J.A. 2014. macrobenthos of artificial rocky shores in the Knysna Estuary. Phylogeny predicts future habitat shifts due to climate change. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Africa 69: 19–33. PLoS ONE 9(6): e98907. ATAKUZIEV, B.U., WRIGHT, C.E., GRAUDINS, A., NICHOLSON, NEL, E., KELLY, J. & DIPPENAAR-SCHOEMAN, A.S. 2014. Notes G.M., WINKEL, K.D. 2014. Efficacy of Australian red-back spi- on the biology of the wasp, Chalybion spinolae (Hymenoptera: der (Latrodectus hasselti) antivenom in the treatment of clinical Sphecidae), an obligatory predator of Latrodectus (Araneae: envenomation by the cupboard spider Steatoda capensis Theridiidae) spiders in South Africa. Journal of Natural History 48: (Theridiidae). Toxicon 86: 68–78. 1585–1593. BAYER, S. 2014. Miscellaneous notes on European and African Chei- PEKÁR, S. 2014. Is inaccurate mimicry ancestral to accurate in racanthium species (Araneae: Miturgidae). Arachnologische Mittei- myrmecomorphic spiders (Araneae)? Biological Journal of the lungen 47: 19-34. Linnean Society 113: 97–111. CRUZ DA SILVA, E.L. & SIERWALD, P. 2014. Description of the RAMÍREZ, M. 2014. The morphology and phylogeny of dionychan males of Euprosthenops australis Simon, 1898 and Euprosthenop- spiders (Araneae: Arameomorphae). Bulletin of the American sis pulchella (Pocock, 1902) (Araneae: Pisauridae). Zootaxa 3857: Museum of Natural History 390: 1–374. 137–150. TRUTER, J., VAN HAMBURG, H. & VAN DEN BERG, J. 2014. Com- DE BUSSCHERE, C., FANNES, W., HENRARD, A., GAUBLOMME, parative diversity of arthropods on Bt Maize and Non-Bt Maize in E., JOCQUÉ, R. & BAERT, L. 2014. Unravelling the goblin spi- two different cropping systems in South Africa. Environmental ders puzzle: rDNA phylogeny of the family Oonopidae (Araneae). Entomology 43: 197–208. Arthropod Systematics & Phylogeny 72: 177–192. VAN NOORT, S., MASNER, L., POPOVICI, O., VALERIO, A.A., HAKIZIMANA, S. & OLCKERS, T. 2013. Inflorescence-inhabiting TAEKUL, C., JOHNSON, N.F., MURPHY, N.P. & AUSTIN, A.D. spiders do not threaten the survival and fecundity of Anthonomus 2014. Systematics and biology of the aberrant intertidal parasitoid santacruzi (Curculionidae), a florivorous biocontrol agent of Sola- wasp Echthrodesis lamorali Masner (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae num mauritianum (Solanaceae) in South Africa. Biocontrol Sci- s.l.): a parasitoid of spider eggs. Invertebrate Systematics 28: 1– ence and Technology 23: 730–733. 16. JÄGER, P. 2014. Olios sjostedti Lessert, 1921 (Araneae: Sparassi- WESOŁOWSKA, W. & HADDAD, C.R. 2014. Notes on the jumping dae): first description of the female and first records from South spiders of Lesotho (Araneae: Salticidae), with descriptions of six Africa and Botswana. African Invertebrates 55: 201–208. new species. African Invertebrates 55: 229–268. KEISER, C.N., MODLMEIER, A.P., SINGH, N., JONES, D.K. & PRUITT, J.N. 2014. Exploring how a shift in the physical envi- ronment shapes individual and group behavior across two social contexts. Ethology 120: 825–833.

INVITATION: SPIDER OPEN DAY IN IRENE –1 NOVEMBER 2014

Spider Monitoring in Cities (SMIC) project

Presently we are surveying the spiders of South Africa as part of the South African National Survey of Arachnida (SANSA). We would like to know: what we have; where are they; what do they do and whether they need protection. From a scientific point of view, these are questions that need to be answered, and it is for this reason that we would like to get the man on the street also involved when we started the first Spider Monitoring in Cities project (SMIC) in South Africa. We are starting our first city monitoring of spiders in Irene, a small rural village in the veld between Pretoria and Jo- hannesburg, in Gauteng. To start the survey we decided to organize a “Spider Day in Irene” on the 1 November 2014 to tell the public more about spiders and the different activities of SANSA.  How to photograph spiders by top macro-photographers  How to participate in SANSA  How to submit images to the SANSA Virtual Museum  Books, posters for sale and factsheets and newsletters on spiders as Spiders books and posters will be on display provided by the Spider Unit of the ARC-PPRI  Display of posters on activities and research presently undertaken by the SANSA teams  Display of some spider art  Talks on spiders by Ansie Dippenaar-Schoeman and Peter LATE NEWS….LATE NEWS…. Webb on the “Wonder world of spiders” and the “Spiders presently known from Irene” Congratulations to Leon Lotz who has obtained  For the children a drawing competitions and some grand prizes his PhD degree from the University of the Free

Tea and coffee will be served and the funds will go towards Spider research State. More about this in the next SANSA News.

If you would like to take part in this project please email Peter Webb on Congratulations also to Dr Duncan MacFadyen a [email protected] or call me on 082 327 2090 or Ansie Dippenaar- good friend of the spiders with his PhD Schoeman on [email protected]. Or Robin Lyle at [email protected]

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