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Australasian Arachnology 80 Page 1 Australasian Arachnology 80 Page 2 THE AUSTRALASIAN ARTICLES ARACHNOLOGICAL SOCIETY The newsletter Australasian Arachnology depends on the contributions of members. www.australasian-arachnology.org Please send articles to the Editor: Acari – Araneae – Amblypygi – Opiliones – Palpigradi – Pseudoscorpiones – Pycnogonida – Michael G. Rix Schizomida – Scorpiones – Uropygi Department of Terrestrial Zoology Western Australian Museum The aim of the society is to promote interest in Locked Bag 49, Welshpool DC, W.A. 6986 the ecology, behaviour and taxonomy of Email: [email protected] arachnids of the Australasian region. Articles should be typed and saved as a MEMBERSHIP Microsoft Word document, with text in Times New Roman 12-point font. Only electronic Membership is open to all who have an interest email (preferred) or posted CD-ROM submiss- in arachnids – amateurs, students and ions will be accepted. professionals – and is managed by our Administrator: Previous issues of the newsletter are available at http://www.australasian- Volker W. Framenau arachnology.org/newsletter/issues . Department of Terrestrial Zoology Western Australian Museum LIBRARY Locked Bag 49, Welshpool DC, W.A. 6986 Email: [email protected] For those members who do not have access to a scientific library, the society has a large number Membership fees in Australian dollars (per 4 of reference books, scientific journals and paper issues): reprints available, either for loan or as photo- *discount personal institutional copies. For all enquiries concerning publica- Australia $8 $10 $12 tions please contact our Librarian: NZ/Asia $10 $12 $14 Elsewhere $12 $14 $16 Jean-Claude Herremans There is no agency discount. *Discount rates apply to P.O. Box 291 pensioners, students and the unemployed (please Manly, New South Wales 1655 provide proof of status). Email: [email protected] Cheques are payable in Australian dollars to Professional members are encouraged to send in “Australasian Arachnological Society”. Any their arachnological reprints as they become number of issues can be paid for in advance, available. and receipts can be issued upon request. Members will receive a PDF version* of the COVER ILLUSTRATION newsletter Australasian Arachnology , with Tangle-Web Spider (Family Theridiidae): hard-copies available for libraries and societies. ♀ Thwaitesia sp. Members will be notified by email when their from Walton Bridge Reserve, Queensland. Image by Robert Whyte subscription has expired. *NOTE. PDF-only as of Issue 80 (see page 3). Australasian Arachnology 80 Page 3 EDITORIAL… ing if they would be happy to reduce the number of printed copies of the newsletter, and Welcome to Issue 80 of Australasian convert to receiving PDF copies via email. All Arachnology ! The first half of 2010 has seen a new members currently receive only a PDF flurry of arachnological activity, with 12 new version of the newsletter, and many long- AAS members, many new publications from standing members also agreed to switch to the Australasian arachnologists and a well-attended PDF-only option. Due to environmental, international congress in Siedlce, Poland. logistical and time constraints, it has therefore Interest in the remarkable arachnid faunas of been decided that Australasian Arachnology Australia and New Zealand seems ever- will now only be disseminated to individual increasing, and this issue really highlights the members as an electronic PDF via email . wonderful contributions being made by both This is a significant change for the Society, but amateur and professional arachnologists alike. one that will hopefully streamline the newsletter editorial process, and facilitate a more regular Since the last issue of the newsletter I have publication. Several long-standing members watched with great interest the development of have not provided the Society with a current the ‘Australian Spiders’ Group on the photo- email address, and these members will receive a sharing website flickr® (see article in Issue 79 letter explaining the situation, and asking them by Volker Framenau) and have been amazed if an email address can be provided. Obviously, and inspired by the contributions of several of if any member is unable to access a computer or our members. The 18 th International Congress provide an email, a hard copy will still be of Arachnology in Siedlce, Poland, was a great available to be sent. success, and once again allowed researchers from all over the world to touch base and talk In this issue Robert Whyte examines the results about anything and everything ‘arachnological’. of a recent community bush-care initiative in Many of our members were able to attend, and Brisbane, where he has undertaken a study of special thanks are due to Marek Żabka, Barbara spider diversity in the local Enoggera Creek Patoleta and others for organising such an Catchment. It is wonderful to see our members enjoyable and productive gathering. engaged so effectively with local conservation groups, and Rob is forging ahead in his efforts It is with some sadness, however, that I write to survey, identify and photograph Brisbane’s this editorial, after the handing-over of secre- spiders. Ed Nieuwenhuys also introduces us to tarial duties by Richard Faulder. Richard served his website on Australian and European spiders, as the society’s Administrator since 1983, and and provides some interesting statistics on web has recently had to pass on this role to Volker visitation and access since 2006. Readers can Framenau due to ill health. I would like to also find summary and ordering information for sincerely thank Richard on behalf of the AAS the impressive new title Spiders of New Zealand for all of his efforts over many decades, and by Pierre Paquin, Cor Vink and Nadine wish him the speediest of recoveries. Con- Dupérré. dolences are also extended to long-serving member Barbara Main, after the passing of her Please consider contributing articles for husband Bert in late 2009. Several of our inclusion in future editions and I wish all members knew Bert well, and he will be dearly members the very best for the rest of 2010! missed by many. Cheers, In the December 2009 edition of Australasian Mike Arachnology , I wrote to several members ask- Australasian Arachnology 80 Page 4 MEMBERSHIP UPDATES ‘Spidiversity’ New Members: by Robert Whyte Nicholas Birks The Gap, Queensland 4061, Australia Norwood, South Australia 5067 At Save our Waterways Now (see Malcolm Burden http://www.saveourwaterwaysnow.com.au/defa Gosnels, Western Australia 6990 ult.asp ) we identify and protect pockets of David Court good-quality remnant habitat along urban Singapore 680273, Singapore creeks and waterways in the west and north- west of Brisbane. We attempt to improve and Justin Hunter extend these remnants, removing weeds and Miranda, New South Wales 2228 planting locally-native species. Essentially, we are trying to repair disturbed ecosystems and Kristen Jacyna reconnect habitat corridors. Irymple, Victoria 3498 Alice Maghami In Brisbane’s west we are fortunate in having Lake Gardens, Victoria 3355 very leafy suburbs with direct physical connections to surrounding national parks and Robert Pfeifle conservation reserves. In this ‘green’ area, a Stuttgart 70619, Germany great many people are keen to be involved in restoring habitat and making bush-friendly Adrian Rakimov gardens. This article documents a relatively Kewdale, Western Australia 6105 informal attempt to count and identify plants Val Shelton-Bunn and spiders, and to compare spider abundance Hobart, Tasmania 7001 and diversity in the region’s ‘best quality’ dry rainforest remnants. Luke Tilly Castle Hill, New South Wales 2154 The benefits to taxonomy In the 2005 Brisbane City ‘Terrestrial Robert Whyte Invertebrate Status Review’ (TISR), conducted The Gap, Queensland 4061 by the Queensland Museum, the authors listed Sharon Zuiddam some of the benefits of choosing invertebrates High Wycombe, Western Australia 6057 for assessing biodiversity. It was noted that ___________________________ “…even in these early stages of development, the [TISR] database has a number of potentially important uses: directing additional field studies to improve our understanding of the role of invertebrates in sustaining Brisbane City’s green space; developing rapid assessment tools for bushland management including the effects of council fire regimes on ecosystem health; taxonomic studies; improving community appreciation of the city’s biodiversity; and Female Austrarchaea sp. (Archaeidae) developing a list of significant invertebrates of from Yarra Ranges National Park, Victoria. Brisbane City.” (Stanisic et al., 2005). For Image by Michael Rix. Australasian Arachnology 80 Page 5 understudied groups like spiders, encouraging To weed or not to weed? greater contributions from motivated, well- In the autumn of 2009 it came time to remove informed naturalists of all kinds, working under an infestation of Cape Honeysuckle (Tecomaria the guidance of experts, could be one way to capensis ) at Walton Bridge Reserve – a remnant move our science forward. dry rainforest at The Gap, Brisbane. The weed was growing in a dense thicket and seemed to Why spiders? present as a reasonably good habitat for many Because spiders are generalist predators, eating animals. The question then arose – should the mainly insects and other arthropods, they can Cape Honeysuckle be removed, or was it tell us a lot about the ecology of the areas they nonetheless acting