Symposium
“Spiders of the Greater Mekong Region”
Arawan Riverside Hotel, Pakse, Champasak, Laos 12.-15.11.2012
Organisation: Peter Jäger, Bounthob Praxaysombath, Liphone Nophaseud Linguistic editor: Emma Shaw On-site coordination: Gerry Duckitt Sponsors:
www.biopat.de www.senckenberg.de
INDEX
1 WELCOME 2 PROGRAMME 3 ABSTRACTS 4 LIST OF PARTICPANTS 5 MAPS 6 INFORMATION 7 LIST OF USEFUL PHRASES
1 WELCOME
Pakse, Champasak, Laos Dear participants,
It is a pleasure for us to welcome you at the Symposium “Spiders of the Greater Mekong Region” in Laos. This first meeting in this region is intended to bring arachnologists together to exchange their results and to facilitate future collaborations. It was planned in the year 2012 also as preparative meeting for the first International Congress of Arachnology in Asia (Taiwan, Kenting, 23.–28.6.2013).
In Pakse we found a nice venue at the banks of the river Mekong and in close proximity to habitats for a post-symposium workshop. The first part —three days of presentations, poster sessions and discussions— will be attended by more than 50 colleagues from fifteen countries. In the second part at Tad Etu, more than 30 persons will search for spiders, take photos, identify and, again, discuss results.
We hope that all participants will enjoy the time in Laos and gain valuable experiences. Since it is the first time we organise such a meeting in Laos we apologise if everything does not flow smoothly. We try to help wherever we can, so do not hesitate to contact us during the meeting.
The present compilation list includes the programme, abstracts, contact data of all participants, some maps and hopefully useful information for your stay. At this point we would like to thank Dr Emma Shaw for kindly polishing abstracts and other texts linguistically, and Gerry Duckitt for helping in organising on-site issues! We also would like to thank BIOPAT e.V. (Germany) for their generous financial support in covering travel grants, local transport and the venue costs. The Senckenberg Research Institute provided staff and hosted the website.
We are looking forward to meet you all in person and wish you a good time in Laos,
PETER JÄGER BOUNTHOB PRAXAYSOMBATH LIPHONE NOPHASEUD
2 PROGRAMME
Symposium at Arawan Riverside Hotel, Pakse
11.11. Sunday
18.00 Ice-Breaker at the pool area of Arawan Hotel
12.11. Monday
10.00–12.00 Registration
12.00–13.00 Lunch Break
13.00–13.30 Symposium opening 13.30–14.00 Jäger, Ono & Li: Starting the “Asian Society of Arachnology” Part I 14.00–14.20 Hippargi: Spider dynamics in thorn forest and grassland ecosystem of Solapur, Maharashtra, India. 14.20–14.40 Jäger & Praxaysombath: Spiders in Laos — a 10 years update. 14.40–15.00 Jeffery et al.: Spider diversity in malaria endemic area — the search for the arachnid predator of malarial vector in Peninsula Malaysia.
15.00–15.20 Short break
15.20–15.40 Koomen: Antlike jumping spiders of Borneo. 15.40–16.00 Miller & Pham: Improving the informatic value of diverse tropical arthropod inventories with digital images and DNA barcodes 16.15–17.00 Poster session
17.45 Bus to Khamfong boat restaurant [57]
18.00 Dinner at Boat Restaurant (50.000 KIP per person for a set menu with 5 dishes) 21.00 Bus back to Arawan Hotel
13.11. Tuesday
09.00–09.20 Hadole: Phylogenetic analysis of some Oxyopidae and Pisauridae from Central India (Araneae, Lycosoidea): an in silico approach. 09.20–09.40 Keswani: Diversity and population density of spiders in banana field ecosystems from India. 09.40–10.00 Lanka: Bio-diversity of spiders from Radhanagari Wild Life Sanctuary, Kolhapur, Maharashtra, India. 10.00–10.20 Mohamed Dzarawi & Hashim: A survey of the trap door spider genus Liphistius in peninsular Malaysia.
10.20–10.40 Short break
10.40–11.00 Mohd Ghazali et al.: Highland spiders in Malaysia. 11.20–11.40 Muslimin et al.: Genetics of Malaysian spiders. 11.40–12.00 Abdul Aziz et al.: The wolf spider Pardosa sp. as a model for invertebrate developmental neurobiology.
12.00–14.00 Lunch Break
14.00–14.20 Ono: Spider fauna of Vietnam with a special reference to Mesothelae. 14.20–14.40 Petcharad et al.: The effects of rubber plantation-forest edge on the composition of understorey web-building spiders at Khuan Khao Wang Forest Park, Songkhla Province, Southern Thailand. 14.40–15.30 Ono, Li & Jäger: Starting the “Asian Society of Arachnology” Part II
16.00 Bus to Tad Paxuam [57], dinner, collecting, visit to the museum 22.00 Bus back to Arawan Hotel
14.11. Wednesday
09.00–09.20 Mohd Ghazali et al.: Non-intrusive spider photography. 09.20–09.40 Quasin & Uniyal: Diversity of spiders along an altitudinal gradient in Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve, western Himalaya. 09.40–10.00 Siliwal: Recent advances in mygalomorph studies in India. 10.00–10.20 Stenchly: Spider communities in Indonesian cacao agro-forestry diversity, web density and spatio-temporal turnover.
10.20–10.40 Short break
10.40–11.00 Chomphuphuang et al.: Diversity of spiders in a secondary forest and agricultural area, Nan province, Thailand. 11.20–11.40 Vankhede: Araneomorphs from India. 11.40–12.00 Vichitbandha: Relationships of spiders and their environments: cases in agro- ecosystems.
12.00–14.00 Lunch Break
14.00–15.00 Poster Session 15.00–15.20 Phomprasith: Spiders from Khao Chon, Takhli, Nakhonsawan Province. 15.20–15.40 Bodkhe: Ecology and distribution of spiders in Lonar crater sanctuary from India. 15.40–16.00 Shaw: A technique for long term in-situ monitoring of tropical Theraphosidae. 16.00–16.20 Cai: Diversity of spiders in tropical urban habitats.
16.20–16.40 Short break
16.40–17.40 Li, Ono & Jäger: Starting the “Asian Society of Arachnology” Part III 17.40–18.00 Closing the symposium
19.00 Dinner at Arawan Hotel (Pool Area) [preset menu for 50.000 KIP per person]
15.11. Thursday
Excursions, shopping, and relaxing...
- For the excursion to Wat Phou 20 persons have registered so far. A bus for 20 persons will cost approx. 170 US dollars [i.e. 7–8 US Dollar per person for the trip plus an entrance fee of 30.000 KIP per person]. Don’t miss the beautiful Argiope dang, recorded from Wat Phou! It is recommended to start early in the morning to avoid the high temperatures and too many tourists during the ascent to Wat Phou. More destinations, e.g. for collecting, may be arranged according to prior agreement with participants. See also Map Pakse and Surroundings.
- The other group could stay in Pakxe and visit the habitats at the Phou Salao (nos. 2 and 17 respectively in the first two maps). If necessary a van or bus can be organised.
We are hoping to arrange a joint dinner to accommodate all participants.
Excursion and Workshop at Tad Etu
16.11. Friday
09.30 Bus to Tad Etu [34] 10.30 Arrival at Tad Etu and check-in
17.11. Saturday
18.11. Sunday
19.11. Monday
20.11. Tuesday
09.00 Bus to Pak Song [29] 10.30 Bus to Tad Fane 21.00 Bus back to Tad Etu
21.11 Wednesday
22.11. Thursday
23.11. Friday
10.00 Bus back to Pakse (various hotels, airport, bus station) [27]
I leave most of our activities unscheduled. We can discuss day by day, what we plan to do and you can add by pen. Breakfast and dinner are supposed to take place at Tad Etu (except for dinner on Tuesday, at Tad Fane). Lunch can be planned also at Tad Etu in case it is needed. Probably some fruits and water in the field will be suitable.
It is likely that I will rent a bike for the duration, just in case. See also Map Tad Etu. 3 ABSTRACTS (oral presentation [o], poster [p], presenting author)
The wolf spider Pardosa sp. as a model for invertebrate developmental neurobiology Noraishah Mydin Abdul-Aziz, Kamil-Ali Obeid Braima, Mustakiza Muslimin, John Jeffery, Amir- Ridhwan Mohd-Ghazali, Y.L. Lau & M. Rohela [o] We have found the wolf spider Pardosa sp. to occur in abundance in urban and suburban areas of human dwellings close to the Batu Caves, well known as a hotbed for spider fauna in Peninsula Malaysia. We have collected these spiders and their egg-sacs, dissected them and have done careful staging of its developmental levels encompassing cumulus migration, germ band formation, prosomal limb buds elongation, inversion, postembryonic staging and 1st instar. Furthermore, we have utilised the murine T-cadherin gene as an mRNA probe and have found that this gene may be important as a tool for evolutionary development as it is expressed in the region of L1-L2 (presumptive legs level 1-2) during prosomal limb buds elongation. The T-cadherin gene has previously been shown to be expressed in the trunk region of chicks. We summarise the possibility of having the Pardosa sp. as a potential model to study genes for developmental biology as its embryos are relatively easy to manipulate.
Ecology and distribution of spiders in Lonar crater sanctuary from India. Atul Bodkhe [o] Lonar is the world’s No. 3 crater, formed 50 million years ago, due to meteorite impact. The government of India declared Lonar as a Wildlife Sanctuary on 8th June 2000. Total reserved forest = 266.08 ha, water body = 77.39 ha, cultivation = 39.75 ha, Total = 383.22 ha. It is the smallest sanctuary in India but the habitat is very typical and it is very close to a human settlement. 204 spider species, belonging to 21 families and 44 genera, were reported from a study spanning two years using three collecting methodologies. Preliminary investigation pertaining to the abundance of spiders was generated. Anthropogenic disturbance in and around the sanctuary are major threats to this globally unique site. This spider inventory study was taken to create awareness about the role of spiders in the dynamics of the ecosystem. Recommendations will be made in view of future conservation of the sanctuary and spider fauna.
Cadherins of Malaysian spiders Kamil Ali Obeid Braima [p] Cadherins are calcium-dependent transmembrane proteins characterized by the extracellular cadherin repeats. Unlike plants which lack cadherins or integrins, cell adhesion molecules of the cadherin gene families play a crucial role in the unicellular to multicellular transition. In addition to preserving intercellular adhesion, cadherin proteins are associated with several major developmental signalling pathways important for normal morphogenesis. In this study, we report on the conservation of the T-cadherin gene and protein among arthropods and vertebrates. The pattern of expression of the T-cadherin gene and protein is conserved in the embryos of Anopheles maculatus (including instar), the spider, Pardosa sp., a chick and in wild-type out bred CD1 mice. We feel that our finding is very important in our search for evolutionary important mechanisms that might shed light on the control and regulation of medically important arthropods. Diversity of spiders in tropical urban habitats Yixiong Cai, Ngan Ching Wan, David Court [o] To facilitate the urban biodiversity conservation and enhancement, a rapid biodiversity assessment methodology was developed and applied to evaluate the diversity of terrestrial fauna in urban habitats. In this study, spiders were sampled from six gardens and parks in Singapore, representing various types of habitats which receive different degree of disturbance. One of them is a fragmented primary rainforest while the rest are secondary forests, and two are on former reclaimed land. Methods of collection include leaf litter sorting, active searching, and beating. 1371 individuals from 108 species, 92 genera representing 30 families were collected from May to August 2011. Theridiidae (20%), Salticidae (18%), Pholcidae (8%) and Araneidae (6%) were the most abundant families. The species richness, diversity and evenness of spiders were determined. Singapore Botanic Gardens, the only site with primary rainforest, had the highest overall biodiversity, with the diversity (H’) value of 2.296+0.099. Diversity indices were also calculated according to the functional groups (plant wanderers, ground wanderers and web builders) and the influence of different sampling methods were also tested. A similarity analysis was done to show the possible linkages between the six parks and gardens. These results would also serve as a baseline data for urban biodiversity monitoring for Singapore.
Diversity of spiders in a secondary forest and agricultural area, Nan province, Thailand. Narin Chomphuphuang, Sureerat Deowanish, Natapot Warrit [o] The aim of this study is to assess the diversity and guild composition of spiders compared between three habitat types, consisting of secondary forest, the forest edge and an agricultural area in Lai Nan subdistrict, Nan province. Spiders were collected using pitfall trapping, hand collecting and sweep- netting. The study was conducted between September 2010 and August 2011. As a result, a total of 2543 specimens were collected and 26 families of spider were identified. The Margalef species richness, Shannon index, Simpson index, and Pielou’s evenness index were significantly higher in the secondary forest group than the agricultural area. The percentage of Lycosidae was significantly higher in the agricultural areas while spiders from the families Araneidae, Salticidae, Oxyopidae, Tetragnathidae, Thomisidae, and Theridiidae were significantly more abundant in the secondary forest and forest edges. The guild composition of spiders in three type pairwise comparison among sites, using chi-square test of homogeneity, indicated that guild compositions in the three sites were all significantly different from each other (P ≤ 0.001): hunters other than ground hunters and orb weavers were commonly found in the secondary forest and the edge of forest, while ground hunters were most abundantly found in the agricultural areas. These results suggested that the establishments of agricultural areas enhance the abundance of ground- dwelling spiders through habitat heterogeneity.
Research status on Chernetidae of China (Arachnida: Pseudoscorpiones) Zhizhong Gao & Feng Zhang [p] Abstract: Research into the systematics of Chinese pseudoscorpions is poor and by now only 73 species (subspecies) have been reported from China. Chernetidae Menge 1855 is the most diverse family in Pseudoscorpiones. Up until the present, three subfamilies, Chernetinae, Lamprochernetinae and Goniochernetinae, were recognized and over 650 species were assigned to more than 110 genera. Of these, only 8 genera, containing 14 species, have previously been known from China. We constructed a new genus, Sinochernes Gao & Zhang 2012, which was distributed in southern China, and the genus Dendrochernes Beier 1932 was found from China for the first time. In addition, we described 2 new species for China. Considering China’s huge area and more than 3500 species known globally, obviously, further investigation into pseudoscorpion taxonomy is urgently needed for most areas of China.
Phylogenetic analysis of some Oxyopidae and Pisauridae from Central India (Araneae, Lycosoidea): an in silico approach Priyanka Hadole [o] Depending on a single character or character system in arachnid classification is likely to result in mis- identification and ultimately result in synonymy and sometimes transfer of genera from one family to other, creating confusion among arachnologists. Genital characters are frequently considered by taxonomists to be species characters, and their use at higher taxonomic levels is often met with scepticism. The present paper deals with 4 genera and 5 species of the family Pisauridae and Oxyopidae from Central India, comprising two new species from Oxyopidae (Oxyopes kohaensis Bodkhe & Vankhede 2012 and Oxyopes boriensis Bodkhe & Vankhede 2012). The species Dendrolycosa robusta (Thorell 1895) and Hygropoda mahendriensis sp. nov. from Pisauridae were recorded for the first time from Central India and are also included for the present in silico analysis. Genitalic characters dominate in the present data set, outnumbering somatic and behavioural characters. A data matrix was prepared for 5 taxa and 140 characters.
Spider dynamics in thorn forest and grassland ecosystem of Solapur, Maharashtra, India Rajshekhar Hippargi [o] Records of Indian spiders contain very few references to the spiders associated with Southern Tropical Thorn Forest Ecosystem, as a consequence, very little or nothing of the spider ecology and taxonomy is known from this highly fragmented ecosystem. This work constitutes the first effort to record the spider ecology and taxonomy in this ecosystem from Solapur region of Maharashtra state, India, and provides detailed data on spider dynamics from 2009 to 2012. During our analysis a total of 44 families (73.33% spider families from Indian mainland) belonging to 130 genera (34.48% of Indian genera) were recorded. This proves that spiders are abundant in this highly fragmented ecosystem and are in urgent need of conservation. The basic goals of this study were to gather baseline distributional data on spiders by undertaking exhaustive surveys, at some selected sites, with varying management practices, like natural grassland and thorn forest (TF), disturbed grassland with monoculture of Gliricidia plantation (MG) and well protected park (PP) with very little disturbance but with cultivation. A total of 121 (mean no: 2.81), 40 (mean no: 0.93), and 124 (mean no: 2.88) genera were represented at TF, MG and PP respectively. PP produced the highest Shannon diversity indices (3.23) compared with TF (3.12) and MG with the lowest (2.67). SIMPER analysis showed that MG contributes the maximum (37.52) to the dissimilarity amongst sites. Two eyeless and one two eyed spiders from the family Oonopidae have been recorded for the first time from India. Multivariate analysis was applied to the data to investigate the role of environmental variables on the diversity and distribution of spiders. The guild structure of spider was also investigated. Such surveys are vital for the conservation of these creatures and building a biodiversity database of highly fragmented grassland ecosystem in this region in near future.
Spiders of Laos — a 10 years update Peter Jäger & Bounthob Praxaysombath [o] Laos is situated within the Indo-Burmese Hotspot and covers 1000 km from 13°N to 22°N. Its area is two-thirds that of Germany with 6.3 million inhabitants (5% of German population). It is rich in habitats like forests, limestone mountains with caves, wetlands etc. Despite its assumed natural diversity, it has been neglected in terms of scientific investigations. No checklist for spiders of Laos existed and no entry was either listed in Bonnet’s catalog or in the world spider catalog of Platnick before 2001. The search for Heteropoda maxima, a huntsman spider with a leg span of up to 30 cm in males, started the activity of the authors in Laos. In the past ten years nine expeditions have been conducted to survey the spider diversity in Laos. Materials collected have been included in several publications since 2001, resulting in a preliminary checklist of 230 species. Almost half (105 species) have been described in the past 10 years. Many more sampling expeditions and revisions need to be performed by specialists to reach the goal of a complete check list of spiders for Laos.
Spiders of Laos Peter Jäger and Bounthob Praxaysombath [o] True Spiders (order Araneae) are eight-legged arthropods with venom glands and the ability to produce silk. Worldwide, more than 43,000 species are known, whereas Laos is under-sampled with more than 230 species recorded in 2012. A much higher diversity would be expected, as is known from other Southeast Asian countries. With body lengths of 0.4 to 50 mm and a leg span of up to 300 mm Laotian spiders have a positive effect on agricultural fields as well as natural habitats. They feed on cock-roaches and mosquitoes and represent an effective biological pest control. Thus, they are an important part of our natural environment and well worth protecting.
Spider diversity in malaria endemic area — the search for the arachnid predator of malarial vector in Peninsula Malaysia. John Jeffery, Amir-Ridhwan Mohd-Ghazali, Kamil Ali Obeid Braima, Mustaliza Muslimin, Y.L. Lau, M. Rohela, & Noraishah Mydin Abdul-Aziz [p]
Malaria is one of the major vector diseases in tropical countries, claiming 655,000 lives globally in 2010. In Malaysia cases were usually reported from human settlements close to forest fringes. The disease is caused by protozoa from the genus Plasmodium which is carried by female Anopheles mosquitoes, the vector in transmitting malaria into humans. A series of surveys were conducted to look at spider diversity where malaria cases have been reported. This was to see if a prey-predator connection can be established between Anopheles mosquito and the native spiders.
Exploration of arachnofaunal diversity from Warora Taluka, District Chandrapur, Maharashtra State, India Mrunal Kale, Arvind Sawane [p] Spiders belong to the order Araneae, which is a seventh most diverse order in insects. About 40,700 species of spiders are known belonging to 109 families (Platnick 2008) of which 1520 spider species belonging to 60 families are reported from India. Spiders play a very significant role in ecology by being extensively predatory (Wise, 1993) and thereby regulating insect populations. All spiders are predators because they feed mainly on insects. Spiders enormously benefit the human, since a single spider may eat many mosquitoes in one day. Over the course of its life time a spider may prevent hundreds of mosquitoes from surviving to produce enormous mosquito offspring (Sebastian and Peter 2009). Most comprehensive description on Indian spiders is made by Tikader (1963, 1987). Malhotra (1974) have described spiders from Maharashtra. However, considerable work is still needed particularly in Warora Taluka in Chandrapur District to understand the usefulness of spiders and effect of changing habitat on spider fauna. The present study of Warora Taluka, District Chandrapur is therefore undertaken to create inventories, and to digitize the spider diversity. In our poster we are reporting 39 generic taxa belonging to 17 families.
Diversity and population density of spiders in banana field ecosystem from India Seema Keswani [o] A survey of spiders associated with the banana agro-ecosystems in central India was conducted. Spiders were collected from banana fields, which were not sprayed with pesticides nor had any organic fertilizers applied, but also from fields in which inorganic fertilizers were used. The sampling areas constituted banana fields from the Purna and Tapi basins in Maharashtra. Visual searching methods were used to sample the spider fauna from quadrats. Thirty-four species from 32 genera and 15 families were recorded during 2011–2012. Araneidae and Lycosidae were the dominant families. Cyclosa bifida was the most abundant species, followed by Thelacantha brevispina. Population estimations were also carried out. On average a total of 7800 Araneae/per acre were recorded of banana field. Various diversity indices, as well as richness and the Chao I estimator, were used to analyze the possible effect of agrochemicals on species occurrence. The results showed that species richness and diversity were the highest in fields that were not using chemical fertilizers or pesticides. In one observation regarding stratified distribution, orb weavers were dominant at a height of 5 feet and ground spiders dominated the mulch in the field at all study sites.
Diversity of spiders in agro-ecosystems Seema Keswani and Priyanka Hadole [p] Spiders act as good indicators of the health of agro-ecosystems, hence can be applied as a powerful tool for assessing sustainability levels in agro-ecosystems. Representatives of 21 families and 48 genera were collected and identified from Purna basin agro-ecosystem. Spiders from Araneidae, Clubionidae, Eresidae, Gnaphosidae, Hersiliidae, Lycosidae, Mimetidae, Miturgidae, Oecobiidae, Oxyopidae, Philodromidae, Pholcidae, Salticidae, Scytodidae, Sparassidae, Tetragnathidae, Theridiidae, Thomisidae, Uloboridae and Zodariidae were recorded during the investigation. However, agro-ecosystems are found to be typically dominated by the voracious araneid, lycosid and sparassid spiders. Agro-ecosystems growing cotton, soyabean, jowar, pulses, oranges and banana were selected for the present study. These voracious predators have a wide insect prey base available in agro-ecosystems of this dry deciduous region of Central India and thus, can act as ideal and safe biological control agents. But uncontrolled use of pesticides has made the spider population unstable in this area.
Antlike jumping spiders of Borneo Peter Koomen [o] The isle of Borneo houses lots of stinging, biting or acid squirting ants. No wonder other animals like to use them as a model for Batesian mimicry, jumping spiders in particular. They even fool arachnologists by looking, walking and behaving like ants. Nevertheless dozens of ant mimicking species are known from Borneo. Especially the genus Myrmarachne that comprises a lot of closely related species that are not always easy to distinguish, because: - all their genitalia look very similar; - males and females of the same species may look very different; - some distinguishing characteristics appear to be less reliable than previously thought (e.g., shape and dentition of male chelicerae); - specimens of the same species may look different because of adaptations in local ant populations. How many species of Myrmarachne occur on Borneo? The score to date will be given, based on data from the literature, hand catches, specimens obtained by ‘knock down fogging’, and, hopefully, the first results of the Kinabalu/Crocker Range Expedition 2012.
Database of South East Asian jumping spiders (get your free copy!) Peter Koomen [p] In 2001 I started to study the spiders of Borneo. Immediately the lack of a good identification aid became very clear. Summarizing literature (field guides, handbooks) was lacking, internet databases were still in their infancy, so I decided to produce my own spider book (still not finished). As a start, a database was compiled of all the pictures (drawings, photographs) from the scattered literature that may refer to species of jumping spiders (Salticidae) occurring on Borneo (so: literature describing species from Borneo and neighbouring areas like Sumatra, Java, West-Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Southeast-China, Vietnam, Philippines). The database ‘Labah-labah Sabah’ was developed in such a way (MS Access, simple structure, pictures incorporated within the database), that it should be easy to use. It now contains about 8000 pictures, which can be arranged in an ‘atlas’ of pictorial datasheets per species: a SE Asian jumping spider book! The database is still more detailed than internet databases, because pictures were scanned in higher resolution, and pictures from many Chinese sources were also included. Its major drawback is, of course, that it is restricted to Salticidae and to South East Asia. Still it may be a useful tool for you. Come and get your free copy of the whole database (1.3 GB) and/or a pdf of the atlas (120 MB).
New species of Perania (Araneae: Tetrablemmidae) from Central and North East Thailand Ondrej Kosulic, Patchanee Vichitbandha, Wimolwan Chotwong, Prasit Wongprom & Peter Schwendinger [p] In the year 2011, a collecting expedition to the North East and Central part of Thailand was carried out. The team comprised of a Czech Ph.D. student from Mendel University Ondřej Košulič and three arachnologists from Thailand – MCs. Wimolwan Chotwong and Prasit Wongprom led by dr. Patchanee Vichitbandha from Kasetsart University. The finding of an undescribed species of the genus Perania (Araneae: Tetrablemmidae) is one of the most striking records. Three males and one female were found in Kaeng Krachan – in primary forest around an orchid nature track trail. One male was also found in Wang Nam Khiao Forestry Training Campus near the Sakaerat Biosphere Reservation. Dr. Peter Schwendinger, leading expert on Tetrablemmidae, found this species in a forest habitat around Kanchanaburi provinces, too. Dr. Schwendinger placed this species into the Perania nasicornis group which is unique by its remarkable structure in the forepart of the cephalothorax of the adult males. Both sexes are characterized by heavily developed dorsal plates on the opisthosoma. On the base of genital and morphological differences the collected specimens were described as a new species. The description will be published in the revision of the genus Perania by Dr. Schwendinger. In our contribution, we present a description of this remarkable spider and give basic information about collecting places of our arachnological expedition in Thailand last year.
Biodiversity of spiders from Radhanagari Wild Life Sanctuary, Kolhapur, Maharashtra, India. Lazarus Lanka [o] The spider survey was conducted at Radhanagari Wild life Sanctuary, part of the highly sensitive eco- region from Western Ghats. A spider survey was held for two years during 2010-2012 in various habitat patches like undisturbed forest, agricultural areas, grassland and fully protected human managed patches of forest. Spider collecting was done using techniques like beating, sweeping, and active searching. This preliminary study has yielded spiders representing 18 families like Araneidae, Clubionidae, Gnaphosidae, Miturgidae, Nephilidae, Oxyopidae, Pisauridae, Pholcidae, Salticidae, Scytodidae, Sicariidae, Sparassidae, Thomisidae, Theridiidae, Theraphosidae, and Uloboridae. Araneidae and Salticidae formed the most dominant groups. Many threats have been documented as the region is under severe threat of habitat loss due to unprecedented developmental activities.
Improving the informatic value of diverse tropical arthropod inventories with digital images and DNA barcodes Jeremy Miller and Pham Dinh Sac [o] We report on rapid structured inventories of spiders from three national parks in northern Vietnam. Collections were sorted using a combination of morpho-species and DNA barcodes. Digital images of every species, including every specimen that yielded a DNA barcode, are freely available on morphbank (www.morphbank.net). DNA barcode sequences and images of the source specimen are available on the Barcode of Life Database (BOLD; http://www.boldsystems.org/). At a minimum, collection of DNA barcodes was attempted for both sexes of every species from each of the three locations, as present in the samples. Imperfect success in obtaining DNA barcode sequences meant that 73% of species yielded at least one DNA barcode sequence. Morpho-species and DNA barcode OTUs were reconciled using both morphological and molecular sequence data. Ecological studies of diverse arthropod communities from tropical forests face several well-known challenges. Communities are generally characterized by a few common species and a very large number of rare species, and large samples are required to elucidate comparative patterns. The taxonomic literature relevant to such studies tends to be fragmentary and uneven in coverage and quality. So, ecological studies typically rely on "morpho-species" concepts. This means sorting samples using the skills of a morphological taxonomist to classify the collection, but with little time devoted to determining whether or not each species has been described, or what its name might be. This approach is sufficient for elucidating biodiversity patterns within a particular study, but makes it cumbersome for results to be compared between independent studies. Conscientious investigators typically deposit voucher specimens in accessible collections, which means that morpho-species concepts from different studies could be reconciled, but doing so is prohibitively time consuming. As a consequence, independent biodiversity studies on the same taxa in the same region cannot build on each other and therefore remain limited to the scope of each individual study. In an era of the biodiversity crisis, climate change, and other challenges, the scientific and public spheres have common interests in synergising research products to be more responsive to current questions. Thus, practices that make it easier to compare and combine data across different inventory studies are highly desirable for deriving the maximum information value from our research investment. Using a combination of digital image libraries and DNA barcodes, we show how independent inventories can be combined and compared to increase the impact of biodiversity research.
A survey of the trap door spider genus Liphistius in peninsular Malaysia Nurul Syuhadah Mohammad Dzarawi and Rosli Hashim [o] The genus Liphistius, with the total of 48 described species, is restricted to Myanmar, Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia and Sumatra. The diversity of endemic Liphistius (Aranae: Liphistiidae) throughout Peninsular Malaysia is poorly documented. Due to illegal collections and habitat destruction, some of the species are highly threatened. Under this serious situation, the Department of Wildlife and National Parks of Peninsular Malaysia (PERHILITAN) has gazetted the Wildlife Conservation (Amendment of Schedule) Order 2012 which has listed Liphistius as one of the protected groups. Even conducting research on Liphistius without a permit is considered as illegal and subject to not more than 50,000 MYR fine, or no more than two years imprisonment. However, the status of the level of endemism of this fascinating spider group has remained unstudied. Therefore, an initial survey on the distribution of Liphistius in Peninsular Malaysia was conducted from January 2010 until April 2012 in previously recorded populations and any accessible places. This resulted in the collection of at least eleven taxa molecularly determined from 33 habitat populations. Eleven of 33 habitat populations were newly recorded. To date, this is the first of few projects conducted on spiders that would increase our knowledge on the diversity of Malaysian spider.
Non-intrusive spider photography techniques Amir-Ridhwan Mohd-Ghazali, Kamil Ali Obeid Braima, Mustakiza Muslimin, John Jeffery, Y.L. Lau, M. Rohela & Noraishah Mydin Abdul-Aziz [o] Most image documentation of spiders and other arthropods was recorded in a controlled environment where the spiders were either immobilized or already dead. This method is preferred since macro photography requires a demanding lighting set up to obtain the desired depth-of-field. However such images would not reflect the actual behaviour of the spider in its natural habitat. This presentation looks at how scientists can capture natural images of spiders with minimal intrusion such that certain natural behaviours can be recorded. The presentation includes a video of how the techniques can be applied in the field.
Highland spiders in Malaysia Amir-Ridhwan Mohd-Ghazali, O.B. Kamil-Ali, M. Muslimin, J .Jeffery, Y.L. Lau, M. Rohela & N.M. Abdul-Aziz [o] Arthropod diversity in a locality is influenced by several factors such as terrain, the biome, food availability, climate, and dispersion method. Areas isolated from human access are expected to contain species which may be new to science. The presentation will be based from a survey of spider fauna in Gunung Bunga Buah in the Malaysian Peninsula. Previous surveys reported that the site is rich with family spider diversity of Araneidae, Theridiidae, Sparassidae, Tetragnathidae, Nephilidae, Scytodidae, Zodariidae, Salticidae, Lycosidae, Pholcidae, and Psechridae. Spiders were photographed and subsequently collected for identification purposes. The survey started from 900 m and ended up to the summit of about 1430 m. We will look at the spider diversity at different elevations with an emphasis on ground and shrubs spiders. Genetics of Malaysian spiders Mustakiza Muslimin, Amir-Ridhwan Mohd-Ghazali, Kamil Ali Obeid Braima, John Jeffery, W.S. Wan-Yusoff, D. Li, Y. Norma-Rashid, M. Rohela, & Noraishah Mydin Abdul-Aziz [o] Malaysia is part of one of three major tropical rainforest regions of the world, home to thousands of hills and mountains within the range of 1000 km in altitude, host to an abundance of un-described spider species, possibly including some medically important venomous spiders. Molecular and genetic data of Malaysian spiders are virtually non-existent. In my study, I focussed on spiders found within close proximity to human habitations in urban and suburban dwellings. We discovered an abundance of spiders from the Aranoidea: Zygiella sp., Tetragnatha sp. and Uloborus sp. Interestingly, these spiders are phylogenetically related and belong to a single clade. These spiders are worthy of being closely studied due to their close proximity with human habitation and their dietary needs, which includes insects of medical importance. Another species (Pardosa sp.) which we found include medically important mosquitoes in its diet. This spider is a wolf spider, scientifically known as Lycosidae. We are currently using the 18s and 28s rRNA gene to further confirm species identification. Other spiders that are potentially useful for medical use are the Salticidae and Oxyopidae, both of which exhibit fluorescence in multiple parts of their anatomy. We have made a preliminary analysis of the fluorescence patterns of these very common house spiders. Finally, the most important aspect of our study is the documentation of an imported venomous widow spider, which have successfully colonised two localities in Malaysia, Penang and Johor. Our report is the first of the brown widow spider, Latrodectus geometricus, being introduced into Malaysia.
The diversification and classification of spiders within the Petch-Thong Cave, Thailand Arinchai Nilsonti and Suwattanachai Phomprasith [p] Spiders are creatures of great variety and with wonderful silk that is sticky, can expand, and is resistant to heat. There is a wide diversity of spiders in Thailand but there is very little known about them. We are interested in studying the diversification and classification of spiders within the Petch- Thong Cave, Thailand. Petch-Thong Cave is a limestone mountain with local biodiversity. Ten families have been recorded so far: 1. Thomisidae, 2. Oxyopidae, 3. Lycosidae, 4. Araneidae, 6. Pholcidae, 7. Hersilidae, 8. Salticidae, 9. Scytodidae and 10. Tetragnathidae.
Spider fauna of Vietnam with a special reference to Mesothelae Hirotsugu Ono [o] Planning to have an overall perspective of the spider fauna of Southeast Asia, especially of the Indo- China Peninsula composed of Vietnam, eastern Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore, I have been mainly conducting research in Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam since 1979. Here results of an inventory study of the spiders (Arachnida, Araneae) of Vietnam are reported. Records of spiders from Vietnam, from about 90 articles from 1837 through to 2011, were processed, and a list of 456 species belonging to 41 families is presented as was published by Ono, Ta and Pham (2011). Constituents of the Vietnamese fauna are analyzed based on some taxonomical and zoogeographical aspects. Special reference is made to the primitive family Liphistiidae, Mesothelae, which is one of most interesting groups restricted to inhabiting Asia from Japan and China through Indo-China Peninsula to Sumatra. At present seven species of the genus Heptathela Kishida, 1923, have been recorded from Vietnam: 1, H. australis (Ono, 2002) (Lam Dong Province); 2, H.nui Schwendinger et Ono, 2011 (Lam Dong Province); 3, H. cucphuongensis Ono, 1999 (Ninh Binh Province); 4, H. tomokunii Ono, 1997 (Vinh Phu Province); 5, H. tonkinensis (Bristowe, 1933) (Song Luc Nam); 6, H. abca Ono, 1999 (Yen Bai Province);7, H. sapana (Ono, 2010) (Lao Cai Province). On the basis of a discussion on the male palpal organs and female genitalia of liphistiids, a re- arrangement of their systematic status has taken place at a generic level (Schwendinger and Ono, 2011), and the significance of the Vietnamese Mesothelae is once again recognized.
The effects of rubber plantation-forest edge on the composition of understorey web-building spiders at Khuan Khao Wang Forest Park, Songkhla Province, Southern Thailand Booppa Petcharad, Sunthorn Sotthibhundhu, Sara Bumrungsri & George A. Gale [o] The species composition of web-building spiders along a line transect from a rubber plantation perpendicular to the forest edge and into the forest interior at Khuan Khao Wang Forest Park, Songkhla Province, Southern Thailand was investigated using visual searching. The sampling plots of 3 m x 2 m were set at five positions along the transects; in the rubber plantation, the edge, and at 50, 100 and 150 m from the edge into the forest. Spider species diversity, richness, and abundance of certain guilds of web-building spiders were found to be affected by the edge. The species diversity and richness were high at the rubber plantation and low 50 m from the edge into the forest. Total individuals of all spider species did not respond to the edge. The abundance of Symphytognathidae and Theridiosomatidae and Crassignatha sp. 2, Mysmenidae gen. sp. 3, Araneidae gen. sp. 3 were influenced by the edge. Crassignatha sp. 2 and its family, Symphytognathidae, were abundant in the forest. Theridiosomatidae and Mysmenidae gen. sp. 3 were abundant in the rubber plantation. A spider that showed edge preference was Araneidae gen. sp. 3. The variable that influenced the species diversity and richness of the web-building spiders was the density of understorey vegetations, especially grasses. Microclimate strongly influenced spiders in the family Symphytognathidae and species Crassignatha sp. 2. Theridiosomatidae were positively associated with the density of edges. The distribution of Mysmenidae gen. sp. 3 along the edge transect was resulted from both the understorey density and the microclimate. No environmental variables were found to be associated with the abundance of Araneidae gen. sp. 3.
A new species of the spider genus Oilinyphia (Araneae: Linyphiidae) from Thailand Booppa (Ponksee) Petcharad & Akio Tanikawa [p] A new linyphiid species, Oilinyphia jadbounorum, is described using specimens collected from Khuan Khao Wang Forest Park, Thailand. The only species of the genus, O. peculiaris, has been known from Ryukyu Islands, Japan. The discovery of this new species reveals the occurrence of the genus in Southeast Asia.
Spiders from Khao Chon, Takhli, Nakhonsawan Province Suwattanachai Phomprasith [o]
Diversity of spiders along an altitudinal gradient in Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve, western Himalaya. Shazia Quasin and V.P.Uniyal [o] Spiders are a diverse group of animals attaining 7th highest level of diversity. However, the knowledge of the diversity and distribution of spiders in India is sparse when compared to other regions of the world. Moreover, little information is available from the northern part of India, especially from the Himalayan region. The present study was carried out along an altitudinal gradient of Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve (NDBR), intended to look at the pattern of species diversity along three altitudinal gradients (replicate sites) within NDBR. Sampling was carried out over three years (2009–2011) to obtain data across different seasons covering substantial altitudinal gradients (1800 m – 4100 m). Pitfall traps, sweep netting, and other semi-quantitative techniques were used to capture spiders from all possible niches. A total of 244 species, belonging to 108 genera and 33 families, were recorded during the entire sample period. Using the abundance based estimator Chao1, the predicted richness for the three sites were 153.43±0.9 (LataKharak), 162.75±1.24 (Malari) and 206.43±0.9 (Bhyundar Valley). The inventory was completed at the regional scale (91%). Comparisons of different altitudinal zones revealed that the species diversity was higher in the lower altitudinal zones. This study revealed the relative importance of diverse habitat types on the diversity and composition of spider assemblages in NDBR.
On Lyrognathus robustus in Malaysia (Araneae: Theraphosidae) Mogana Sundram S. Arumugam [p] Tarantulas were not protected under the old Wildlife Protection Act 1972, which was repealed and replaced by the Conservation Act 716 in December 2011. Under these new laws 11 species of Tarantulas are protected, one of which is Lygronathus robustus. There are about 5 species of Lygronathus found in Asia. In 2005, while collecting insect specimens in the night for the museum at Maxwell Hill, Taiping, Perak, Malaysia, we observed one tarantula species but were unable to trap it. Maxwell Hill is above 3,000 ft and is an undisturbed primary montane forest. We managed to trap two rare endangered species of butterflies during the expedition. Prior to the new Wildlife Act was passed, these spiders were caught and sold at souvenir shops as collector items.
Exploration of arachnofaunal diversity from Warora Taluka, District Chandrapur, Maharashtra State, India Arvind Sawane, Mrunal Kale [p] Spiders belong to the order Araneae, which is a seventh most diverse order in insects. About 43,250 species of spiders are known belonging to 111 families (Platnick 2012) of which 1520 spider species belonging to 60 families are reported from India. Spiders play a very significant role in the ecology by being extensively predatory (Wise, 1993) and thereby regulate insect population. All spiders are predators, because they feed on insects. Spiders enormously benefit the human, since a single spider may eat many mosquitoes in one day. Over the course of its life time a spider may prevent hundreds of mosquitoes from surviving to produce enormous mosquito offspring (Sebastian & Peter, 2009). Most comprehensive description on Indian spiders was made by Tikader (1963, 1987), Malhotra (1974) described spiders from Maharashtra. However, considerable work is still needed particularly in Warora Taluka in Chandrapur District to understand the usefulness of spiders and effect of changing habitat on spider fauna. The present study of Warora Taluka, District Chandrapur is therefore, undertaken to inventory and digitize the spider diversity. In our poster we are reporting 39 generic taxa belonging to 17 families.
A technique for long term in-situ monitoring of tropical Theraphosidae Emma M. Shaw [o]
Six consecutive years were spent studying a healthy and relatively large population of B. vagans at Las Cuevas Research station, Belize. Initial problems were associated by the fact that every year the population appeared to have drastically changed. In order to monitor this and attempt to gain further understanding of this species Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags were inserted into individuals in the field. This allowed location to be monitored on an annual basis. This talk will provide an overview of this technique and propose its use t help provide information of populations of Theraphosidae in South East Asia.
Recent advances in mygalomorph studies in India Manju Siliwal [o] In India, 1684 species under 418 genera and 60 families have been recorded so far, of which only 86 species, 26 genera and 8 families are mygalomorph spiders. The majority of studies on the Indian mygalomorphs concentrate on colonial rule, and are restricted to descriptions of species and lack any ecological information. These publications form the basis for current taxonomical work and are widely used by taxonomists in India till date. However, with recent advances in spider taxonomy, there have been changes in taxonomic position of a few genera and species with addition of new families, genera, and many new species from this region. Also, ecological and conservation studies have been initiated in recent years, which will ensure their conservation in the region. Diversity and spatio-temporal turnover of spider communities in Indonesian cacao agro-forestry systems Kathrin Stenchly [o] Current management practises within cacao agro-forestry systems are dominated by severe habitat simplification due to extensive weeding, removal of natural forest trees, planting one or few shade- tree species or even a conversion into intensive full-sun monocultures. In two valleys at the margin of the Lore Lindu National Park in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, the factors shaping spider communities in cacao agro-forests were investigated. Spider data were collected in a total of 42 differently managed cacao agro-forestry sites. This was based on a continuous one year multi-strata sampling of spiders within a subset of 12 agro-forestry sites. We investigated drivers of abundance and species richness of web-building and hunting spiders of litter, herb and canopy layer at the plot and landscape scale. We then analysed how spatial and temporal changes in species richness were affected by different habitat structures, such as shade tree cover and weed diversity, or by landscape context such as distance to forest. The analysis of one-year’s sampling within 12 agro-forestry sites showed that the canopy and litter communities were dominated by hunting spiders and the herb communities by web-building spiders. In general, species overlap between strata was low and herb layer communities exhibited highest variability in community composition. Spider communities of all habitat strata were positively affected by weed cover, while an increase in leaf litter density was accompanied by a decrease in spider abundance, which appeared to be due to previous pesticide treatments reducing litter decomposition and populations of potential prey. On a community level, we found no effect of forest edge proximity on spider abundance or species richness, but species-specific responses showed that with distance to forest there seems to be a shift of species dominance in favour of generalists. The analysis of temporal and spatial turnover revealed that the number of species occurring locally depends to a similar degree on spatial and temporal patterns, although inter-annual turnover differs between canopy and litter dwelling spiders. Both temporal and spatial turnover were mainly affected by habitat-scale variables, with no significant effect of forest distance. The largest effect was the positive relationship of temporal species turnover to shade tree diversity. These results showed not only that snap-shot or aggregated species richness measures may not adequately represent diversity patterns through time, but that ignoring turnover may result in bias when evaluating the effect on a management or landscape context.
Araneomorphae from India Ganesh Vankhede [o] The spider fauna of India has never been studied in its entirety, despite contributions by many arachnologists since Stoliczka (1869). A total of 1686 species of spiders has been recorded from India until July 2012. They belong to two infraorders, Mygalomorphae and Araneomorphae comprising 60 families and 438 genera. Out of 1686 species reported, 91 species are from Mygalomorphae and 1595 species are from 410 genera of Araneomorphae. The araneomorph diversity in India is dominated by Salticidae, followed by Thomisidae, Araneidae Gnaphosidae and Lycosidae. Among the fifty two families of Araneomorphae, 5 families represented more than 100 species and they are: Salticidae (73 genera, 207 species), Thomisidae (40 genera, 176 species), Araneidae (28 genera, 163 species), Gnaphosidae (30 genera, 146 species) and Lycosidae (19 genera, 133 species). 54 genera were transferred from one family to other. Similarly 191 species are transferred from one genus to other, and over the time a number of 520 species and 274 genera are synonymised respectively. Intensive use of pesticides, forest fire, habitat loss and climate change are the main threats for Araneomorphae in India.
Relationships of spiders and their environments: cases in agro-ecosystems Patchanee Vichitbandha [o] Spiders are among the generalist predators commonly found in both natural-ecosystems and agro- ecosystems. Several articles showed the significance of spiders as natural biological control agents. In order to better manipulate or conserve spiders as natural enemies in the system, results of survey studies of spiders in several environmental conditions in rubber plantations, physic nut plantations, vegetable gardens and asparagus fields will be summarized and discussed. Levels of habitat complexity, differences in the understory or between habitats, differences in surrounding habitats, and levels of pesticide usage in agro-ecosystems could affect the abundance of spiders, or in some cases affect the spider diversity. Common spider families found in each crop and the relationships between some spider families and their environments will be reported.
Youth activity of spider hunting for science exploration skill in His Majesty The King Insect Park, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand Patchanee Vichitbandha, Ondrej Kosulic, Narin Chomphuphuang, Prasit Wongprom, Cholakan Nuansuwon, Wannisa Muangmanee, Wisarut Sereenirach [p] Youth activities to promote science education were conducted using spider hunting activity as a model. Spiders are common organisms that are diverse in how they look, how they live, and how they behave, which can promote the learning outcome of diverse questions of participants. Part of the His Majesty The King Insect Park, Kasetsart University, Kamphaeng Saen Campus has been left undisturbed for several years and could serve as a good habitat to restore natural spider community. Preliminary day and night survey of spiders resulted in high density and diversity in their suitable habitat in the park. The stories of spiders were developed on the basis of the organizers interested and expertise in spiders. The first “Dearest spiders” youth camp was conducted. Elementary students to junior high school students were interested, and then learned through the activity together with great success. The story of success and troubles were then analyzed and reported. The training of staff on the team and remodelling of instruction media and programs were conducted to enhance the success of activity. Sponsors and professional organizers of the activity also played benefit roles in future success.
A preliminary survey for the riparian spiders of central Mekong River, Thailand Prasit Wongprom [p] The Mekong is a large river with a high biodiversity and socio-economic benefits. A spider survey was conducted from April to May 2012. A total of 1,305 individual spiders were collected from three habitats and four localities, and identified to 149 species 94 genera of 25 families. Guild structure analysis of the collected spiders revealed 6 feeding guilds viz., orb-web builders, foliage hunters, ground hunters, sheet web builders, scattered line weavers and ambushers. The families Araneidae, Salticidae, Thomisidae, Tetragnathidae exhibited a high species diversity. The dominant family was Araneidae, it showed a high species diversity of spiders in grass and shrubs. This study serves as a baseline for future study of spiders in riparian ecosystems of Thailand.
The spider genera Khorata and Pholcus from China (Araneae: Pholcidae) Zhiyuan Yao and Shuqiang Li [p] The small genus Khorata Huber 2005 contains 9 species from southern China, Laos and Thailand. We describe 16 new species from Guangxi, China. The spider genus Pholcus Walckenaer 1805, the largest genus in Pholcidae, contains 262 species mainly from the old world. Pholcus is highly diverse in China. Seventy-four species were recorded from China before the current work, when only 14 species were collected from caves. In this study, 35 new species are described, including 28 from caves. In addition, we provide new illustrations for 45 known Pholcus species.
Taxonomy of Laniatores from China (Arachnida: Opiliones) Chao Zhang & Feng Zhang [p] The harvestmen suborder Laniatores from China is summarized based on literature and personal research. Laniatores include 26 families and 3,748 species, making it the largest suborder among the Opiliones (6,519 species) of the world. However, only 25 species in 18 genera of 5 families from China are listed, including 5 new species (Bonea tridigitata sp. nov., B. zhui sp. nov., Lomanius bulbosus sp. nov, Gasterapophus binatus sp. nov., G. singulus sp. nov.) and 1 new genus (Gasterapophus gen. nov.).
4 LIST OF PARTICIPANTS
Abdul Aziz, Noraishah Mydin: University of Malaya, Dept. Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, phone (6017)2604310, [email protected]
Bodkhe, Atul: c/o J.D. Patil Sangludkar Mahavidyalaya, Darypur, Dist. Amravati, Maharashtra, 444803 Daryapur, India, phone (0091) 9860432858, [email protected], [email protected]
Bosmans, Robert and Decleer, Marij: Ooievaarstraat 98, 9000 Gent, Belgium, [email protected]
Braima, Kamil Ali Obeid: University of Malaya, Dept. Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, phone: (0060) 1-46654042, [email protected]
Cai, Yixiong: National Biodiversity Centre, National Parks Board, 1 Cluny Road, 259569 Singapore, phone: (0065) 96797100, [email protected]
Chomphuang, Narin: Chulalongkorn University, Dept. Of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University Phayathai Rd., Pathumwan, 10330 Bangkok, Thailand, phone (0066) 86-870-4081, [email protected]
Court, David John: Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research, National University of Singapore, 45 Science Drive 2, 112546 Singapore, phone (0065) 97853804, [email protected]
Dhoke, Arvind: Anand Niketan College, Anandwan, Warora, Dist. Chandrapur (M.S.), 442914 Chandrapur, India, phone (0091) 7176 2820006, [email protected]
Duckitt, Gerry: Ban Khe, Pakxe, Laos, (00856) 20-56841140, [email protected]
Gao, Zhizhong: College of Life Sciences, Hebei University, Wusidonglu 180, Baoding City, Hebei Province, 071002, China, phone: (0086) 13582079075, [email protected]
Hadole, Priyanka: Sant Gedge Baba Amravati University, Maharashtra, 444602 Amravati, India, phone (0091) 9823681481, [email protected]
Hippargi, Rajshekhar: Walchand College of Arts & Science, Solapur, Ashok Chowk, Solapur, Maharashtra, 413006 Solapur, India, phone (0091) 9923363651, [email protected]
Huber, Siegfried: University of Freiburg, Fahnenbergplatz, 79085 Freiburg, Germany, [email protected]
Jäger, Peter: Senckenberg Research Institute, Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt, Germany, phone (0049) 69 75421340, [email protected]
Jeffery, John: University of Malaya, Dept. Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Dept. Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, phone (0060) 1-66273476, [email protected] Kale, Mrunal: Anand Niketan College, Anandwan, Warora, Dist. Chandrapur (M.S.), 442914 Chandrapur, India, phone (0091) 7176 2820006, [email protected]
Keswani, Seema: Sant Gedge Baba Amravati University, Amravati, Maharashtra, 444602 Amravati, India, phone (0091) 9527558550, [email protected]
Koh, Joseph K.H. and Peifen: Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research, National University of Singapore, 6, Science Drive 2, BLK S6, '03-01, 117546 Singapore, [email protected]
Koomen, Peter: Natuurmuseum Fryslân, Schoenmakersperk 2, 8911 EM Leeuwarden, The Netherlands, phone (0031) 58-2893748, [email protected]
Kosulic, Ondrej: Mendel University Brno, Agronomical Faculty, Dept. of Zoology, Zemedelska 1, 61300 Brno, Czech Republic, phone (00420) 728076516, [email protected]
Lanka, Lazarus: Devchand College, Arjunnagar, Dept. of Zoology, Devchand College Arjunnagar, Dist. Kolhapur, Arjunnagar, India, phone (0091) 9890677213, [email protected]
Li, Shuqiang: Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, China, phone (0086) 10-64807216, [email protected]
Miller, Jeremy: Department of Terrestrial Zoology, Netherlands Centre for Biodiversity Naturalis, Postbus 9517, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands, phone: (0031) 681267400, [email protected]
Mohamed Dzarawi, Nurul Syuhadah + Mohamad Hilman Nordin: Institute of Biological Science, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, 590603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, phone (0060) 13-2965479, [email protected]
Mohd Ghazali, Amir Ridhwan: University of Malaya, Dept. Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, phone (0060) 1-22150704, [email protected]
Muslimin, Mustakiza: University of Malaya, Dept. Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, phone (0060) 12-6693945, [email protected]
Nilsonti, Arinchai: Takhliprachasan School, 4/154 Takhli, Nakhonsawan Province, Takhli, Thailand, phone: (0066) 8-6938-3835, [email protected]
Nophaseud, Liphone: National University of Laos, Dongdok campus, Vientiane, Laos, phone (00856) 20-98088975, [email protected]
Ono, Hirotsugu: Department of Zoology, National Museum of Nature and Science, 4-1-1, Amakubo, Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki, 305-0005 Japan, [email protected]
Pacyna, Jacek: Orkana 142A, 58-307 Walbrzych, Poland, [email protected]
Petcharad, Booppa: Prince of Songkla University, Faculty of Science, Dept. Biology, Kor Hong, Hat Yai, 90112 Hat Yai, Thailand, phone (0066) 83-2927480, [email protected] Pham, Dinh Sac: Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources, Vietnamese Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet, Cau Giay Dist, Ha Noi, Vietnam, phone (0084) 4-38361441, [email protected]
Phomprasith, Suwattanachai: Chiangmai University, 3 Tekhli Road, Takhli, Nakhonsawan Province, Takhli, Thailand, phone (0066) 8-7310-4456, [email protected]
Quasin, Shazia: Wildlife Institute of India, P.O. Box 18, Chandrabani, 248001 Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India, phone (0091) 8057319581, [email protected]
Raja Gokula Palan, Gokula Krishnan: No 30 Jalan 14, Muhibah garden, Seri Kembangan, Selangor, Malaysia, [email protected]
S. Arumugam, Mogana Sundram: Dept. of Wildlife and National Parks, Dept. of Wildlife Km 10, Jln Cheras, 56100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, phone (0060) 1-69660540, [email protected]
Sawane, Arvind: Anand Niketan College, Anandwan, Warora, Dist. Chandrapur , Maharashtra State, 442914 Chandrapur, India, phone: (0091) 7176-2820006, [email protected]
Shaw, Emma McCarroll: Prem School Chiang Mai, Rm 605 Srisuwan Mansion, Changpuek, Chiang Mai, Thailand, phone: (0066) 808036759, [email protected]
Shaker, Mohammed R.: University of Malaya, Dept. Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Dept. Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Siliwal, Manju: Wildlife Information Liaison Development Society, 96 Kumudham Nagar, Villankurichi Road, 641035 Coimbatore, India, phone: (0091) 9344837182, [email protected]
Snazell, Rowland and Elaine: NERC (retired), 10 Bon Accord Road, BH19 2DS Swanage, Dorset, United Kingdom, [email protected]
Stenchly, Kathrin and Kiekeben, André: University of Kassel, Mönchebergstrasse 19, 34109 Kassel, Germany, phone: (0049) 5442-981372, [email protected]
Vankhede, Ganesh: Sant Gedge Baba Amravati University, Amravati, Maharashtra, 444602 Amravati, India, phone: (0091) 9822227738, [email protected]
Vichitbandha, Patchanee: Faculty of Liberal Arts and Science, Kasetsart University, Kamphang Saen Campus, Kamphaeng Saen, Nakhon Pathom Prov., 73140 Kamphaeng Saen, Thailand, phone: (0066) 819826500, [email protected]
Wadycki, Sebastian: Orkana 142A, 58-307 Walbrzych, Poland, [email protected]
Wongprom, Prasit: Thai Nature Education Center, 12/1 M.2 Kongdin, Klaeng district, Rayong Provence, 12/1M.2 Kongdinm Thailand, phone (0066) 871628305, [email protected]
Yao, Zhiyuan: Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, China, phone: (0086) 10-64807216, [email protected] Zhang, Chao: College of Life Sciences, Hebei University, Wusidonglu 180, Baoding City, Hebei Province, 071002, China, phone: (0086) 13-582079075, [email protected]
Zhang, Feng: College of Life Sciences, Hebei University, Wusidonglu 180, Baoding City, Hebei Province, 071002, China, phone: (0086) 13-582079075, [email protected]
5 MAPS
Pakse and surroundings
1 Pakse (pak = water mouth, se or xe = river) for detailed map see below 2 Phou Salao (phou = mountain) 3 Wat Phou (wat = temple) 4 Tad Paxuam (tad = waterfall) for detailed map see below 5 Tad Etu, for map see below 6 Tad Fane, for map see below 7 Paksong, for map see below
Road 16E descends steadily from 100 m altitude in the Mekong basin to 1300 m altitude in Paksong (7) at the Bolaven Plateau. Villages at the road are often named after kilometres distance from Pakse, e.g. Ban Lak 35 (Village Kilometres 35) at Tad Etu (5), or Ban Lak 38 at Tad Fane (6). The climate in the Mekong basin may be hot, whereas at the same time it is 10° difference at the plateau. The mountains south of Pakse reach up to 1300 m and more, and may be interesting in respect of their fauna, especially in comparison with the plateau. However, they are hardly accessible. One small mountain, Phou Salao (2), is close to Pakse (1) and harbours a temple and a casino. This gives the advantage of the existence of stairs and better accessibility. At the Wat Phou Heritage Site (3), the mountains directly behind the temple complex are considered holy and should not be desecrated.
Pakse City
1 Airport 2 Hotels Phi Dao and Royal Pakse (booked for 3 persons) also Indian Jasmine Restaurant, Vietnamese soup restaurant, Lao Restaurant, money exchange, massage, supermarket, etc. 3 Pakse Hotel, money exchange, massage 4 Tourism office 5 Plaza (small market) 6 Hospital 7 Khamfong Boat Restaurant 8 Temple Wat Prabat 9 Champasak Provincial Historic Heritage Museum 10 Sport Stadion 11 Morning Market 12 Temple 13 Oudom Somvang Hotel (booked for 28 persons) 14 Somvang Hotel (just as an alternative for 13, if this is fully booked) 15 Arawan Riverside Hotel (booked for 18 persons) symposium venue 16 Mekong bridge (1300 m long!) 17 Phou Salao (see above)
Note, that the choice shown in the map is fragmentary. Restaurants, for instance, can also be found at the Mekong river side between 7 and 12 or around the Morning Market (11). Tad Paxuam
1 Restaurant 2 Rope bridge and solid bridge 3 Museum 4 Resort 5 Place to swim 6 Main waterfall C Forest patches with spiders
Tad Paxuam Resort and Restaurant (1) was built by the Thai Mr Wimol Kijbamrung. When planning and building the resort he especially considered the resident minorities and surrounding ecological aspects. When the complex was ready, Wimol got Malaria and subsequently became blind. That is the reason why he takes several precautions against mosquitoes and their bites (his story can be read in the restaurant in detail). Since he once had a Thai restaurant in Germany, he speaks fluent German. Therefore I could discuss the role of spiders as main predators against mosquitoes. He agreed that we should try to record spider species occurring on Tad Paxuam. Before and after the dinner we will have time to look for the spiders. Please bring a torch with you, since not all areas are properly lit. It is also possible to go for a swim. This should not be done at the main waterfall (6), but behind the resort in the main river (5), or in a small pond in the resort (4). An ethnic museum (3) informs about the resident tribes and their traditions.
Tad Etu
1 Tad Etu 2 Tad Fane 3 Tad Champee 4 Tad Yueang Numbers in white are altitude in metres. Note the differences between the plateau and the valleys.
The excursion and workshop at Tad Etu was booked by 34 persons, 27 of them will stay for the entire week. We will have plenty of time for collecting, discussing etc. The stream at Tad Etu is called Houay Champee. I guess we will find sufficient localities along this stream to collect and observe with 30 people. Note, that the terrain is hilly and slopy. On one day I planned a trip by bus to Tad Fane to visit a different habitat. We can use this day to also refill our supplies in Pak Song, a little town with a market, 15 km east of Tad Etu (see Map Pakse and Surroundings”). However, Tad Fane is reached by a 5 km walk and could be considered by participants also on other days.
From Tad Etu resort it is 1 km walk to the road where small shops offer among others fruits, drinks and also coffee, tea and other local products from plantations at the Bolaven plateau (partly fair trade). For emergency cases I will rent a motor scooter. A pharmacy is available in Paksong or in Pakxe (1 h drive). Do not forget to bring your swimming togs, as Tad Etu provides a natural pool ... 6 Information
PHONE NUMBERS (in Laos; from outside Laos dial 00856)
Peter Jäger 020-7760 9334 [020-9597 4025]
Liphone Nophaseud 020-9808 8975
Champasak Provincial Information-Culture and Tourism Department Pakse District, Ban Thasalakham, Road 05, Pakse, www.wourismchampasak.org, www.xepian.org, email: [email protected], 020-56764144, 020-98039988
Lao Airlines Pakse Ban Lakmuang, Pakse, office: 031-212252, Airport: 031-251921, [email protected]
HOTELS
Arawan Riverside Hotel, Salakiew street, Ban Phonesavanh, Pakse, 031-2603 4549, 020-2226 4242, [email protected]
Oudomsomvang Hotel, Ban Oudomsavanh, Pakse, 031-213 523, 020-5553 0072
Phi Dao Hotel, No 125, Road 13, Ban Phathana Lakmuang, Pakse, 031-215 588, [email protected]
Royal Pakse Hotel, 242, Road 13, Ban Lakmuang, Pakse, 031-254168, 020-22270900
Tad Etu Resort (Manager: Mr Khambay THONGPRASEUTH, [email protected], 020-2806 7775), Ban Lak 35, 030-9559144, 020-22270011, 020-55668831, 020-2769769, [email protected]
Tad Paxuam Restaurant and Resort, Utayan Bajiang (Bachieng district), Champasak, 031-251294, 031-251335, 020-55767678, 020-5255456 (Wimol Kijbamrung), 020-23303003 (manager)
TRANSPORT
Sengchaluean VIP Bus for transfer Vientiane—Pakse [170,000 KIP] Pakse office: 031-212428, 020, Pakse mobile: 020-222745843, 020-22277077 Vientiane mobile: 020-22439596, 020-55898487
Champha Nakhone Travel [good for renting vans or taxis] Mr. Ketmany Thongsa (manager), office: 031-253678, mobile: 020-56685676, 020-99854113, [email protected]
Motorbikes / Motorscooters Ms. Noy (manager also from Internet Cafe), close to Phi Dao Hotel, 13 Road, Ban Phathana Lakmuang, Pakse, Mobile: 020-2272278 (Her sister, manager of the neighbouring massage centre: 020-2279339) Rates: for 1–2 days — 60000 KIP per day for 3 and more days — 50000 KIP per day Usually a passport as deposit is necessary to rent a bike. There are certainly other bike rental companies, but here I had no problems in my last three stays.
CURRENCY [28.09.2012]
1 € ≈ 10,330 Lao KIP
1 Baht ≈ 259 Lao KIP
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1 INR ≈ 151 Lao KIP
1 JPY ≈ 102 La KIP
1 MYR ≈ 2,607 Lao KIP
1 PKR ≈ 84 Lao KIP
1 PLN ≈ 2,512 Lao KIP
1 SGD ≈ 6,517 Lao KIP
1 US $ ≈ 7,975 Lao KIP
1 VND ≈ 0.38 Lao KIP List of Useful Phrases
English Lao word/ phrase English transliteration Hello ສະບາຍດ ີ Sabai di Good-bye ສະບາຍດ ີ ລາກອນ່ Sabai di, La kone Thanks ຄອບໃຈ Khop chai Yes ແມນ່ ແລວ້ Men layoh No ບ່ ແມນ່ Bo men Where is the toilette? ຫອ້ ງນາ ້ ຢໃ່ ສ? Hong nam you sai? I would like to go to the .... ຈະໄປ... Cha pai … (Erawan Hotel / Oudom Hohng haam Erewan / Hohng Somvang Hotel / Airport / ໂຮງແຮມ ແອລະວນັ / ໂຮງແຮມ haam Oudom Somvang/ Dern Market / Restaurant) ສມົ ຫວງັ / ເດ່ນີ ຍນົ ຫ ສະຫນາມ nyohn or Sanam bin/ Talad/ Han ahan ບນິ / ຕະຫລາດ/ ຮານອາຫານ How much is it? ເທ່ ົາໄດ? Thao dai? At what time? ຈກັ ໂມງ? Chak mohng? I need a taxi to the airport ຂອ້ ຍຕອ້ ງການລດົ ແທກຊໄີ ປ Khoy tong kan loht taxi pai dern nyohn (sanam bin) ເດ່ນີ ຍນົ (ສະຫນາມບນິ ) I have to change money ຂອ້ ຍຕອ້ ງການປ່ຽນເງນີ Khoy tong kan phien gneun I would like to eat ຂອ້ ຍຢາກກນິ ເຂົ້າ Khoy yak kin khao Vegetarian food / Seafood / ອາຫານເຈ (ບ່ ກນິ ຊນິ້ )/ ອາຫານ Ahan jay (bo kin sin)/ Ahan Fish / Pork / Beef / Chicken talay/ Pa /Sin mou /Sin ngoua/ /Buffalo ທະເລ/ ປາ/ ຊນິ້ ໝ/ ຊນິ້ ງວົ / Sin kai/ Sin khwai ຊນິ້ / ຊນຄວາຍິ້ Fried rice/ Sticky rice / Non- ເຂົ້າຜດັ / ເຂົ້າໜຽວ/ ເຂົ້າຈາວ້ / ຝ Khao phat/ Khao neeo / Khao sticky rice / Noodles chao/ Feu Spicy/ Not spicy ເຜັດ/ ບ່ ເຜັດ Phet/ Bo phet Drinking water ນາ ້ ດ່ມີ Nam derm Where is ...? ... ຢໃ່ ສ? …. you sai? I feel sick ຂອ້ ຍບ່ ສະບາຍ Koy bo sabai I need to see a doctor ຂອ້ ຍຕອ້ ງການຫາໝ Koy tong kan ha mo Pharmacy ຮານຂາຍຍາ Han kai ya