DOCSLIB.ORG

Redescriptions of Poorly Known Species of Jumping Spiders (Araneae: Salticidae) from South Africa and Namibia

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Redescriptions of Poorly Known Species of Jumping Spiders (Araneae: Salticidae) from South Africa and Namibia Zootaxa 3686 (2): 165–182 ISSN 1175-5326 (print edition) www.mapress.com/zootaxa/ Article ZOOTAXA Copyright © 2013 Magnolia Press ISSN 1175-5334 (online edition) http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3686.2.3 http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:3166E584-2758-491D-BB60-A3921271E08C Redescriptions of poorly known species of jumping spiders (Araneae: Salticidae) from South Africa and Namibia GALINA N. AZARKINA1 & STEFAN H. FOORD2 1The Laboratory for Invertebrate Systematics, The Institute of Systematics and Ecology of Animals, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Frunze Street 11, Novosibirsk 630091, Russia. E-mail: [email protected] 2Department of Zoology and Centre for Invasion Biology, University of Venda, Thohoyandou, 0950, Republic of South Africa. E-mail: [email protected] Abstract The following seven species of southern African Salticidae, known only from type specimens or one sex, and last de- scribed in the early 20th century, are redescribed: Baryphas ahenus Simon, 1902, Brancus muticus Simon, 1902, Euophrys quadrispinosa Lawrence, 1927, Evarcha natalica Simon, 1902, Mogrus macrocephalus Lawrence, 1927, Thyene dama- rensis Lawrence, 1927 and Thyene bilineata Lawrence, 1927. Two new synonyms are proposed, Thyene damarensis Law- rence, 1927 syn. n. with Hyllus dotatus (Peckham et Peckham, 1903) and Thyene bilineata striatipes Lawrence, 1927 syn. n. with T. bilineata Lawrence, 1927. One new combination is proposed, Thyenula natalica comb. n. (ex Evarcha). Lec- totypes for Baryphas ahenus Simon, 1902 and Thyene bilineata Lawrence, 1927 are designated. The female of Brancus muticus Simon, 1902 is described for the first time. Key words: new synonymy, new combination, Salticidae, jumping spiders Introduction The family Salticidae is the largest family in the order Araneae with 5570 known species in 591 genera (Platnick 2013). The family has a worldwide distribution and its diversity peaks in the tropical regions of the world. Currently, 980 species and 144 genera are known from the Afrotropical Region. A third of this, 344 species in 74 genera, are found in southern Africa (sensu Dippenaar-Schoeman & Jocqué 1997). Some of these southern African species are only known from original, often poor, descriptions and/or were described on the basis of a single or a few specimens that only include one sex. It is likely that some of these species could fall into synonymy and the redescription of type specimens is therefore an important step in determining the taxonomic status of these taxa. In this paper we redescribe seven southern African jumping spider species, first described in the early twentieth century and not included in any subsequent revisions. All seven species are illustrated and their distributions mapped. Material and methods This paper is based on the type material deposited in museums of Republic of South Africa (Iziko and Natal Museums, RSA) and the Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle (Paris, France). Non-type material used in comparisons is deposited in the National Collection of Arachnida (Pretoria, RSA) and in the Royal Museum for Central Africa (Tervuren, Belgium). Specimens for this study were borrowed from the following museums: SAM = Iziko Museum, Cape Town, Republic of South Africa (D. Larsen); NMSA = Natal Museum, Pietermaritzburg, Republic of South Africa (A. Ndaba); MRAC = Royal Museum for Central Africa, Tervuren, Belgium (R. Jocqué); MNHN = Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Paris, France (E.-A. Leguin), NCA = National Collection of Arachnida, Plant Protection Research Institute, Pretoria, Republic of South Africa (P. Marais). Accepted by T. Szuts: 28 May 2013; published: 11 Jul. 2013 165 A total of 48 specimens in seven species were examined. Specimens were studied in ethanol and colors refer to that of preserved specimens. All drawings were made with the aid of a reticular eyepiece attached to an MBS-10 stereomicroscope and with the drawings apparatus attached to a Zeiss Discovery V12. Digital images were captured with a Zeiss stereomicroscopes (Discovery V12 and Stemi 2000) and stack images were combined using the Helicon Focus software. The drawings were edited with Adobe Photoshop. Left palps were illustrated except for Figures 17, 20 and 61-62 where the right palp were mirrored. Where locality co-ordinates were not provided on specimen labels or were not available in the institutional databases, they were traced using the Geographical Names list (http://www.geographic.org/) and old topographic maps and indicated in square brackets. Abbreviations used in the text: AME, anterior median eyes; Fm, femur; Pt, patella; Tb, tibia; Mt, metatarsus; RSA, Republic of South Africa. The sequence of leg segments in measurement data is as follows: femur + patella + tibia + metatarsus + tarsus. All measurements are in mm. Leg spination follows Ono (1988). FIGURE 1. Distribution records of Baryphas ahenus (circle; ? exact locality unknown), Brancus muticus (star), Hyllus dotatus (square) and Mogrus macrocephalus (triangle). Taxonomy Baryphas ahenus Simon, 1902 Figs 1–17 Baryphas ahenus Simon, 1902: 42 (♂♀, examined, lectotype here designated). B. ahenus: Simon 1903: 681, figs 807–809 (♂); Peckham & Peckham 1903: 207, pl. 24, fig. 2-2b (♂); Lessert 1925: 349, fig. 13 (♀); Prószyński 1987: 5 (♂♀); Wesołowska & Cumming 2008: 169, figs 2–8 (♂♀); Wesołowska & Haddad 2009: 23; Haddad & Wesołowska 2011: 53, figs 1–2 (♂♀). Type material: Lectotype ♂, designated here (MNHN, #20204) Zululand / C. M. [=Republic of South Africa, KwaZulu-Natal, exact locality and date unknown (C. Martin)]. 166 · Zootaxa 3686 (2) © 2013 Magnolia Press AZARKINA & FOORD FIGURES 2–10. Baryphas ahenus. 2 male left palp (major form), ventral view; 3 male left palp (paralectotype), ventral view; 4 ditto, retrolateral view; 5 scheme of insemination ducts; 6 label of type specimens; 7 Baryphas ahenus major label; 8 epigyne, ventral view; 9 ditto; 10 spermathecae, dorsal view. Scale bars: 2–4, 8–10, 0.1 mm. Paralectotypes: 3♂, 14♀ (MNHN, #20204) together with lectotype. Other material: 2♂ (MNHN, #20393, Baryphas ahenus major) Natal / C.M. [=Republic of South Africa, KwaZulu-Natal, exact locality and date unknown (C. Martin)]. Diagnosis. This species differs from other Baryphas species in the shape of the tibial apophysis which is relatively short, with apical teeth, and the absence of a clearly visible basal bulb on palpal tegulum (Figs 2–4). JUMPING SPIDERS FROM SOUTH AFRICA AND NAMIBIA Zootaxa 3686 (2) © 2013 Magnolia Press · 167 FIGURES 11–17. Baryphas ahenus. 11 male habitus, dorsal view (paralectotype); 12 ditto, dorsal view (major form); 13 ditto, ventral view; 14 male "face", 15 female habitus , dorsal view ("orange stripes"); 16 ditto, dorsal view ("white stripes"); 17 ditto, ventral view. Scale bars: 1 mm. Description. Male: Carapace: 3.40–5.40 long, 2.90–4.30 wide, 2.00–2.70 high. Abdomen: 3.40–4.90 long, 2.60–3.30 wide. Eye field: 1.30–1.50 long, anterior 1.60–2.10 wide, posterior 1.80–2.50 wide. Cheliceral length 1.50–2.30. Clypeal height 0.25–0.30. Diameter of AME 0.50–0.70. Length of leg segments: I 2.10+1.40+1.50+1.40+0.85; II 1.90+1.10+1.20+1.10+0.60; III 2.00+1.10+1.10+1.40+0.70; IV 1.90+1.00+1.20+1.30+0.70. Leg spination: I: Fm d 1-1-4; Pt pr 1; Tb pr 1-1, rt 0-1, v 1-2-2ap; Mt pr and rt 1-1ap, v 2-2ap. II: Fm d 1-1-4; Pt pr 1; Tb pr 1-1-1, v 1-2-2ap; Mt pr and rt 1-1ap, v 2-2ap. III: Fm d 1-2-5; Pt pr and rt 1; Tb d 1-0-0, pr and rt 1-1-1, v 1-0-2ap; Mt pr and rt 1-0-2ap, v 2-2ap. IV: Fm d 1-2-5; Pt pr and rt 1; Tb d 1-0-0, pr and rt 1-1-1, v 2-0-2ap; Mt pr and rt 1-1-2ap; v 0-2-2ap. Carapace high, red-brown, covered with dark brown hairs and whitish-transparent iridescent scales (Figs 11–12). Clypeus and cheeks brown to yellow-brown, with one row of brown bristles, covered with whitish-transparent scales (Fig. 14). Chelicerae large, robust, with small fangs, red- brown, covered with long brown hairs. Sternum brown. Abdomen yellow-brown, ventrally with brown hairs and whitish-transparent scales. Dorsum brown, covered with dense long brown hairs, with pattern of white scales: small patch in center of abdomen and two transversal short stripes on lateral sides. Book-lungs are yellow. 168 · Zootaxa 3686 (2) © 2013 Magnolia Press AZARKINA & FOORD Spinnerets are brown. All legs brown, covered with long brown hairs and whitish-transparent iridescent scales. Ventrally with dense brown hairs. Palps brown, covered with brown hairs and whitish-transparent scales. Palpal structure as in Figs 2–4. Female. Carapace: 3.10–3.60 long, 2.50–3.00 wide, 1.70 high. Abdomen: 3.20–4.80 long, 2.20–3.60 wide. Eye field: 1.30–1.40 long, anterior 1.70–1.90 wide, posterior 1.80–2.00 wide. Cheliceral length 1.20–1.60. Clypeal height 0.20–0.25. Diameter of AME 0.55–0.60. Length of leg segments: I 1.90+1.20+1.30+1.00+0.70; II 1.80+1.10+1.00+0.90+0.60; III 2.20+1.30+1.20+1.30+0.70; IV 2.10+1.10+1.40+1.70+0.65. Leg spination: I: Fm d 1-1-4; Pt pr 1; Tb pr 1-1-1, v 1-2-2ap; Mt pr 1-1ap, rt 0-1ap, v 2-2ap. II: Fm d 1-1-5; Pt pr and rt 1; Tb pr 1-1-1, rt 1-1, v 1-2-2ap; Mt pr and rt 1-1ap, v 2-2.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • A Checklist of the Non -Acarine Arachnids
    Original Research A CHECKLIST OF THE NON -A C A RINE A R A CHNIDS (CHELICER A T A : AR A CHNID A ) OF THE DE HOOP NA TURE RESERVE , WESTERN CA PE PROVINCE , SOUTH AFRIC A Authors: ABSTRACT Charles R. Haddad1 As part of the South African National Survey of Arachnida (SANSA) in conserved areas, arachnids Ansie S. Dippenaar- were collected in the De Hoop Nature Reserve in the Western Cape Province, South Africa. The Schoeman2 survey was carried out between 1999 and 2007, and consisted of five intensive surveys between Affiliations: two and 12 days in duration. Arachnids were sampled in five broad habitat types, namely fynbos, 1Department of Zoology & wetlands, i.e. De Hoop Vlei, Eucalyptus plantations at Potberg and Cupido’s Kraal, coastal dunes Entomology University of near Koppie Alleen and the intertidal zone at Koppie Alleen. A total of 274 species representing the Free State, five orders, 65 families and 191 determined genera were collected, of which spiders (Araneae) South Africa were the dominant taxon (252 spp., 174 genera, 53 families). The most species rich families collected were the Salticidae (32 spp.), Thomisidae (26 spp.), Gnaphosidae (21 spp.), Araneidae (18 2 Biosystematics: spp.), Theridiidae (16 spp.) and Corinnidae (15 spp.). Notes are provided on the most commonly Arachnology collected arachnids in each habitat. ARC - Plant Protection Research Institute Conservation implications: This study provides valuable baseline data on arachnids conserved South Africa in De Hoop Nature Reserve, which can be used for future assessments of habitat transformation, 2Department of Zoology & alien invasive species and climate change on arachnid biodiversity.
    [Show full text]
  • Molecular Phylogeny, Divergence Times and Biogeography of Spiders of the Subfamily Euophryinae (Araneae: Salticidae) ⇑ Jun-Xia Zhang A, , Wayne P
    Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 68 (2013) 81–92 Contents lists available at SciVerse ScienceDirect Molec ular Phylo genetics and Evolution journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/ympev Molecular phylogeny, divergence times and biogeography of spiders of the subfamily Euophryinae (Araneae: Salticidae) ⇑ Jun-Xia Zhang a, , Wayne P. Maddison a,b a Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z4 b Department of Botany and Beaty Biodiversity Museum, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z4 article info abstract Article history: We investigate phylogenetic relationships of the jumping spider subfamily Euophryinae, diverse in spe- Received 10 August 2012 cies and genera in both the Old World and New World. DNA sequence data of four gene regions (nuclear: Revised 17 February 2013 28S, Actin 5C; mitochondrial: 16S-ND1, COI) were collected from 263 jumping spider species. The molec- Accepted 13 March 2013 ular phylogeny obtained by Bayesian, likelihood and parsimony methods strongly supports the mono- Available online 28 March 2013 phyly of a Euophryinae re-delimited to include 85 genera. Diolenius and its relatives are shown to be euophryines. Euophryines from different continental regions generally form separate clades on the phy- Keywords: logeny, with few cases of mixture. Known fossils of jumping spiders were used to calibrate a divergence Phylogeny time analysis, which suggests most divergences of euophryines were after the Eocene. Given the diver- Temporal divergence Biogeography gence times, several intercontinental dispersal event sare required to explain the distribution of euophry- Intercontinental dispersal ines. Early transitions of continental distribution between the Old and New World may have been Euophryinae facilitated by the Antarctic land bridge, which euophryines may have been uniquely able to exploit Diolenius because of their apparent cold tolerance.
    [Show full text]
  • Diversity of Simonid Spiders (Araneae: Salticidae: Salticinae) in India
    IJBI 2 (2), (DECEMBER 2020) 247-276 International Journal of Biological Innovations Available online: http://ijbi.org.in | http://www.gesa.org.in/journals.php DOI: https://doi.org/10.46505/IJBI.2020.2223 Review Article E-ISSN: 2582-1032 DIVERSITY OF SIMONID SPIDERS (ARANEAE: SALTICIDAE: SALTICINAE) IN INDIA Rajendra Singh1*, Garima Singh2, Bindra Bihari Singh3 1Department of Zoology, Deendayal Upadhyay University of Gorakhpur (U.P.), India 2Department of Zoology, University of Rajasthan, Jaipur (Rajasthan), India 3Department of Agricultural Entomology, Janta Mahavidyalaya, Ajitmal, Auraiya (U.P.), India *Corresponding author: [email protected] Received: 01.09.2020 Accepted: 30.09.2020 Published: 09.10.2020 Abstract: Distribution of spiders belonging to 4 tribes of clade Simonida (Salticinae: Salticidae: Araneae) reported in India is dealt. The tribe Aelurillini (7 genera, 27 species) is represented in 16 states and in 2 union territories, Euophryini (10 genera, 16 species) in 14 states and in 4 union territories, Leptorchestini (2 genera, 3 species) only in 2 union territories, Plexippini (22 genera, 73 species) in all states except Mizoram and in 3 union territories, and Salticini (3 genera, 11 species) in 15 states and in 4 union terrioties. West Bengal harbours maximum number of species, followed by Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra. Out of 129 species of the spiders listed, 70 species (54.3%) are endemic to India. Keywords: Aelurillini, Euophryini, India, Leptorchestini, Plexippini, Salticidae, Simonida. INTRODUCTION Hisponinae, Lyssomaninae, Onomastinae, Spiders are chelicerate arthropods belonging to Salticinae and Spartaeinae. Out of all the order Araneae of class Arachnida. Till to date subfamilies, Salticinae comprises 93.7% of the 48,804 described species under 4,180 genera and species (5818 species, 576 genera, including few 128 families (WSC, 2020).
    [Show full text]
  • SANSA News 16 Final.PUB
    Newsletter • Newsletter • Newsletter • Newsletter • Newsletter JAN-MAY 2012 SANSA - Newsletter South African National No 16 Survey of Arachnida This publication is available from: Ansie Dippenaar-Schoeman [email protected] or at www.arc.agric.za/home.asp?pid=3732 This is the newsletter of the South African National Survey Editors: of Arachnida (SANSA). SANSA is an umbrella project Ansie Dippenaar-Schoeman & Charles Haddad dedicated to unifying and strengthening biodiversity re- search on Arachnida in South Africa, and to make an in- Editorial committee: ventory of our arachnofauna. It runs on a national basis in Petro Marais collaboration with other researchers and institutions with Elsa van Niekerk an interest in the fauna of South Africa. Robin Lyle CONGRATULATIONS To Charles Haddad for obtaining his PhD from the Univer- sity of the Free State. The title of his study was “Advances in the systematics and ecology of the African Corinnidae spiders (Arachnida: Araneae), with emphasis on the Casti- aneirinae”. This is a very comprehensive study and deals with two aspects of the Castianeirinae, namely their ecol- ogy as well as their systematics, and it is a very important contribution towards our knowledge of this family of spi- ders, especially in the Afrotropical Region. An illustrated key to all the genera is provided as well as a phylogenetic analysis of the relationships of the Afrotropical Castianeiri- nae. Charles revised the eight genera of the subfamily Castianeirinae known from the Afrotropical Region and described two genera as new to science. He studied 62 species, of which 37 are new species and 20 redescribed for the first time.
    [Show full text]
  • The Abundance and Species Richness (Araneae: Arachnida) Associated with a Riverine Thicket, Rocky Outcrop and Aloe Marlothii
    THE ABUNDANCE AND SPECIES RICHNESS OF THE SPIDERS (ARANEAE: ARACHNIDA) ASSOCIATED WITH A RIVERINE AND SWEET THORN THICKET, ROCKY OUTCROP AND ALOE MARLOTHII THICKET IN THE POLOKWANE NATURE RESERVE, LIMPOPO PROVINCE by THEMBILE TRACY KHOZA Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Zoology, in the School of Molecular and Life Sciences in the Faculty of Science and Agriculture, University of Limpopo, South Africa. 2008 SUPERVISOR: Prof S.M. DIPPENAAR CO-SUPERVISOR: Prof A.S. DIPPENAAR-SCHOEMAN Declaration I declare that the dissertation hereby submitted to the University of Limpopo for the degree of Master of Science in Zoology has not previously been submitted by me for a degree at this or any other university, that it is my own work in design and in execution, and that all material contained therein has been duly acknowledged. T.T. Khoza i Abstract Spiders are abundant and they play a major role in ecosystems. Few studies have been conducted throughout South Africa to determine the diversity and distribution of spiders. The current study was initiated to determine the species richness and diversity and to compile a checklist of spiders found at the Polokwane Nature Reserve. This survey was the first collection of spiders in the reserve and provides valuable data for the management of the reserve as well as to the limited existing information on the Savanna Biome. It will also improve our knowledge of spiders of the Limpopo Province and contribute to the South African National Survey of Arachnida database. The study was conducted from the beginning of March 2005 to the end of February 2006.
    [Show full text]
  • Arachnologische Arachnology
    Arachnologische Gesellschaft E u Arachnology 2015 o 24.-28.8.2015 Brno, p Czech Republic e www.european-arachnology.org a n Arachnologische Mitteilungen Arachnology Letters Heft / Volume 51 Karlsruhe, April 2016 ISSN 1018-4171 (Druck), 2199-7233 (Online) www.AraGes.de/aramit Arachnologische Mitteilungen veröffentlichen Arbeiten zur Faunistik, Ökologie und Taxonomie von Spinnentieren (außer Acari). Publi- ziert werden Artikel in Deutsch oder Englisch nach Begutachtung, online und gedruckt. Mitgliedschaft in der Arachnologischen Gesellschaft beinhaltet den Bezug der Hefte. Autoren zahlen keine Druckgebühren. Inhalte werden unter der freien internationalen Lizenz Creative Commons 4.0 veröffentlicht. Arachnology Logo: P. Jäger, K. Rehbinder Letters Publiziert von / Published by is a peer-reviewed, open-access, online and print, rapidly produced journal focusing on faunistics, ecology Arachnologische and taxonomy of Arachnida (excl. Acari). German and English manuscripts are equally welcome. Members Gesellschaft e.V. of Arachnologische Gesellschaft receive the printed issues. There are no page charges. URL: http://www.AraGes.de Arachnology Letters is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Autorenhinweise / Author guidelines www.AraGes.de/aramit/ Schriftleitung / Editors Theo Blick, Senckenberg Research Institute, Senckenberganlage 25, D-60325 Frankfurt/M. and Callistus, Gemeinschaft für Zoologische & Ökologische Untersuchungen, D-95503 Hummeltal; E-Mail: [email protected], [email protected] Sascha
    [Show full text]
  • Description of Some Interesting Jumping Spiders (Araneae: Salticidae)
    Journal of Entomology and Zoology Studies 2014; 2 (5): 63-71 ISSN 2320-7078 Description of some interesting jumping spiders JEZS 2014; 2 (5): 63-71 © 2014 JEZS (Araneae: Salticidae) from South India Received: 11-08-2014 Accepted: 10-09-2014 T. D. John Caleb and Manu Thomas Mathai T. D. John Caleb Department of Zoology, Madras Abstract Christian College, Five species of jumping spiders are being described from South India. Among these, Viciria diatreta Tambaram, Chennai-59, Tamil Simon, 1902 has been reported after a span of 112 years from its first description, two species Phintella Nadu, India volupe (Karsch, 1879) and Thyene bivittata Xie & Peng, 1995 are new records in India, and two new species namely Chrysilla jesudasi sp. nov. and Stenaelurillus sarojinae sp. nov. are being described and Manu Thomas Mathai illustrated. Department of Zoology, Madras Christian College, Keywords: Description, New species, New record, Salticidae, South India. Tambaram, Chennai-59, Tamil Nadu, India 1. Introduction Salticids are the most diverse family of spiders with 600 genera and 5760 species in the world known till date [1]. They are known by 207 species and 73 genera in India [2]. Some important [3, 4, 5] [6] [7] contributions were made by Simon , Reimoser , and Proszynski who described many [8] species from South India. Recently, few additions have been made to this family by Sunil , [9] [10] [11] Karthikeyani and Kannan , Caleb and Caleb et al., . Yet, studies on this family are very little and our knowledge on this group is sparse. In this paper, five species have been described out of which one species, Viciria diatreta Simon, 1902 is being reported after 112 years, two species Phintella volupe (Karsch, 1879) and Thyene bivittata Xie & Peng, 1995 are new reports in India and two species namely Chrysilla jesudasi sp.nov.
    [Show full text]
  • Spider Ecology in Southwestern Zimbabwe, with Emphasis on the Impact of Holistic Planned Grazing Practices Sicelo Sebata Thesis
    Spider ecology in southwestern Zimbabwe, with emphasis on the impact of holistic planned grazing practices Sicelo Sebata Thesis submitted in satisfaction of the requirements for the degree Philosophiae Doctor in the Department of Zoology and Entomology, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of the Free State January 2020 Supervisors Prof. Charles R. Haddad (PhD): Associate Professor: Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of the Free State, P.O. Box 339, Bloemfontein 9300, South Africa. Prof. Stefan H. Foord (PhD): Professor: Department of Zoology, School of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Venda, Private Bag X5050, Thohoyandou 0950, South Africa. Dr. Moira J FitzPatrick (PhD): Regional Director: Natural History Museums of Zimbabwe, cnr Park Road and Leopold Takawira Avenue, Centenary Park Suburbs, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. i STUDENT DECLARATION I, the undersigned, hereby assert that the work included in this thesis is my own original work and that I have not beforehand in its totality or in part submitted it at any university for a degree. I also relinquish copyright of the thesis in favour of the University of the Free State. S. Sebata 31 January 2020 ii SUPERVISOR DECLARATION iii DEDICATION I would like to dedicate this thesis to all the spiders that lost their lives in the name of Science. iv ABSTRACT The current information on Zimbabwean spiders is fairly poor and is mostly restricted to taxonomic descriptions, while their ecology remains largely unknown. While taxonomic studies are very important, as many species are becoming extinct before they are described, a focus on the ecology of spiders is also essential, as it helps with addressing vital questions such as the effect of anthropogenic activities on spider fauna.
    [Show full text]
  • 19 3 153 188 Proszynski for Inet.P65
    Arthropoda Selecta 19(3): 153188 © ARTHROPODA SELECTA, 2010 Description of some Salticidae (Araneae) from the Malay Archipelago. I. Salticidae of the Lesser Sunda Islands, with comments on related species Îïèñàíèå íåêîòîðûõ Salticidae (Araneae) èç Ìàëàéñêîãî Àðõèïåëàãà. I. Salticidae Ìàëûõ Çîíäñêèõ îñòðîâîâ ñ êîììåíòàðèÿìè î áëèçêèõ âèäàõ Jerzy Prószyñski*, Christa L. Deeleman-Reinhold** É. Ïðóøèíüñêèé*, Ê. Äèëåìàí-Ðåéíîëüä** * Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences, ul. Wilcza 64, 00-679 Warszawa, Poland. E-mail: jerzy.Prószyñ[email protected] ** 4619GA Ossendrecht, the Netherlands. E-mail: [email protected] KEY WORDS: Salticidae, new species, diagnostic characters, geographical distribution, Indonesia, Bali, Flores, Lombok, Sumba, Sumbawa. ÊËÞ×ÅÂÛÅ ÑËÎÂÀ: íîâûé âèä, äèàãíîñòè÷åñêèå ïðèçíàêè, ðàñïðîñòðàíåíèå, Èíäîíåçèÿ, î. Áàëè, î. Ôëîðåñ, î. Ëîìáîê, î. Ñóìáà, î. Ñóìáàâà. In memoriam Bohdan Pisarski, friend of J. Prószyñski and com- panion in the Java and Bali collecting trip in 1959, for many years the Director of the Institute of Zoology PAN. ABSTRACT. This paper provides preliminary ref- Myrmarachne MacLeay, 1839 is discussed. Comple- erence diagnostic drawings for selected Oriental gen- mentary diagnostic drawings are added for the fol- era and species, to complement the existing scanty lowing species: Artabrus erythrocephalus (C.L. Koch, literature. The following new taxa are described: new 1846), Harmochirus brachiatus (Thorell, 1877), genus Katya gen.n., new species: Burmattus Hasarius adansoni (Audouin, 1826), Myrmarachne pachytibialis sp.n., Carrhotus sundaicus sp.n., Chrysilla hirsutipalpi [?] Edmunds & Prószyñski, 2003, Spar- deelemani sp.n., Cosmophasis valerieae sp.n., Cytaea taeus spinimanus (Thorell, 1878), Thiania bhamoen- whytei sp.n., Euryattus [?] junxiae sp.n., Katya flore- sis Thorell, 1887.
    [Show full text]
  • 2019 December
    The Spider Club News December 2019 – VOLUME 35 No.4 “The Spider Club provides a fun, responsible, social learning experience, centered on spiders, their relatives and on nature in general.” A beautiful jumping spider photographed by Desirié Pelser, probably Thyenula sp. or maybe Rumburak sp. The Spider Club News December 2019 Vol 35/4 Page 1 About the Spider Club The Spider Club of Southern Africa is a non-profit organisation. Our aim is to encourage an interest in arachnids – especially spiders and scorpions - and to promote this interest and the study of these animals by all suitable means. Membership is open to anyone – people interested in joining the club may apply to any committee member for information. Field outings, day visits, arachnid surveys and demonstrations, workshops and exhibits are arranged from time to time. A diary of events and outings is published at the end of this newsletter, on our website and Facebook page. If you are a registered SCSA member you will receive emails and/or texts advising you of what’s coming up. As usual, Norman Larsen will be in attendance at the Cape Union Mart Adventure Centre in Cape Town’s Canal Walk every Saturday from 11-12 to demonstrate and talk about spiders. Contact Us WEBSITE: http://www.spiderclub.co.za EMAIL ADDRESS: [email protected] …. At the Spider Club of Southern Africa page Your committee Luisa Bozzonetti 082 445 8000 [email protected] Miemmie Byrch 082 772 3928 [email protected] Jackie Collier 084 311 4849 [email protected] Astri Leroy (chairman) 073
    [Show full text]
  • Population Dynamics of Terrestrial Spiders -.:: Natural Sciences Publishing
    J. Eco. Heal. Env. 6, No. 1, 47-55 (2018) 47 Journal of Ecology of Health & Environment An International Journal http://dx.doi.org/10.18576/jehe/060106 Population Dynamics of Terrestrial Spiders (Arachnida) at Qena Governorate, Upper Egypt Ahmad. H. Obuid-Allah1, Amal. A. Mahmoud2 and Elamier. H. M. Hussien2* 1 Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Asyut University, 71515 Asyut, Egypt. 2 Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, South Valley University, 83523 Qena, Egypt. Received: 1 Oct. 2017, Revised: 10 Dec. 2017, Accepted: 21 Dec. 2017. Published online: 1 Jan. 2018. Abstract: In the present study, monthly and seasonal fluctuations of densities of terrestrial spiders were recorded in six different sites at Qena Governorate during the period of one year (February, 2012 - January, 2013). The study revealed the occurrence of 1247 specimens belonging to 14 families and including 23 species of order Araneae. Family Salticidae recorded the highest number during the whole period of study (278 specimens) while family Agelenidae recorded the lowest number in the same period of study (4 specimens). It was observed that the maximal number was collected from Thanatus albini (199 specimens), while Halodromus barbarae was the least species in number since only 2 specimens were collected. The densities of the recorded spiders varied seasonally and the general seasonal peak was recorded during autumn (363 specimens), while the lowest density was observed during winter (215 specimens). Regarding the sex ratio of the collected spiders from all sites, it was clear that there were 213 adult male specimens, whereas the adult females were represented by 440 specimens.
    [Show full text]
  • A Specialised Hunting Strategy Used to Overcome Dangerous Spider Prey
    www.nature.com/scientificreports OPEN Nest usurpation: a specialised hunting strategy used to overcome dangerous spider prey Received: 18 January 2019 Ondřej Michálek 1, Yael Lubin 2 & Stano Pekár 1 Accepted: 14 March 2019 Hunting other predators is dangerous, as the tables can turn and the hunter may become the hunted. Published: xx xx xxxx Specialized araneophagic (spider eating) predators have evolved intriguing hunting strategies that allow them to invade spiders’ webs by adopting a stealthy approach or using aggressive mimicry. Here, we present a newly discovered, specialized hunting strategy of the araneophagic spider Poecilochroa senilis (Araneae: Gnaphosidae), which forces its way into the silk retreat of the potential spider prey and immobilizes it by swathing gluey silk onto its forelegs and mouthparts. Poecilochroa senilis has been reported from the nests of a several, often large, spider species in the Negev desert (Israel), suggesting specialization on spiders as prey. Nevertheless, in laboratory experiments, we found that P. senilis has a wider trophic niche, and fed readily on several small insect species. The specialized nest-invading attack was used more frequently with large spiders, and even small juvenile P. senilis were able to attack and subdue larger spiders. Our observations show that specifc hunting tactics, like nest usurpation, allow specialized predators to overcome defences of dangerous prey. Evolutionary arms races between prey and predators lead to the evolution of various defence mechanisms of the prey and counter-adaptations of predators to subdue such a prey1. Predator-prey arms races are ofen asym- metrical, as a prey organism is under stronger selection pressure2.
    [Show full text]