Endemic harvestmen and spiders of Austria (Arachnida: Opiliones, Araneae)

A comprehensive overview of plant, fungus and animal species of Austria revealed a total of 748 endemic and subendemic species, including, 11 harvestman and 46 spider species. Altogether two endemic harvestmen (Nemastoma bidentatum relictum, Nemastoma schuelleri) and 8 endemic spiders (Abacoproeces molestus, Collinsia (caliginosa) nemenziana, Mughiphantes severus, Mughiphantes styriacus, Pelecopsis alpica, Scotophaeus nanus, Troglohyphantes novicordis, Troglohyphantes tauriscus), beside 9 subendemic harvestman and 38 subendemic spider species have been recorded from Austria. Hot-spots of endemism in the Eastern Alps are the north-eastern (Ennstaler Alps) and southern Calcareous Alps (Karawanken, Karnische Alps) and the Central Alps (Hohe Tauern, Gurktaler Alps, Ötztaler and Stubaier Alps). Most of the endemic arachnid species occur from the nival down to the montane zone. Important habitats are rocky areas, caves and woodlands. High absolute numbers and percentages of endemics can be found within the harvestman families Cladonychiidae, Ischyropsalididae and Nemastomatidae and in the spider genera Lepthyphantes s. l. and Troglohyphantes. The conservation status of these highly endangered taxa – 85 % of the spider species and 100 % of the harvestman taxa are endangered in Austria – is poor

Christian Kropf & Peter Horak (Hrsg.) (2009): Towards a natural history of arthropods and other organisms. In memoriam Konrad Thaler [Rezension]

Contributions to Natural History 12: Band 1: 1-516, Band 2: 517-1048, Band 3: 1049-1574. In englischer und z.T. in deutscher Sprache. ISSN 1660-9972. Bestellung: Naturhistorisches Museum der Burgergemeinde Bern, Bibliothek, Bernastraße 15, CH-3005 Bern, Schweiz, Internet: http://www.nmbe.unibe.c

Bisexuals surrounded by all-female clones: new records of Megabunus lesserti (Opiliones: Phalangiidae) in the northeastern Alps

New data on the sex ratio of 16 populations of the endemic harvestman Megabunus lesserti Schenkel, 1927 in the northeastern Alps confirm the previously assumed pattern of geographic parthenogenesis. Bisexuals inhabit a small area between the eastern margin of the Northern Calcareous Alps and the Ennstaler Alps, which was not covered by ice during the last (Würm) glaciations. Postglacially recolonized areas are occupied by parthenogenetic clones. Some all-female samples were found in close geographic proximity to bisexual populations. Apparently isolated occurrences at the western (Ammergau Alps) and southwestern (Carinthian) limits of the range proved to consist exclusively of females. A single male recorded in the Karwendel Mts. near Innsbruck is interpreted preferentially as a case of spanandry, being a fatherless "mistake" without any significant function

How many species of mite-harvestmen (Opiliones, Cyphophthalmi) are there in Austria?

Der bodenbewohnende Milbenkanker Cyphophthalmus duricorius Joseph, 1868 (Fam. Sironidae) galt mehr als 60 Jahre lang als die einzige in Österreich vorkommende Art der Weberknecht-Unterordnung Cyphophthalmi. Neuere Aufsammlungen zeigen jedoch, dass mindestens zwei weitere Cyphophthalmi-Arten in Österreich existieren: 1) Siro cf. crassus Novak & Giribet, 2006 wurde an einer Lokalität in der SW Steiermark nahe der slowenischen Grenze gefunden und repräsentiert eine zweite Gattung von Sironiden in Österreich. 2) Ein weiterer, morphologisch distinkter Sironide („Sironidae gen. et sp. nov.?“) − derzeit noch unbeschrieben und taxonomisch nicht zugeordnet − stammt aus Böden im Grenzgebiet Steiermark-Kärnten. Obwohl bislang kein syntopes Vorkommen belegt ist, können alle drei Arten in einem kleinen Areal von wenigen Quadratkilometern gefunden werden.For the last 60 years, the mite-harvestman Cyphophthalmus duricorius Joseph, 1868, a soil-dwelling sironid, has been considered to be the only representative of the opilionid suborder Cyphophthalmi in Austria. However, novel data from recent collections confirm the presence of at least two further Austrian cyphophthalmid species. (1) Siro cf. crassus Novak & Giribet, 2006 occurs in at least one location in SW Styria near the Slovenian border and hence represents a member of a second genus of Austrian sironids. (2) A further morphologically distinct sironid (“Sironidae gen. et sp. nov.?”) – so far undescribed and systematically not placed in detail – was collected in the borderland between Styria and Carinthia. All three species can be found in a small area of a few square-kilometers; although no syntopic occurrence was recorded

Naphthoquinones and Anthraquinones from Scent Glands of a Dyspnoid Harvestman, Paranemastoma quadripunctatum

Extracts of Paranemastoma quadripunctatum (Opiliones, Dyspnoi, Nemastomatidae) contained seven components, all of which likely originated from the secretion of well-developed prosomal scent glands. The two main components (together accounting for more than 90% of the secretion) were identified as 1,4-naphthoquinone and 6-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone. The minor components were 1,4-naphthalenediol, two methoxy-naphthoquinones (2-methoxy-1,4-naphthoquinone, and 2-methoxy-6-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone) and two anthraquinones (2-methyl-9,10-anthraquinone and a dimethyl-9,10-anthraquinone). While some chemical data on scent gland secretions of the other suborders of Opiliones (Cyphophthalmi, palpatorean Eupnoi, and Laniatores) already exist, this is the first report on the scent gland chemistry in the Dyspnoi. Naphthoquinones are known scent gland exudates of Cyphophthalmi and certain Eupnoi, methoxy-naphthoquinones and anthraquinones are new for opilionid scent gland secretions

Spiders in caves: the CAWEB project

World experts of different disciplines, from molecular biology to macroecology, recognize the value of cave ecosystems as ideal ecological and evolutionary laboratories. Among other subterranean taxa, spiders stand out as intriguing model organisms for their ecological role of top-predators, their unique adaptations to the hypogean medium and their sensitivity to anthropogenic disturbance. Here, we provide a general overview of the spider families recorded in hypogean habitats in Europe–20 families including nearly 500 species, most of them with restricted distributions. We also review the different adaptations of hypogean spiders to subterranean life and summarize the information gathered so far about their origin, population structure, ecology and conservation status. Taxonomic knowledge on subterranean spiders in Europe appears to be well, but not exhaustively documented. The origin of the European assemblages is mostly explained by past climate dynamics, although other factors are likely to be involved. Most of the macroecological issues related to spiders in European caves are based on qualitative assessments or have been quantified only at a sub-regional scale. In order to shed light on cave spiders’ biogeography and the macroecological patterns driving the diversity of European subterranean spiders we created the CAWEB network, a spontaneous collaboration between subterranean arachnologists from 30 different European countries. We here present the team and provide some preliminary results, which highlight Southern Europe as an important hot-spot for the European subterranean spider diversity