The biodiversity and species composition of the spider community of Marion Island, a recent survey (Arachnida: Araneae)

Marion Island, the larger of the Prince Edward Islands, lies in the sub-Antarctic biogeographic region in the southern Indian Ocean. From previous surveys, four spider species are known from Marion. The last survey was undertaken in 1968. During this study a survey was undertaken over a period of four weeks on the island to determine the present spider diversity and to record information about the habitat preferences and general behaviour of the species present. Three collection methods (active search, Tullgren funnels and pitfall traps) were used, and spiders were sampled from six habitat sites. A total of 430 spiders represented by four families were collected, Myro kerguelenesis crozetensis Enderlein, 1909 and M. paucispinosus Berland, 1947 (Desidae), Prinerigone vagans (Audouin, 1826) (Linyphiidae), Cheiracanthium furculatum Karsch, 1879 (Miturgidae) and an immature Salticidae. The miturgid and salticid are first records. Neomaso antarticus (Hickman, 1939) (Linyphiidae) was absent from samples, confirming that the species might have been an erroneous record

A check list of the pseudoscorpions of South Africa (Arachnida: Pseudoscorpiones)

A check list of the Pseudoscorpiones of the class Arachnida of South Africa is presented. A total of 135 species and 10 subspecies of pseudoscorpions are known from South Africa, represented by seven superfamilies, 15 families and 65 genera. This represents about 4.4 of the world fauna. Of the 135 species, 97 species (73 ) are known only from South Africa, 33 species have a wider distribution pattern throughout the Afrotropical Region and three are cosmopolitan. This study forms part of the South African National Survey of Arachnida (SANSA)

Revision of the Afrotropical crab-spider genus Parabomis Kulczyński, 1901 (Araneae: Thomisidae)

The Afrotropical spider genus Parabomis Kulczyński, 1901 is revised. Members of Parabomis are some of the smallest thomisids known, and occur from Eritrea in the north of Africa to South Africa in the south, but are absent from Madagascar. Prior to this study, three species were known, namely P. levanderi Kulczyński, 1901 (Eritrea, ♂), P. martini Lessert, 1919 (Tanzania, ♂♀) and P. anabensis Lawrence, 1928 (Namibia, ♀). Parabomis anabensis sp. nov. is here recognized as a junior synonym of P. martini and four new species are described: P. elsae sp. nov. from South Africa (♂♀), P. megae sp. nov. from Zimbabwe (♂♀), P. pilosus sp. nov. from Botswana (♂♀) and P. wandae sp. nov. from Ghana (♂♀). A key to the six species is provided. The monotypic Afrotropical genus Felsina Simon, 1895, only known from its type species, F. granulum Simon, 1895, resembles Parabomis closely is known only from juveniles

The effect of elevation and time on mountain spider diversity: a view of two aspects in the Cederberg mountains of South Africa

Aim Our aim is to test if long-term patterns in α alpha and ß beta diversity along an elevational transect on two aspects of a mountain are consistent through time using spiders as model organisms, quantify the role of elevation and time (seasonal and inter-annual) in explaining these patterns and partition the relative contribution of nestedness, species turnover and species loss in explaining these diversity patterns. Location The transect is across the Cederberg mountains in the Cape Floristic Kingdom, Western Cape, South Africa and is constituted by 17 sites with an elevational range of 1900 m on two aspects of the mountain (east and west). Methods Spider assemblages were sampled biannually (wet and dry seasons) over 6 years. Four replicates per site, each consisting of a 5 x 2 pitfall grid, were sampled for 5 days sessions. Generalized linear mixed models with Poisson error structure for species richness (alpha diversity), binomial error structure for beta diversity (Jaccard dissimilarity ßcc and its partitioned components, ß-3 and ßrich), and Gaussian error structure for beta diversity values standardized by a null model (SES) were used to model the effects of elevation and season on these two indices respectively. Results Although varying considerably between years, spider alpha diversity had a hump-shaped pattern on the western aspect and U-shaped on the eastern aspect. However, season interacted with elevation to produce more complex patterns during the dry season. There was no significant nestedness except for two instances on the western aspect. Replacement accounted for 60–70% of beta diversity between sites, and elevational distance decay in beta diversity was the result of increased turnover on the western aspect and increased species loss on the eastern aspect. Standardized patterns suggest that there are no effects of season on beta diversity except for a decreased distance decay during the dry season on the western aspect. Main conclusions Large-scale predictors of spider alpha diversity explained small amounts of variation in spider diversity, pointing to the importance of local and stochastic processes. Regional turnover of spider diversity is mainly the result of niche processes, suggesting localized adaptation of taxa, further supported by the lack of nestedness in assemblages

New records of Cladomelea from South Africa, including the first records of C. longipes (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1877) (Araneae, Araneidae) outside its type locality

We present the first records of the bolas spider, Cladomelea longipes (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1877), beyond its type locality, resulting in a considerable extension of its geographic range in Africa. We compare C. longipes with the two other species of Cladomelea known from South Africa, C. akermani Hewitt, 1923 and C. debeeri Roff & Dippenaar-Schoeman, 2004. Images of live specimens and a distribution map are provided. Cladomelea longipes is very rare locally but has a relatively large geographical distribution in the Afrotropical Region

A Revision of the genus <i>Ceratogyrus</i> Pocock (Araneae: Theraphosidae)

The African genus Ceratogyrus of the family Theraphosidae is revised, with notes of its natural history. Seven species are recognised and distinguished in a key. Six species, namely C. bechuanicus Pocock, C. brachycephalus Hewitt, C. darlingii Pocock, C. dolichocephalus Hewitt, C. marshalli Pocock and C. sanderi Strand are redescribed and figured, C. cornuatus is newly described and figured and C. schultzei Pocock is synonymized with C. bechuanicus. Lectotypes are designated for four species namely, C. brachycephalus, C. darlingii, C. dolichocephalus and C. marshalli. Distributional data is given for all seven species