Diversity of non-acarine arachnids of the Ophathe Game Reserve, South Africa : testing a rapid sampling protocol

As part of the second phase of the South African National Survey of Arachnida (SANSA), field surveys were conducted in many degree-square grids throughout the country using a standardised rapid sampling protocol. This study reports on the arachnid diversity of the Ophathe Game Reserve (OGR) in northern KwaZulu-Natal, as found during a preliminary survey in June 2007 (mid winter) and a SANSA field survey in October 2008 (mid spring) in four representative habitats. The SANSA survey included seven sampling methods: pitfalls, beating, sweep-netting, litter sifting, hand collecting, night collecting and Winkler traps. A total of 282 species in six arachnid orders were collected during the two surveys, of which spiders were the most species-rich order (268 species in 47 families). The SANSA survey yielded 966 adult arachnids, representing six orders and 197 species, with a further 67 species represented only by immatures. Although adult arachnid abundance (n) differed considerably between the four habitats (range: 156–321), adult species richness (Sobs) was less variable (range: 65–85). These survey results are comparable with several longer-term surveys in the Savanna biome, and indicate that the SANSA sampling protocol can yield an impressive diversity of arachnids during a relatively short period of sampling, with a high level of coverage (> 0.8 for sites and most sampling methods) and moderate levels of sample completion for adults (> 0.55 for all sites), despite logistical and temporal challenges. Additional repetitions of the SANSA sampling protocol in other seasons will likely increase biodiversity knowledge of arachnids in OGR considerably. CONSERVATION IMPLICATIONS : The implementation of rapid sampling protocols in an atlas project is essential to generate a large volume of species-level data. The SANSA protocol is an efficient means for rapidly generating arachnid data, and in future will allow for an assessment of diversity patterns in degree-square grids across South Africa.http://www.koedoe.co.zaam201

A revision of the crab spider genus Heriaeus Simon, 1875 (Araneae : Thomisidae) in the Afrotropical Region

The genus Heriaeus Simon, 1875 is revised in the Afrotropical Region. Ten new species are described: H. allenjonesi (♂♀ South Africa), H. antoni (♂♀ Yemen), H. copricola (♂♀ South Africa), H. foordi (♂♀ South Africa), H. madagascar (♂ Madagascar), H. muizenberg (♂ South Africa), H. peterwebbi (♂♀ South Africa), H. sossusvlei (♀ Namibia), H. xanderi (♂♀ South Africa) and H. zanii (♂♀ South Africa and Tanzania). Heriaeus fimbriatus Lawrence, 1942 is redescribed and recognized as the male of H. crassispinus Lawrence, 1942, and synonymized here. Two other previously known Afrotropical species are redescribed: H. transvaalicus Simon, 1895 (including the first male description) and H. latifrons Lessert, 1919.The National Research Foundation of South Africahttp://africaninvertebrates.orgam2014ab201

Revision of the spider genus Mystaria Simon, 1895 (Araneae : Thomisidae) and the description of a new genus from the Afrotropical region

The spider genera Mystaria Simon, 1895 and Paramystaria Lessert, 1919 are revised (Mystarini: Thomisidae). About 400 individuals were studied. The approach followed was classical taxonomy using illustrated sexual dimorphic copulatory characters and described morphological characters, photographed or measured. Paramystaria is considered a junior synonym of Mystaria, based on similarity to the type M. rufolimbata Simon, 1895 but with the exclusion of M. unicolor Simon, 1895, a species last studied in 1895. Mystaria unicolor is re-described and placed in a new genus, Leroya gen. n., together with L. silva sp. n. (♂♀, DRC) which is recognised as the type species. Mystaria now contains 13 well-defined species, four of which are in new generic combinations. Four males are described for the first time, and eight new species. Re-described species include M. flavoguttata Lawrence, 1952, M. lata Lawrence, 1927, M. rufolimbata and M. variabilis Lessert, 1919. Subspecies elevated to species level include M. occidentalis Millot, 1942 and new species descriptions include M. budongo sp. n. (♂, Rwanda, DRC, Uganda), M. irmatrix sp. n. (♀♂, Mozambique, South Africa) M. lindaicapensis sp. n. (♀♂, South Africa), M. mnyama sp. n. (♀♂, South Africa), M. oreadae sp. n. (♀, Rwanda, DRC), M. savannensis sp. n. (♀♂, Botswana, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe), M. soleil sp. n. (♀♂, Uganda, Kenya) and M. stakesbyi sp. n. (♀♂, Ghana, DRC, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda). The insufficiently known taxa Paramystaria decorata Lessert, 1919 and P. variabilis delesserti Caporiacco, 1949 are also transferred to Mystaria. Keys are provided to species and related tribal genera, with geographic distributions of species recorded. Revisions of more genera are needed, in particular of those genera related to Mystarini, before phylogenetic relationships can be considered.South African National Research Foundation (NRF) and the South African National Survey of Arachnida (SANSA).Frank Honiball.http://www.mapress.com/zootaxahb201

Notes on the biology of the wasp, Chalybion spinolae (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae), an obligatory predator of Latrodectus (Araneae : Theridiidae) spiders in South Africa

Some aspects of the biology of the wasp Chalybion spinolae are documented. This includes behaviour relating to life cycles, nesting, mating, oviposition and prey interaction of this wasp. The physical appearance of the wasps and their prey are described and some measurements are given. The prey of C. spinolae are two species of spiders, Latrodectus indistinctus and Latrodectus geometricus (Araneae: Theridiidae). The observations spanned a period of 5 years, and involved approximately 200 wasp nests. This study serves to provide more observational information about the biology of the wasp and its predatory behaviour.http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/tnah20hb2017Zoology and Entomolog

Medically important spider bites in southern Africa

Few spider bites are of medical significance in southern Africa. Unfortunately, unexplained lesions are often erroneously attributed to spider bites, sometimes with grave consequences for the patient.1,2 Correct diagnoses facilitate timeous and appropriate treatment. Medically important spiders in southern Africa have either neurotoxic or cytotoxic venom. Here we provide a broad description of the most important neurotoxic and cytotoxic spiders in southern Africa, the clinical profiles of their bites, and the recommended treatment. We touch on clinical variation of bites and misdiagnoses.https://journals.co.za/journal/mp.sagpam2022Zoology and Entomolog

The distribution and population status of Nesiergus insulanus (Araneae: Theraphosidae: Ischnocolinae) on Frégate Island, Seychelles

The theraphosid Nesiergus insulanus is a member of a genus endemic to the Seychelles archipelago. Very little is known about the finer-scale distribution, density, and total population size of the species, knowledge of which is essential for conservation purposes. We used transect sampling to estimate these variables on Frégate Island. We show that the species is widely distributed, but geographically restricted as a result of fragmentation due to human activity. Where found, densities can be very high (>100 m-2). The total population on the island was estimated to be well over 100,000, although limitations to dispersal ability may be of conservation concern.http://wiki.britishspiders.org.uk/index.php5?title=Publications/Arachnologyam2014ab201

Aspects of the ecology and behaviour of the Seychelles theraphosid Nesiergus insulanus (Arachnida : Araneae : Theraphosidae)

Aspects of the ecology and life history of the little known theraphosid Nesiergus insulanus are determined on Frégate Island in the Seychelles archipelago. The general behaviour of this species is revealed to be comparable to that of other theraphosids, with field and captive observations establishing that they are a generalist and opportunistic species. The defensive behaviour of the species is determined to be based primarily on the avoidance of conflict situations, with overt aggressive behaviour seldom displayed. Although the opportunistic existence that this species has developed is probably obligatory due to their sedentary lifestyle and limited availability of resources, this behaviour nonetheless allows the species to occupy diverse habitats and exploit niches unavailable to more specialized species.http://africaninvertebrates.org2016-12-30am201

Spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) of the vegetation layer of the Mkambati Nature Reserve, Eastern Cape, South Africa

The Pondoland region of the Eastern Cape province, South Africa is very poorly studied with regard to invertebrate diversity, particularly in the case of arachnids. Accordingly, and in view of proposed infrastructural and mining developments in this ecologically sensitive area of high plant endemism, baseline data are provided on spiders (Araneae) of the vegetation layer (i.e. excluding the ground-dwelling fauna) of the Mkambati Nature Reserve (MNR). Spiders were collected at 26 sites (six forest and 20 grassland sites) in the MNR over an eight-day period, using sweep sampling and active searching of flowers in grassland and tree beating in forests, as part of a broader biodiversity survey. Additional specimens were collected with Malaise and pan traps. A total of 1275 specimens were sampled, representing 132 species (6.6% of the total number recorded in South Africa) in 103 genera and 29 families. Theridiidae and Araneidae were the most diverse spider families in the reserve, represented by 22 species each (16.7% of the total), followed by Thomisidae with 19 species (14.4%) and Salticidae with 18 species (13.6%). Grassland and forest had distinct spider faunas, with only 24.2% of species being recorded from both biomes. The average number of species sampled per site in grassland and forest was 26 species for both habitats, although values for the two biomes are not directly comparable because different sampling methods were used. All 132 species are new records for the reserve, of which 20 were new records for the Eastern Cape and at least eight spider species may be new to science. The spider diversity captured despite temporal and methodological limits indicates that many additional species are likely to occur in the reserve. CONSERVATION IMPLICATIONS: If the MNR is not adequately conserved at least five new species, which may be confined to the area, would be at high risk of extinction and 15 other species endemic to the Pondoland and KwaZulu-Natal region would have their risk of extinction increased.The Earthwatch Institute, Eastern Cape Nature Conservation and the National Research Foundation through a grant to M.H.http://www.koedoe.co.zaab201

Faunistic diversity of spiders (Arachinda: Araneae) of the Savanna Biome in South Africa

Invertebrates include more than 80% of all animals, yet they are severely under-represented in studies of southern African diversity. Site biodiversity estimates that ignore invertebrates, not only omit the greatest part of what they are attempting to measure, but also neglect major contributions to essential ecosystem processes. All available information on spider species distribution in the South African Savanna Biome was compiled. This is the largest biome in the country, occupying over one third of the surface area. A total of 23 739 records from 1260 localities were recorded in the South African Savanna Biome until the end of 2010. This include 1230 species represented by 381 genera and 62 families. The last decade has seen an exponential growth in the knowledge of the group in South Africa, but there certainly are several more species that have to be discovered, and the distribution patterns of those listed are partly unknown. Information is summarised for all quarter-degree squares for the biome and reveals considerable inequalities in knowledge. At a large scale the eastern region is much better surveyed than the western parts, but at finer scales throughout the region, several areas have little information. The Salticidae is the most diverse family (162 spp.) and also has the most endemic savannah species (42 spp.). An endemicity index indicates that 366 species are endemic to the biome, with 322 species that are near endemics, i.e., also occurring in an adjacent biome. An abundance index (1-3) was also calculated for each species based on numbers sampled. A rarity index for each species gives a preliminary indication of their conservation importance. Patterns of guild composition are summarised and species known to play a role as predators in agro-ecosystems found within the biome are also discussed.The Agricultural Research Council (ARC) and the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), Threatened Species Programme for funding the South African National Survey of Arachnida (SANSA) phase 2.http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/ttrs20ab201

Surrogates of spider diversity, leveraging the conservation of a poorly known group in the Savanna Biome of South Africa (Arachnida : Araneae)

The inclusion of spiders in conservation planning initiatives is confounded by several factors. Surrogates could facilitate their incorporation. In this paper we investigate the performance of a number of surrogate measures, such as higher taxa (genus, family), cross-taxon surrogates that are subsets of the spider assemblages (certain spider families) or non-overlapping groups (woody vegetation and birds), and the use of morphospecies. Birds and woody vegetation were included because they often form the focus of conservation planning initiatives. We assessed the surrogate measures based on their predictive power for species richness and extent to which conservation planning that maximizes representation of the surrogate is effective in representing spider diversity. A measure for the latter is the Species Accumulation Index (SAI). Generic richness as a higher taxon surrogate and the combined richness of the families Thomisidae and Salticidae were the best estimators of total species richness. Based on the surrogacy efficiency criterion, genera and the family Salticidae had species accumulation indices (SAIs) that were significantly larger than 95% confidence intervals of a random curve, while woody vegetation and birds turned out to be poor surrogates for spider diversity. The use of morphospecies as estimators is cautiously supported (adjusted R2 = 0.85, for species richness, SAI = 0.73). The surrogates identified here provide a viable alternative to whole assemblage analysis but should be used with caution. The use of genera is confounded by unstable taxonomy and the difficulty of identifying specimens up to genus level. Geographic location and varying sampling effort between surveys did not have an effect on the surrogate performance of the two spider families, viz. Salticidae and Thomisidae. The former family has seen a flood of recent systematic work, whereas the latter’s taxonomy is fairly well developed. These two families comprise ca. 20% of spider species observed in the Savanna Biome of South Africa and could provide a viable handle on spider diversity in this region.This research was funded by the University of Venda and an NRF grant (GUN 2054390) to the first author. SHF also acknowledges support from the DST-NRF Centre of Excellence for Invasion Biology.http://www.elsevier.com/ locate/bioconhb201