View - Scorpions of Southern Africa

DECEMBER 2007
SANSA - Newsletter
No 4
This publication is available from:
Ansie Dippenaar-Schoeman
DippenaarA@arc.agric.za or at
www.arc.agric.za/home.asp?pid=3732
Newsletter Newsletter Newsletter Newsletter Newsletter
South African National
Survey of Arachnida
This is the newsletter of the South African National Survey
of Arachnida (SANSA). SANSA is an umbrella project
dedicated to unify and strengthen biodiversity research on
Arachnida in South Africa and to make an inventory of our
arachnofauna. It runs on a national basis in collaboration
with other researchers and institutions with an interest in
the fauna of South Africa.
African Arachnological Colloquium
The African Arachnological Society is organizing
the 9th African Arachnological Colloquium at the
Lajuma Mountain Retreat. The venue is situated
on the highest point of the Zoutpansberg (malaria
free).
It is being jointly organized by the University of
Venda and the ARC-Plant Protection
Research Institute.
Colloquium updates will be posted on the official
website http://soutpansberg.com/aac9
Editors:
Ansie Dippenaar-
Schoeman & Charles
Haddad
Editorial committee:
Almie van den Berg,
Annette van den Berg &
Elsa van Niekerk
The deadline for payment of registration and
submission of abstracts is
5 January 2008.
REGISTRATION FEES
The registration fee is set at R350. This will include
a welcoming function (Sunday evening)
and copies of the program and abstracts
Extra - colloquium dinner: Thursday
evening, 7 February, at R70 per person – also
payable with registration fee.
Interested persons can contact: Dr Stefan
Foord (SFoord@univen.ac.za) or
Dr Ansie Dippenaar-Schoeman
(DippenaarA@arc.agric.za)
READ MORE ABOUT LAJUMA
at www.lajuma.com
If you want to know more about the fauna and
flora the following information available:
A First Synthesis of the Environmental, Biology
and Cultural Assets of the Soutpansberg. Berger
K., Crafford J.E., Gaigher I., Gaigher M.J., Hahn
N., and Macdonald I., (eds). Louis Trichardt,
Leach Printers and Soutpansberg, Limpopo Biosphere
Initiative available on-line at http://
www.soutpansberg.com/workshop/synthesis/
spiders.
The Colloquium will also be attended by a
group of international scientists (11) from
participating in the PBI Oonopidae project. A
team from Belgium under leadership of Rudy
Jocqué will demonstrate the fogging of tree
canopies directly after the colloquium.

The virtual museum is growing rapidly and the photographs
of 58 photographers have already been entered
into the database totaling 250 entries (about
500 images), while >100 are still waiting to be entered.
Please visit the site www.arc.agric.za (quick link
SANSA, virtual museum). Presently you can search
by photographer or common name and species name
of spider. We will improve the website’s capabilities in
2008 so that a search can be done on the families
and genera as well.
Not all spiders can be identified to species level due
to the importance of the genitalia in species identification,
but with the more common species a specific
identification can be given.
If possible, the photographers must try to capture the
specimens as well, to confirm the species identification,
especially when it is a rare specimen. We make
use of a team of experts to help with the identifications,
and frequently we receive the answer “possibly
new genus and species” from the specialists, so those
specimens will be very important to collect for descriptive
purposes.
For more information or sending your photographs,
contact Ansie Dippenaar-Schoeman at
DippenaarA@arc.agric.za
Bird dropping spiders of the family Thomisidae Phrynarachne
spp. photographed by John Roff (top) and
Jenny Cook (bottom) in KZN.
SANSA - Newsletter No 4
SANSA Virtual Museum
A BIG THANK YOU TO: Richard Gallon,
Charles Haddad, Lorenzo Prendini and Rudy
Jocqué for assistance with identification of photographs.
Page 2
Some very interesting photographs received
Spider collected and photographed by Carol Smith at
Mkuzi. According to Rudy Jocqué “new genus of the
Ctenidae” (tropical wolf spiders).
A interesting bird dropping spider of the Araneidae
collected and photographed by Allen Jones at Mpetsane
Conservation Estate near Clocolan.
Ansie and Allen are busy writing up the behaviour of
this interesting species.

Araneus legonensis was originally described from
Ghana in West Africa, but as part of SANSA surveys
was collected on the Soutpansberg in the Limpopo
Province, and at Helsgate and Hilton in KwaZulu-
Natal .
Abdominal pattern of Araneus legonensis.
Code: b=black; w=white; y=yellow
(from Grasshoff & Edmunds 1979).
FURTHER READING
Grasshoff, M. & Edmunds, J. 1979. Araneus
legonensis n.sp. (Araneidae: Araneae) from
Ghana, West Africa, and its free sector web .
Bulletin of the British Arachnological Society 4:
303-309.
SANSA - Newsletter No 4
SANSA Virtual Museum (continued)
Some more interesting photographs received
John Roff photographed this interesting spider at Hilton in KwaZulu-
Natal. It is a spider described by Grasshoff & Edmunds (1979) as
Araneus legonensis of the family Araneidae. The markings on the
abdomen are very unusual, and when the spider is in it’s retreat it
resembles the eye patterns of certain salticid genera (e.g. Thyene).
The orb-web of Araneus legonensis
(from Grasshoff & Edmunds 1979).
Page 3

DO YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT
AFRICAN SPIDERS?
rica.
The ARC-Plant Protection Research
Institute and the Koninklijk
Museum voor Midden-Afrika, Belgium
launched the African Arachnida
Database (AFRAD) in 1995,
in accordance with the International
Convention on Biological
Diversity. AFRAD is an umbrella
project dedicated to the unification
and enhancement of biosystematics
research on Arachnida in Af-
The main aim of AFRAD is to make an inventory of the Arachnida
fauna of Africa that will provide essential baseline information
needed to address issues such as conservation and sustainable
use. A database developed by the ITC team at ARC Central Office
enables the compilation of information on the African Arachnida.
At the end of July 2007 the first phase of the AFRAD database
went live on the ARC website. This is one of the first efforts to
make ARC-databases available online. The second phase to be
launched soon, will provide information on more than 600 spider
genera.
The AFRAD expert system is available online on the ARC web
site (www.arc.agric.za see quick link AFRAD). AFRAD has provided
a remarkable stimulus to Arachnid research in Africa since
the launch of the project. Several projects have already been
completed or are in progress. The identification tools will make an
important contribution to bypass the present taxonomic impediment.
THE FOLLOWING FACT SHEETS NOW
AVAILABLE
Data on all 72 African spider families can be printed
out as fact sheets include information on:
• Diagnostic and descriptive characters
• Behaviour
• Distribution
• List of genera and species with information on their
distribution in Africa
• Information on research activities.
• The information is richly illustrated with black and
white line drawings, as well as colour photographs
Contact: Dr Ansie Dippenaar -Schoeman at
DippenaarA@arc.agric.za or Rudy Jocqué at
rudy.jocque@africamuseum.be if you want to participate.
Visit www.arc.agric.za see quick link AFRAD (Fact sheet)
SANSA - Newsletter No 4
SANSA Website
For more information on SANSA visit the website
www.arc.agric.za quick link SANSA
Another interesting photograph
Page 4
TOTALS TO DATE
• Number of entries in National Collection of
Arachnida = 30 000
• Number in SANSA database (published records)
= 9900
This very interesting wolf spider was photographed by Hannes
Mitchell at the Vaaldam. This species is known from Mozambique
and this is our first record from South Africa.

SANSA - Newsletter No 4
The Free State team
Arachnid researchers in the Free State (clockwise from top left): Charles Haddad (University of the Free State), Leon
Lotz and Trudie Peyper (National Museum), Robin Lyle and René Fourie (U.F.S.), and Allen Jones (Clocolan).
SURVEY OF THE BOTANICAL GARDEN– BLOEMFONTEIN
In January 2006 a project was launched jointly by the Departments of
Arachnology (Leon Lotz and Trudie Peyper) and Entomology (Riana
Poller and Sonnika Otto) of the National Museum, to survey the
Arachnida and insects of the National Botanical Gardens in Bloemfontein.
From January 2006 to January 2007 pitfall traps were set to
collect the surface active fauna. During 2007 sweeping and beating
SPIDERS OF THE ERFENIS DAM NATURE RESERVE
Since September 2005 a survey has been continuing on the arachnid
fauna of the Erfenis Dam Nature Reserve near Theunissen. Initially,
the project aimed to assess the impact of controlled burning on the
ground-dwelling arachnid fauna (Charles Haddad), but the opportunity
was taken to investigate the spider faunas of three common tree
species (René Fourie and Anel Grobler) and also the spider commu-
ARACHNID SYSTEMATICS
Leon Lotz recently completed the study of the Afrotropical Cheiracanthium
species with a revision of the described species (Lotz 2007)
and publication of a separate paper in which new species from the
region were described (Lotz in press). Robin Lyle is continuing her
revision of the Afrotropical tracheline sac spiders. The revision of
Cetonana is nearing completion and the revision of Trachelas should
CAPTURING THE FREE STATE ARACHNIDS WITH PHOTOGRAPHS
Allen Jones is slowly but steadily building up a set of spider photographs
of the Free State. He has already taken more than 700 photo-
Page 5
of the grass, shrub and tree species will be carried out to
determine the associated fauna. The material collected so
far still has to be sorted and identified. Material of a new
genus of tracheline sac spiders, first caught at Erfenis Dam
Nature Reserve, was also recently collected in the Botanical
Gardens at the base of grass tussocks.
nities in four contrasting grassland types in the reserve
(René Fourie). The latter studies were completed during
August 2007 and will be submitted for publication during
2008. In total, 54 species were collected from the three tree
species and 84 species from the grassland. Pitfall material
from the fire study will be sorted during 2008.
be completed by March 2008. Many new species will be
described from both genera. Charles Haddad continues with
revisions of various corinnid genera. The revision of Austrophaea
will be published soon (Haddad in press), and the
revisions of Cambalida, Messapus and Austrachelas are
nearly complete. René Fourie will start her M.Sc. during
2008 and will revise the genus Clubiona in southern Africa.
graphs. Many of them are already displayed in the virtual
museum.

SANSA - Newsletter No 4
NEWS FLASHES ON SANSA SURVEYS
KZN-TEMBE ELEPHANT PARK
Tembe Elephant Park is situated in northern KwaZulu-Natal and
borders with Mozambique to the north. Several surveys have
been undertaken in Tembe since 2000 and material collected by
students of the University of the Free State was recently sorted
and has been sent to ARC—PPRI for identification. The data
generated through these surveys will complement collections
done by Alet Honiball and other students during March 2003 in
the reserve, and also collecting done by John and Astri Leroy.
The first paper on Tembe has been completed (see below) and
once the identifications have been completed a checklist of the
arachnid fauna of the reserve will be submitted for publication.
At this point it seems that Tembe’s diversity will closely rival the
431 spider species recorded from nearby Ndumo Game Reserve.
HADDAD, C.R., HONIBALL, A.S., DIPPENAAR-SCHOEMAN,
A.S., SLOTOW, R. & VAN RENSBURG, B.J. (under review).
Spiders as indicators of elephant-induced habitat changes in
endemic sand forest, Maputoland, South Africa. African Zoology.
Contact: Charles Haddad at
HaddadCR.SCI@mail.uovs.ac.za
Some spiders from KZN.
KZN-ITHALA AND OPATHE GAME
RESERVES
During June-July 2007, students from the University of the
Free State undertook a trip to various conserved areas in
KwaZulu-Natal. This included visits to the Ithala and Ophathe
Game Reserves, and to the Greater St Lucia Wetlands Park.
Arachnids were intensively collected at all three sites, and
several new species were collected at each. The data generated
will make an important contribution to SANSA as both
Ithala and Ophathe have not been previously sampled. More
than 80 species were collected in each reserve, and gives
some idea of the diversity of these two savanna reserves.
During the next SANSA Phase II sampling season (2008-9) it
is hoped that these two reserves can be included in the field
surveys, which will make a valuable contribution to the SANSA
surveys in conserved areas.
Contact: Charles Haddad at
HaddadCR.SCI@mail.uovs.ac.za
KZN—UMKHUZE GAME RESERVE
Page 6
The Greater St Lucia Wetland Project conducted a field survey
in the uMkhuze section of the Park from 10 July - 25 August
using Operation Wallacea (www.opwall.com) volunteers, with
some school children, but mostly undergraduate students, from
UK universities. A variety of vertebrate and invertebrate taxa
were targeted for the survey: small terrestrial mammals, bats,
reptiles, frogs and birds and arachnids. Specimens were collected
using pitfall traps, sweep netting and bush-beating.
Twenty five buckets serving as pitfalls were set out at each of
the 10 trapping stations, and the collected material was gathered
each morning for further sorting. Carol Smith of the Spider
Club led the arachnid collecting part of the survey, and 193
bottles of specimens were generated and will be identified in
due course at the ARC—PPRI. The second phase started in
November 2007.
For more details contact Xander Combrink, Project Manager:
combrinx@kznwildlife.com
The team at Mkuzi.
SPIDERS OF THE MPETSANE
CONSERVATION ESTATE
A survey is underway to determine the arachnid diversity of the
Mpetsane Conservation Estate (previously known as Spitskoppen)
near Clocolan in the Eastern Free State Highlands. Allen
Jones and Jenny Looter the owners of the Estate , are both
keen naturalists. Members of the Spider Research Centre undertook
a collecting trip to the Estate to collect arachnids in
March 2007. They were joined by Charles Haddad of the University
of the Free State and Leon Lotz of the National Museum,
Bloemfontein.
A total of 400 specimens were collected represented by 30
families and 113 species. Two news species—a very interesting
bird dropping spider and a new Thysanina sp. (Corinnidae)
have so far been collected on the estate.
Presently the photo gallerycontains more than 1600 images of
spiders photographed by Allen Jones.
Contact: Allen Jones at allen@lantic.net

BLOUBERG NATURE RESERVE
SANSA - Newsletter No 4
SANSA SURVEYS (CONTINUED)
The first north-south transect across the Western Soutpansberg was
completed in November-December 2006 by a team of nine that included
students and lecturers from the University of Venda.
Nine sites were set out at 200m altitudinal intervals and sampling
included at least 16 one hour samples at each site spread over beating,
sifting, sweepnetting, pitfall trapping and below and above the
knee searching. The scorpions have been processed, thanks to Ian
Engelbrecht, and included a total of 12 species and 2 endemics,
Opisthothalmus lawrencei and Hadogenes soutpanbergensis. Grace
Tshivhandekano, an honours student will analyse determinants of
turnover along this transect and include three additional taxa as part
of her project report: Thomisidae, Aranaeidae and Gnaphosidae.
Mulalo Muelelwa is writing up her thesis which investigated spiders
as surrogate measures of biodiversity. She also looked at sampling
protocols to determine diversity in the Savanna biome.
Eight habitats (relative homogenous within each habitat), four of
which were in the Blouberg Nature Reserve and the rest on the farm
Little Leigh in the interior of the Western Soutpansberg, were sampled
using a standardized protocol and she has subsequently identified
1953 adult spiders up to morpho-species. Planning for the 9 th
African Arachnological Colloquium that will be held at Lajuma in February
is also well underway.
Contact: Stefan Foord SFoord@univen.ac.za
The Thuthuka team.
POLOKWANE NATURE RESERVE
Under supervision of Susan Dippenaar and Ansie Dippenaar-
Schoeman two students Mokgadi Modiba and Thembile Khoza of the
University of Limpopo have completed their MSc studies. They are
waiting for the results. Their studies were a year long survey of the
biodiversity of the spiders of six habitat types using four collecting
methods in the Polokwane Nature Reserve, Limpopo Province. A
total of 13 854 specimens were sampled. The first paper on the results
is in press.
DIPPENAAR, S., DIPPENAAR-SCHOEMAN, A. S., MODIBA, M.A.
& KHOZA T.T. (in press). A checklist of spiders (Arachnida, Araneae)
of the Polokwane Nature Reserve, Limpopo Province, South
Africa. Koedoe
NYLSVLEY NATURE RESERVE
Page 7
NATIONAL BOTANICAL GARDEN,
PRETORIA
In October 2007 a project started which was organized by
Elizabeth Kassimatis (PPRI) with volunteers from the University
of Pretoria and nearby schools. The aim of the survey is
to compile a checklist of the arachnids of the Botanical Gardens
in Pretoria using different trapping methods. This will
continue over a period of one year.
Contact: E. Kassimatis at KassimatisE@arc.agric.za
A Saturday morning collecting with the Spider Club.
A checklist of the spiders and scorpions of the Nylsvley Nature
Reserve has been completed for publication. Spiders
and scorpions have been collected over a period of 30.years
from the Nylsvley Nature Reserve, South Africa. The spider
check list contains 173 species, 132 genera from 37 families.
The Thomisidae is the most diverse spider family with 34
species (19.6 % of total) followed by the Salticidae with 19
species (10.9 % of total) and Araneidae with 18 species
(10.4 %). The majority of species (123) are wandering spiders,
while 50 species build webs. The ground dwelling spiders
comprise 60 species while 113 species have been collected
from the plant layer. A total of 158 species are new
records for the reserve and 6.5 % of the total known South
African spider fauna are protected in this reserve. The scorpion
fauna of Nylsvley comprises five species in four genera
and two families (5 % of the scorpion species recorded in
South Africa).
Buthidae are more diverse in the reserve, with four species
and two genera represented. The scorpion fauna of the reserve
also includes two fossorial species and two epigean
species, representing five ecomorphotypes: semipsammophilous;
pelophilous; lithophilous; corticolous and
lapidicolous. As many as five additional scorpion species
may be recorded if the reserve is sampled more intensively
using appropriate techniques.
Contact: Ansie Dippenaar-Schoeman at
dippenaara@arc.agric.za or Lorenzo Prendini at
Lorenzo@amnh.org

KRUGER NATIONAL PARK
The first survey of the spiders of the Kruger National Park
(KNP) was published in 2003 listing 152 species from 40 families,
The number of known species from the KNP has increased
after additional collecting by Meg Cumming , the Spider
Club, Kyle Harris and a survey presently underway by
researchers in the park.
An updated checklist listing 259 species from 43 families will
soon be available on the SANSA website. This is an increase
of 107 species. About 13 % of the spider fauna of South Africa
is presently protected in the KNP.
Contact: Ansie Dippenaar-Schoeman at
DippenaarA@arc.agric.za
AUGRABIES NATIONAL PARK
Elton le Roux was recently appointed as a ranger in Augrabies
National Park and he is busy with a survey of the arachnids in
the park. The first collection of the park is presently being
sorted and identified in Pretoria. With arachnids collected previously
in the park 25 families of spiders is known represented
by 39 species. The Solifugae is represented by 2 families and
4 species. The scorpions still needs to be identified.
Contact: Elton le Roux at elton@sanparks.org
LIMPOPO PROVINCE-
WELGEVONDEN NATURE RESERVE
Welgevonden Nature Reserve is situated in the Waterberg
district in the Limpopo Province. It is a declared heritage site
of 33000 hectares bordering the Marekele National Park.
Hanno Kilian, the reserve manager and his team is busy collecting
arachnids from the reserve for SANSA. The data generated
through this surveys will complement the Thuthuka
Savanna Biome project and will also contributes towards the
checklist of the Limpopo Province.
The first collecting of > 100 specimens resulted in a checklist
containing 24 families and 75 species. The survey continues.
Contact: Hanno Kilian at hanno@welgevonden.org
Argiope australis Nephila senegalensis
SANSA - Newsletter No 4
SANSA SURVEYS (CONTINUED)
Page 8
FIRST SURVEY OF THE ANYSBERG
NATURE RESERVE
During September 2007 Charles Haddad and Robin Lyle undertook
a collecting trip to the Western Cape. The first collecting
point was the Anysberg Nature Reserve near Laingsburg in the
Karoo. Initial collecting was very successful and nearly 90 species
of arachnids were collected in the reserve. Reserve Manager
Collette van Deventer has shown great interest in including
ANR as one of the sites for the SANSA field surveys, and Robin
Lyle will include this as one of her sites in the 2008-9 season.
Collette has field rangers that will assist with the field work then,
but who will also be collecting material for ARC—PPRI during
the coming year.
During this trip additional collecting was done at the De Hoop
Nature Reserve, as well as day-long collections at the Marloth
Nature Reserve in Swellendam, and the Fernkloof Nature Reserve
in Hermanus. Several new records of corinnid spiders
were generated. Of particular importance was the collection of
only the third specimen of Trachelas scopulifer, at Fernkloof
(previously known only from the holotype and a single female
from NMBA).
Contact:Charles Hadda at HaddadCR.SCI@mail.uovs.ac.za
SURVEY OF THE DE HOOP NATURE RE-
SERVE
The checklist of the De Hoop Nature Reserve was recently submitted
to Koedoe for publication. A total of 275 arachnid species
were recorded in this survey, with spiders the dominant group
(252 species, 53 families). The study indicates that fynbos and
associated habitats contain a fauna and community composition
similar to more structurally complex habitats such as savanna. It
is hoped that this study will form the baseline for further research
on arachnids in the Fynbos Biome.
Contact: Charles
Haddad at
Cyrtaucheniid sp.
collected at De Hoop
Nature Reserve.
SURVEY OF THE KOGELBERG NATURE
RESERVE
We have received the first spiders (33 bottles) collected at the
Kogelberg Nature Reserve. This reserve lies in the Western
Cape, 60 km SE of Cape Town in the “heart of the fynbos”. It
falls within the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve.
From the first samples 12 spider families have been identified
including a trapdoor spider and specimens from the family Drymusidae
that is endemic to the Western Cape.
Contact: Corlie Hugo at admin@kogelbergbiosphere.co.za

CEDARBERG WILDERNESS AREA
The first survey samples collected by Dr Antoinette Veldtman
and her team are presently being identified in Pretoria. Rika du
Plessis (manager of the Cederberg Wilderness area) is the new
regional ecologist for the Boland Mountains and Cape Metro
Business Units of CapeNature and she and her team are very
enthusiastic to participate in SANSA and do arachnid collecting in
the Western Cape. This collection will be another important contribution
to determine the arachnid biodiversity of the Western
Cape Province.
The Cedarberg committee decided to dedicate their open day to
the SANSA project and Norman Larsen presented lectures on
spiders to the group.
Contact: Dr Antoinette Veldtman at
Antoinette@cncjnk.wcape.gov.za
SURVEY OF THE TABLE MOUNTAIN NA-
TIONAL PARK
Norman Larsen and Ansie Dippenaar-Schoeman are busy with a
checklist of the spiders of the Table Mountain National Park and
the rest of the Cape Peninsula. The results are based on all published
records, as well as records in the National Collection of
Arachnida and the Iziko Museum. At present a total of 44 families
represented by 174 species has been collected.
New surveys are now underway under leadership of Norman and
Ruth-Mary Fisher of the SANparks. Some additional data has
also been generated through a project of James Pryke, a PhD
student from the University of Stellenbosch. His project title is
“Conservation of the Arthropod Fauna of the Cape Peninsula”.
He has been collecting a variety of invertebrates for the last
two years on the Cape
Peninsula, using pitfall
traps, window traps,
Berlese/Tulgren funnels,
D-Vac sampling
and both aerial and
ground visual
searches. About 80
spider species have
been collected and are
being identified in Pretoria.
SANSA - Newsletter No 4
SANSA SURVEYS (CONTINUED)
Some material from
Winkler traps collected
by members of the
Iziko Museum is presently
sorted in Pretoria.
Contact: Norman
Larsen at spiderboy@telkomsa.net
& Ansie Dippenaar-
Schoeman
SPIDERS FROM CAVES
Page 9
An assessment of the present status of spiders (Araneae) from
caves from South Africa are under way. A total of 45 species
from 21 families are known from 31 cave complexes in South
Africa. Of the species collected, only 11 species are regarded
as true cave spiders (troglobites), while the rest are troglophiles
found inside and outside cave or accidentals. This baseline
information gathered here is needed to determine where
surveys are still needed for the development of management
strategies for conservation planning of cavernicolous spiders.
This study forms part of the South African National Survey of
Arachnida (SANSA).
Contact: Ansie Dippenaar-Schoeman & Jan Myburgh at
Jan.myburgh@up.ac.za
Phyxelididae: Vidole capensis a spider found in caves
in the Eastern Cape.
SPIDERS ON CITRUS
South Africa is the third largest exporter of citrus fruit in the
world and steadily increasing in importance. Spiders are numerous
in South African orchards and form a major part of the
predatory complex in citrus trees preying on a variety of arthropod
pest species. With increased interest in reduced chemical
control strategies, the need to understand this diverse group of
organisms in our agro-ecosystems is increasing. However,
before farmers can consider their role in integrated pest management
programmes, spiders must be collected, studied and
integrated into an information system.
Spiders were collected over a 25-year period from 11 sites in 5
different citrus-growing areas in South Africa. In the orchards
most spiders were collected by hand or with a beating tray. Data
of quantitative studies undertaken in some orchards are also
included. Presently 21 families represented by 135 genera and
198 species have been recorded. The Thomisidae family is the
richest in species numbers (28), followed by the Salticidae (24),
Araneidae (23) and Theridiidae (20). Most species collected are
wanderers constituting 58.2 % of the spiders found compared to
the web dwellers 41.8%. This survey falls within the framework
of the South African National Survey of Arachnida
(SANSA) of spider assemblages in agro-ecosystems.
Contact: Ansie Dippenaar-Schoeman and Almie van den
Berg at vdbergam@arc.agric.za

NEW THREATENED SPECIES PROGRAMME
MANAGER AT SANBI
Congratulations to Solly Nkoana of SANBI who has been
appointed as the new Threatened Species Programme Manager,
previously held by Wendy Foden. SANSA is one of the
projects in this programme.
RHODES UNIVERSITY
An honours student Jessica Cockburn and her supervisor Prof
Martin Villet at Rhodes University surveyed cave invertebrate
communities to determine their composition in caves in the
Eastern Cape. They hope to use the data collected to describe
and catalogue the invertebrates (mostly insects and arachnids)
found in these underground environments as a contribution to
record biodiversity countrywide, and to contribute to the broader
aims of the International Convention on Biodiversity.
EFFECT OF FIRE ON SPIDERS
Dr Kate Parr of the Oxford University Centre for the Environment
has been awarded a grant from the Rufford Innovation to fund
work on invertebrates and fires in savannas. This includes spiders!
The idea is that the grant will be sufficient for a bursary for a
MSc student at University of Pretoria for work in Kruger and
Hluhluwe-iMfolozi park. This will be done in collaboration with Dr
B. van Rensburg of University of Pretoria and ARC-PPRI.
SPIDER DRAGLINE SILK
Dr Anna Rising used an African spider Euprosthenops australis
collected in South Africa to determine the molecular properties
and recombinant expression of spider dragline silk. This was for
her doctoral thesis at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and
Animal Science of the Acta Ubiversitatis Agriculturae Sueciae.
Pisauridae: Euprosthenops australis
Photographer: Allen Jones.
SANSA - Newsletter No 4
OTHER NEWS FLASHES
SOME SPIDER CLUB NEWS
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Four illustrated talks were presented to clubs and schools.
Two illustrated public talks were presented at Yebo Gogga
2007, University of the Witwatersrand with the theme of
"Ubuntu" as well as a talk to People for Wildlife at the
Kgaswane Nature Reserve, North West Province.
Two Spider Club beginners' Identification Courses with Ian
Engelbrecht were organized at Mellville Koppies and
Kloofendal Nature Reserve.
Surveys were undertaken at the Ruimsig Entomological
Reserve and Lowveld National Botanical Gardens. The
sorting and data extracting is still taking place.
Six spider walks with talks were organized at Pretoria
National Botanical Garden (2); Walter Sisulu National
Botanical Garden, Roodepoort (2); Lowveld National Botanical
Gardens, Nelspruit (1) and Friends of Kloofendal.
A radio talk was broadcast over Jacaranda 94.2 radio.
- Astri and John Leroy
17TH INT. CONGRESS OF ARACHNOLOGY
The 17th International Congress of Arachnology took place from
5-11 August 2007 in São Pedro, Brazil. This was the first time
that the International Congress was hosted by a South American
country. A total of 320 delegates from 34 countries attended
the congress. A total of 115 oral papers and 259 posters
were presented, dealing with a variety of topics.
South Africa was well represented with Ansie Dippenaar-
Schoeman, Stefan Foord, Charles Haddad and Leon Lotz attending.
Then there was also the “lost son” in the USA Lorenzo
Prendini. Although not all from Africa a total of 21 papers and
posters on African arachnid fauna were presented at the congress.
The South African delegates: Lorenzo Prendini, Ansie
Dippenaar-Schoeman, Leon Lotz, Charles Haddad and
Stefan Foord.

SANSA - Newsletter No 4
NEW PUBLICATIONS ON SOUTH AFRICAN SPIDERS
ALDERWEIRELDT, M. & JOCQUé, R. 2007. Minicosa neptuna
n. gen., n. sp. (Araneae, Lycosidae), the smallest wolf spider
from Africa. Journal of Afrotropical Zoology 3: 3–9.
DIPPENAAR, S., DIPPENAAR-SCHOEMAN, A. S., MODIBA,
M.A. & KHOZA T.T. (in press). A checklist of
spiders (Arachnida, Araneae) of the Polokwane Nature Reserve,
Limpopo Province, South Africa. Koedoe.
DIPPENAAR-SCHOEMAN, A.S. & WASSENAAR, T. 2006. A
checklist of spiders from the herbaceous layer of a coastal dune
forest ecosystem at Richards Bay, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
(Arachnida: Araneae). African Invertebrates 47: 63–70.
FOORD, S.H., MAFADZA, M., DIPPENAAR-SCHOEMAN, A.S.,
& VAN RENSBURG, B.J. (in press). Spiders and conservation in
the Soutpansberg, South Africa. African Zoology.
FROMHAGE, L., JACOBS, K. & SCHNEIDER, J.M. 2007.
Monogynous mating behaviour and its ecological basis in the
Golden Orb Spider Nephila fenestrata. Ethyology 113: 813–820.
HADDAD, C. R., 2006. Spinotrachelas, a new genus of tracheline
sac spiders from South Africa (Araneae: Corinnidae).
African Invertebrates 47: 85–93.
HADDAD, C.R. 2007. A new species of Corinnomma (Araneae:
Corinnidae) from southern and eastern Africa, with taxonomic
notes on C. olivaceum and C. semiglabrum. African Invertebrates.
HADDAD, C.R. 2007. A revision of the endemic South African
dark sac spider genus Austrophaea (Araneae: Corinnidae). African
Invertebrates 48: 47-53.
HADDAD, C.R., HONIBALL, A.S., DIPPENAAR-SCHOEMAN,
A.S., SLOTOW, R. & VAN RENSBURG, B.J. (under review).
Spiders as indicators of elephant-induced habitat changes in
endemic sand forest, Maputoland, South Africa. African Zoology.
HARRIS, K.R., VAN RENSBURG, B.J., ROBERTSON, M.P.,
COETZEE, J.A. & DIPPENAAR-SCHOEMAN, A. S. (under review).
How better to collect spiders (Araneae) in an plant invaded
African savanna using the Kruger National Park as a case study.
African Entomology.
JOHANNESEN, J. , LUBIN, Y., SMITH, D. R.,BILDE, T. &
SCHNEIDER, J. T. 2006. The age and evolution of sociality in
Stegodyphus spiders: a molecular phylogenetic perspective.
Proceedings of the Royal Society of London 274: 231–237.
KUNTNER, M. A. 2007. A monograph of Nephilengys, the pantropical
‘hermit spider’ (Araneae, Nephilinae). Systematic Entomology
32: 95–135.
LOTZ, L. N. 2006. Afrotropical Archaeidae: 3. The female of
Eriauchenius cornutus and new species of Afrarchaea
(Arachnida: Araneae) from South Africa. Navorsinge van die
Nasionale Museum Bloemfontein 22: 113–127.
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LOTZ, L. N. 2007. The genus Cheiracantium (Araneae: Miturgidae)
in the Afrotropical region. 1. Revision of known species.
Navorsinge van die Nasionale Museum Bloemfontein 23:
1-76.
LOTZ L.N. (in press). Revision of the Afrotropical genus Cheiracanthium
(Araneae: Miturgidae: Eutichurinae): 2. new species.
Navorsinge van die Nasionale Museum Bloemfontein.
LOVELL, S., HAMER, M., SLOWTOW, R. & HERBERT, D.
2007. Assessment of congruency across invertebrate taxa and
taxonomic levels to identify potential surrogates. Biological Conservation
139: 113–125.
LYLE, R. & HADDAD, C.R. (in press). A revision of the Afrotropical
tracheline sac spider genus Thysanina Simon, 1910
(Araneae: Corinnidae). African Invertebrates.
MANDISA, P.M., SOMERS M.J. & DIPPENAAR-SCHOEMAN,
A.S. (in press). Spider responses to alien plant invasion: the
effect of short- and long-term Chromolaena odorata invasion
and alien clearing. Journal of Applied Ecology.
MURPHY, J. & RUSSEL-SMITH, A. 2007. A revision of the
spider genus Echemella Strand 1906 (Araneae, Gnaphosidae).
Journal of Afrotropical Zoology 3: 15-22.
PLATNICK, N.I. & BIRD, T.L. 2007. On the first African spiders
of the subfamily Molycriinae (Araneae, Prodidomidae). American
Museum Novitates 3552: 1–8.
PLATNICK, N. I. & UBICK, D., 2007. A revision of the spider
genus Zoroctrates Simon (Araneae, Zorocratidae). American
Museum of Natural History 3579:1-44.
RUSSELL-SMITH, A., ALDERWEIRELDT, M. & JOCQUé,
R., 2006. On the new genus Foveosa accommodating the Afrotropical
wolf spiders related to Pardosa foveolata (Araneae:
Lycosidae). Journal of Afrotropical Zoology 3: 59–76.
UYS, C. HAMER, M. & SLOWTOW, R. 2007. Effect of burn
area on invertebrate recolonization in grasslands in the Drakensberg,
South Africa. African Zoology 41: 51–65.
WESOLOWSKA, W., 2006. A new species of Cyrba from South
Africa (Araneae: Salticidae: Sparteinae). Genus 17(4): 617-620.
WESOLOWSKA, W., 2006. A new genus of ant-mimicking Salticid
spider from Africa (Araneae: Salticidae: Leptorchestinae).
Annales Zoologici 56: 435-439.
NEW COFFIE TABLE BOOK
“Hidden wonders— the small 5005 of
southern African insects, spiders, frogs,
reptiles”
Text by Rael Loon and photographs by Dan
Lieberman. Jacana Media (Pty) Ltd 2007,
Auckland Park South Africa. For more information
visit www.jacana.co.za

SANSA - Newsletter No 4
PUBLIC PARTICIPANTS IN SANSA SURVEYS
We were very surprised with the response from the public to collect
spiders for the SANSA project. We are busy sorting and identifying all the
material that we have received here in Pretoria.
In the next newsletter we’ll provide some more information on specimens
received such as:
Jeffreysbay (Linda Wiese)
Gouritzriver Mouth (Helen Leibel)
Hermanus (Victor Hamilton-Atwell)
Strand (S. Horn )
Moos River Valley ( Sonja Martens)
Kommetjie (Swannie)
Gauteng (Warren Smidth)
Free State—Clocolan and others (Allen Jones)
Best wishes for 2008!
This is how Allen Jones predicts the year to come.
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