scholarly journals The spiders of the Swartberg Nature Reserve in South Africa (Arachnida: Araneae)

Koedoe ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 48 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
A.S. Dippenaar-Schoeman ◽  
A.E. Van der Walt ◽  
M. De Jager ◽  
E. Le Roux ◽  
A. Van der Berg

The Swartberg Nature Reserve is situated in the Large Swartberg mountain range, in the Oudtshoorn district of the Western Cape Province. Spiders were collected from the reserve over a 10-year period. This is one of the inventory projects of the South African National Survey (SANSA) for spiders of the Succulent Karoo Biome. A total of 45 families comprising 136 genera and 186 species were collected, all which are new records for the area. This represents about 9.4 of the total known South African spider fauna. Of the spiders collected 142 species (76.5 ) were wanderers and 44 (23.5 ) web dwellers. The plant dwellers comprised 43.3 of the total number of species and the ground dwellers 56.7 . The Gnaphosidae was the most diverse family represented by 33 species, followed by the Salticidae with 23 and Thomisidae with 15. Ten species are possibly new to science and the Filistatidae is a first record for South Africa. An annotated checklist with information on the guilds, habitat preference and web types are provided.

Koedoe ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 51 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles R. Haddad ◽  
Ansie S. Dippenaar-Schoeman

As part of the South African National Survey of Arachnida (SANSA) in conserved areas, arachnids were collected in the De Hoop Nature Reserve in the Western Cape Province, South Africa. The survey was carried out between 1999 and 2007, and consisted of five intensive surveys between two and 12 days in duration. Arachnids were sampled in five broad habitat types, namely fynbos, wetlands, i.e. De Hoop Vlei, Eucalyptus plantations at Potberg and Cupido’s Kraal, coastal dunes near Koppie Alleen and the intertidal zone at Koppie Alleen. A total of 274 species representing five orders, 65 families and 191 determined genera were collected, of which spiders (Araneae) 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 spp.), Theridiidae (16 spp.) and Corinnidae (15 spp.). Notes are provided on the most commonly collected arachnids in each habitat.Conservation implications: This study provides valuable baseline data on arachnids conserved in De Hoop Nature Reserve, which can be used for future assessments of habitat transformation, alien invasive species and climate change on arachnid biodiversity.


Acarologia ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 58 (1) ◽  
pp. 116-130
Author(s):  
Davina L. Saccaggi ◽  
Edward A. Ueckermann

Agistemus collyerae Gonzáles-Rodrigues (Stigmaeidae) is reported for the first time in South Africa on grapevines in the Western Cape Province. We investigate a possible introduction pathway of this mite as a contaminant on imported agricultural goods. Based on South African interception data, we report new country records of A. collyerae in the USA, Chile, Yemen, Spain and France. We re-describe it based on the South African specimens, including first-time descriptions of the male and deutonymph. Female specimens have shorter dorsal setae than those documented in the original descriptions, but we do not consider this enough evidence to justify a new species.


Koedoe ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 51 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ansie S. Dippenaar-Schoeman ◽  
Annette Van den Berg ◽  
Lorenzo Prendini

Among other activities, the South African National Survey of Arachnida (SANSA) aims to survey the biodiversity of arachnids in protected areas of South Africa. The study presented here documents the diversity of spiders and scorpions collected from the Nylsvley Nature Reserve (NNR), South Africa over a 30-year period. The spider fauna of NNR contains 175 species (7.5% of the total recorded in South Africa), in 131 genera and 37 families. Thomisidae is the most diverse spider family in the reserve, with 33 species (18.9% of the total), followed by Salticidae, with 20 species (11.4%), and Araneidae, with 18 species (10.3%). The majority of species (125) are wandering spiders (71.4%), whereas 50 species (28.6%) build webs. Wandering grounddwelling spiders comprise 52 species, whereas 73 wandering species have been collected from the vegetation. A total of 158 species are new records for the reserve and Oxyopes tuberculatus Lessert, 1915 is newly recorded for South Africa. Six spider species may be new to science. The scorpion fauna of NNR comprises five species (5% of the total recorded in South Africa) in three genera and two families. Buthidae are more diverse in the reserve, with four species and two genera represented. The scorpion fauna of the reserve includes two fossorial and three epigeic species, representing five ecomorphotypes: semi-zpsammophilous, pelophilous, lithophilous, corticolous and lapidicolous. Five additional scorpion species may be recorded if the reserve is sampled more intensively using appropriate techniques.


2004 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 111-115 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan-Peter Frahm ◽  
Terry Hedderson

New records are presented based on a collection of Campylopus specimens made by the second author in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. . The austral species Campylopus clavatus (R. Brown) Wils. in Hook. and Campylopus vesticaulis Mitt. are reported for the first time for Africa, and Campylopus acuminatus Mitt. var. kirkii (Mitt.) J.-P. Frahm is recorded for the second time for Africa. Campylopus arctocarpus (Hornsch.) Mitt. ssp. madegassus (Besch.) J.-P. Frahm is reported for the first time for the Republic of South Africa, and this is the southernmost record of this species. Campylopus simii Schelpe is not synonymous with C. julaceus Jaeg. ssp. arbogastii (Ren. & Card.) J.-P. Frahm but combined here as new as a variety of C. pilifer Brid.


Zootaxa ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 4370 (2) ◽  
pp. 137
Author(s):  
CHANTELLE GIRGAN ◽  
ANTOINETTE SWART ◽  
MARIETTE MARAIS ◽  
HENDRIKA FOURIE

As part of the South African Plant-Parasitic Nematode Survey (SAPPNS), an extensive nematode diversity survey was conducted in the Telperion Nature Reserve, Mpumalanga, South Africa. During this survey, samples of grass seeds were collected. Some of these seeds yielded specimens of the genera Aphelenchoides, Aphelenchus and Panagrolaimus. Identified species include Aphelenchoides africanus, A. besseyi, A. lichenicola, A. rutgersi, A. spicomucronatus and Panagrolaimus leperisini. Four of these species are new records for South Africa and the South African populations of these species are described in this paper. 


2015 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-96 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abimbola Olukemi Windapo ◽  
Jack Steven Goulding

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine green building legislation requirements and practices in the construction project execution stage within the context of the South African construction industry. The rationale for this examination rests with the perception that the implementation of green practices (per se) has been recognised as being “behind” the legislation enacted to control the design and construction of green buildings. Design/methodology/approach – The research process consisted of a literature review to identify existing green building legislation and practices applicable to the project execution phase. This was supported by a sequential mixed-method research approach, which involved a survey of contracting companies based in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. Purposive sampling was used to undertake focused interviews with management staff and site operatives. Findings – Research findings established a number of issues, not least: a gap between green building practices and legislation requirements; a high degree of unawareness of green building legislation/practices by construction company stakeholders; selective implementation of health and safety legislative requirements; that management staff had a more “positive” attitude to green building practices than site-based staff who tended to be less motivated and open to such practices. Research limitations/implications – Results from this study are considered generalisable with the sample frame only. Research inference and projections should therefore only be made within this set, and not to the wider population of South African contractors (as this study was limited to the Western Cape Province). Practical implications – Implications from this research are applicable to construction company stakeholders within the population set. Practical considerations include the need to acknowledge a formal commitment to developing a sustainable built environment – especially cognisant of the gap between practices on site and green building legislation requirements. Moreover, this lack of awareness in respect of green building practices and legislation requirements impinges upon several wider areas, not least: construction company stakeholders’ positioning, health and safety practices; managerial and operational staff perceptions, and stakeholders’ willingness and motivation to proactively address these gaps. Social implications – Government bodies and allied professionals in charge of construction industry development are encouraged to consider the implementation of green building legislation requirements on construction sites. This reflection should encourage engagement through formative legislative provision and transparent awareness campaigns. Originality/value – This work is original insofar as it directly addresses the alignment of legislation to current practices within the context of the South African construction industry. However, similar exercises have been undertaken on green building legislation in other countries such as USA, UK and Australia.


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