Search

obituary and bibliography Otto Kraus

The spider collection (Arachnida: Araneae) from Albania and Kosovo in the Senckenberg Research Institute, Frankfurt am Main is reviewed. A total of 122 adult specimens were found belonging to 73 species. Records of 48 species for Albania and 28 species for Kosovo, 20 of them new to Kosovo, are presented. Furthermore there are seven new country records for Albania: Platnickina nigropunctata, Erigone remota, Tenuiphantes tenebricola, Pardosa agrestis, Callobius claustrarius and Zelotes femellus). Additionally, Pardosa cavannae is the first record for the Balkan Peninsula. So far 381 species are known for Albania. A total of 106 species is known from Kosovo now; a list of the 86 spider species formerly known to Kosovo is included.

Spiders from the Tirana district of Albania were investigated. Currently, 78 species from 24 families and a collection of 400 specimens from January to August 2010 were recorded for Tirana. A total of 32 new records for the Albanian fauna are included in the present paper. Agraecina lineata (Simon, 1878) is the first record for the Balkan Peninsula. Saitis graecus Kulczyński, 1905 was known before only from Greece and Bulgaria. Presently, 373 spider species are known for Albania.

Data and a drawing of the epigyne of Phoneutria boliviensis (F.O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1897), recently recorded from Germany, are presented. The specimen was introduced with cargo (bananas) from Brazil. Characters of the single female are illustrated to facilitate identification in the future, since in the two recent revisions of the genus no drawing of the epigyne of P. boliviensis was included. Another case of introduction from 1998 of an unidentified subadult Phoneutria specimen, probably P. boliviensis too, with bananas from Ecuador is documented.

Pandava laminata (Thorell, 1878) was recorded for the first time from Germany at the Cologne Zoo. The species was most likely introduced with plants or cargo from Southeast Asia. Characters important for identification at species, genus and family level are listed and partly illustrated.

congress report

The spider of the year goes colour - the green huntsman spider

Observations on Thyene imperialis (Rossi, 1846) in Israel, Negev desert, invading a web of Cyclosa deserticola Levy, 1998 are reported. The female leapt into the orb-web to catch Cyclosa spiders. Photographs are provided, and a link to additional film material is given.

It is described, how an adult female of Scotophaeus scutulatus killed an also adult female of Tegenaria atrica in the web of the latter species. According to published and unpublished data, a web-invading behaviour is known in 4 gnaphosid species (Poecilochroa senilis, Poechilochroa pugnax, Scotophaeus blackwalli, Taieria erebus), an araneophagic behaviour is also known in 4 species (Drassodes lapidosus, Poecilochroa senilis (auspex), Scotophaeus scutulatus, Taieria erebus). the question, wether these behaviour patterns are typical for soil-dwelling gnaphosids, remains open until further observations and investigations.

Specimens of T. vulgaris were recently introduced in Germany with cricket boxes from southern United States. The species has been sent within Germany with post packages to different pet dealers. These samples represent probably the first confirmed records of T. vulgaris for Germany. Further observation could show, whether the populations are stabile in synanthropic habitats, especially inside bulidings. Female genitalia are illustrated. One structure is recognized as a glandular part of the spermathecae. Terminology of female genitalia is given in comparison of terms used in the past by different authors.

Spider of the year 2001 and 2002: Argiope bruennichi and Pisaura mirabilis

In contrast to social spider webs aggregative spider webs are defined as incidental and non-functional. Three new records of large (3-10 meter) aggregative spider webs in Germany are presented. In one case (cut fir tree) 11 spider species were recorded from the same web. Two main reasons for the occurence of large aggregative webs are hypothesized: 1. Optimal (weather) conditions for ballooning behaviour may cause a mass occurrence of spiders, which are able to cover vegetation structures with their draglines. 2. Disturbances in the spider habitat (e.g. cutting trees) may cause a movement of spiders to higher (then absent) strata, which may cover also vegetation with huge webs. In both cases spiders may aggregate on the surface of vegetation structures and webs are more dense at their higher points. A parasocial aggregation cannot be excluded, but according to the new observations this seems to be unlikely.

Spider of the Year 2000 and 2001 Argyroneta aquatica and Argiope bruennichi.

56 spider species have been recorded in a 4-hours-fieldtrip. Twelve of them are endangered according to the red data book for spiders in Germany. Some interesting species are mentioned with comments on their habitat preference and distribution limits. Figures of two species (Theridion nigrovariegatum, Dipoena erythropus) are given because of variation in their genitalia.

Some interesting records collected from 1990 to 1999 are reported. First records of Holocnemus pluchei for Rheinland-Pfalz and Baden-Württemberg and of Uloborus plumipes for Hessen and Schleswig-Holstein are listed. The occurrence of Heteropoda venatoria in Germany is confirmed by recent records in warmhouses in Berlin. Pardosa saturatior is collected from the Bavarian part of the Alps (National Park Berchtesgaden). Information on biology and taxonomy of Pardosa saturatior, Holocnemus pluchei and Heteropoda venatoria are given.

In memoriam Rudolf Braun 6. März 1924 - 2. März 1999

Latrodectus mactans (Fabricius, 1775) was recorded from Germany. The species was most likely introduced with cargo from Chicago, USA. Characters of the single female are illustrated for future identification.

Spider of the year 2000, Argyroneta aquatica

The family name Sparassidae is recognized as available and valid according to the rules of the International Code for Zoological Nomenclature. Synonymies, diagnoses and descriptions are given for the family, subfamily, type genus and type species. The type species of Sparassus is assigned. Sparassus is synonymised with Micrommata.

The cave spider Nesticus eremita is recorded in Mainz and Mannheim in the sewerage. It seems that this species has a wider distribution as suggested before. It is supposed that the species, originally distributed in the southern alps respectively in southern Europe, was introduced in the last hundred years, whereby the Rhine river (driftwod, riparian habitats) is suggested besides the introduction by man as one possible way of introducing. During examining individuals of N. eremita and N. cellulans it was found, that the position of the thrichobothrium is not useful for distinguishing these species, but the genital characters are.

obituary, bibliography, Ernst Kullmann

Two specimens of Zimiris doriai Simon, 1882 have been found in a container shipped from Vietnam. The family Prodidomidae has not been recorded yet from Germany, and is characterised by 1. the anterior position and the elongated shape of the anterior-lateral spinnerets and 2. by their strongly procurved posterior eye row. Characters for identifying the species are presented.

95 species of spiders are reported, which were collected by hand and sweep-net during an excursion to Lower Austria and Burgenland in June 1993. New for Austria are: Larinia bonneti SPASSKY, 1939, Philodromus buddenbrocki BRAUN, 1965, Philodromus pulchellus LUCAS, 1946 and Tmarus stellio SIMON, 1875. Taxonomic characters of the last three species are documented.

From Pisaura mirabilis (2002) to Pholcus phalangoides (2003). The Spider of the year is going on.

obituary, Herbert Casemir, aftermath

book review: F.G. Barth: Sinne und Verhalten: aus dem Leben einer Spinne.

congress report

book review: F. Murphy & J. Murphy: An introduction to the spiders of South East Asia.

book review: C.L. Deeleman-Reinhold: Forest spiders of South East Asia.

book review: Janet Beccaloni (2009): Arachnids

book review: John Murphy (2007): Gnaphosid genera of the world.

European Spider of the Year 2008

European Spider of the Year 2006

Spider of the Year 2005

book review: Klaas, P.: Vogelspinnen

book review: Namkung, J.: The spiders of Korea

book review: Reichling, Steven B.: Tarantulas of Belize

book review: J.-P. Kim (2002): [Coloured spiders of Korea].

memorial award, Konrad-Thaler-Gedächtnispreis

Homepage of the Arachnologische Gesellschaft (AraGes)

correct citing of the recent catalogue by Platnick