Original Research

A checklist of the non-acarine arachnids (Chelicerata: Arachnida) of the Ndumo Game Reserve, Maputaland, South Africa

C.R. Haddad, A.S. Dippenaar-Schoeman, W. Wesołowska
Koedoe | Vol 49, No 2 | a116 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/koedoe.v49i2.116 | © 2006 C.R. Haddad, A.S. Dippenaar-Schoeman, W. Wesołowska | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 18 December 2006 | Published: 18 December 2006

About the author(s)

C.R. Haddad, University of the Free State, South Africa
A.S. Dippenaar-Schoeman, University of Pretoria, South Africa
W. Wesołowska, Wrocław University, Poland

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Abstract

Arachnids (Chelicerata: Arachnida) were collected in the Ndumo Game Reserve (Maputaland, South Africa) during 11 collecting trips in the period 2000–2006. Sampling was undertaken by various methods in eight broad habitat types: Acacia tortilis savanna; Acacia xanthophloea (fever tree) forests; deciduous broadleaf woodland; Ficus (wild fig tree) forests; floodplain vegetation; riparian forest; sand forest; and subtropical bush. In total, 457 species of arachnids were collected, representing six orders, 59 families and 240 determined genera. The most diverse order was the Araneae (46 families, 431 spp.), followed by the Pseudoscorpiones (6 families, 12 spp.), Scorpiones (3 families, 8 spp.), Opiliones (2 families, 3 spp.), Solifugae (1 family, 2 spp.) and Amblypygi (a single species). The most diverse families all belonged to the Araneae: Salticidae (82 spp.), Thomisidae (56 spp.) and Araneidae (38 spp.). The spider diversity is the highest recorded from any protected area in South Africa so far, and represents approximately 22 % of the country’s spider fauna. The habitat and guild associations of each species are provided.

Keywords

Arachnida; Araneae; Conservation; Diversity; Habitats; Ndumo Game Reserve; South African National Survey of Arachnida (SANSA)

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