The canopy spiders of the floodplain forest in Leipzig have become a focus of ecological studies in recent years. In 2006 we sampled 30 tree canopies in the ‘Burgaue’ nature reserve with pyrethrum knock-down fogging, recording 502 adult spiders belonging to 48 species and 11 families. Based on these data and the results of a previous fogging study, the studied spider community was dominated by forest and forest-edge species with a preference for the shrub and canopy strata as well as by spiders of the web spider feeding guild. The community structure was typical for arboreal spider communities from northern temperate forests but very different from communities in the tropics. Species richness and evenness were similar to the old growth near-primary Białowieża Forest in Poland. The checklist of 96 canopy spider species of the floodplain forest of Leipzig includes 54 additions to the spider fauna of Leipzig and vicinity by recent canopy studies and eight first canopy records for Leipzig from our field work. The theridiid Dipoena torva (Thorell, 1875) was recorded for the first time in Saxony. The floodplain forest of Leipzig sustains a large and species-rich arboreal spider community and is thus a valuable habitat for a large proportion of endangered species (12%).

book review: Christian Kropf & Peter Horak (Hrsg.) (2009): Towards a natural history of arthropods and other organisms. In memoriam Konrad Thaler

book review: P.A. Sebastian & K.V. Peter (Hrsg.) (2009): Spiders of India

congress report

congress report

A schizomid, Stenochrus portoricensis Chamberlin, 1922 (family Hubbardiidae), was collected in a greenhouse in Brno. This is the first discovery of a schizomid from the Czech Republic.

The first record of the very rare linyphiid spider Ceraticelus bulbosus (Emerton, 1882) from Germany is presented. Furthermore records of Agroeca dentigera, Agyneta arietans, Bathyphantes setiger, Brommella falcigera, Crustulina sticta, Erigone dentigera, Meioneta mossica, and Pardosa morosa and other rare spiders are reported.

The present study provides a robust data set for ecological planning and conservation of dry ecosystems in western Germany in general and North Rhine-Westphalia in particular. We summarised all available data from recent publications that dealt with spiders in dry ecosystems of North Rhine-Westphalia. Additionally, so far unpublished results of a detailed investigation regarding spiders in sand habitats of the Westphalian Bay that was conducted between 2006 and 2008 are presented. The analysis focussed on the habitat types according to Annex I of the EU Habitats Directive and related habitats. The investigation areas were scattered in the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia. The data set comprised a total of 84436 individuals from 371 species and 28 families. Overall, an endangerment status is assigned to 68 species. Of these, 12 spiders are in imminent danger of becoming extinct. Two species, Erigonoplus globipes and Meioneta simplicitarsis, are believed to be extinct in North Rhine-Westphalia. Seven species (Dictyna major, Mastigusa arietina, Micaria formicaria, Styloctetor romanus, Thanatus striatus, Theridion uhligi and Xysticus ferrugineus) are new to the arachnofauna of North Rhine-Westphalia.

Five species were recorded for the first time in Schleswig-Holstein, northern Germany: Psilochorus simoni (Berland, 1911) (Pholcidae), Ero aphana (Walckenaer, 1802) (Mimetidae), Panamomops mengei Simon, 1926 (Linyphiidae), Archaeodictyna consecuta (O. P.-Cambridge, 1872) (Dictynidae). Nigma walckenaeri (Roewer, 1951) (Dictynidae) is not considered to be rare, but a record is published from this region for the first time. A new northernmost distribution point for Theridion boesenbergi Strand, 1914 (Theridiidae) was recorded. Notes on other species rarely found in Schleswig-Holstein and Lower Saxony are also provided.

congress report

book review: Hay Wijnhoven (2009): De Nederlandse hooiwagens (Opiliones)

book review: Stephen Dalton (2009): Spinnen – Die erfolgreichen Jäger

book review: Janet Beccaloni (2009): Arachnids

obituary, Friedrich Wallenstein. Link for German translation of Fabre: arages.de/files/Wallenstein_Fabre_2009.pdf

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.

obituary, Jean-Pierre Maelfait

European Spider of the Year 2010

tribute, Gerd Alberti