On the occasion of Linné's 300th anniversary, a short biography, based mainly on Weimarck (2007), is presented.

The oonopid spiders (Oonopidae), Tapinesthis inermis (Simon, 1882) and Triaeris stenaspis Simon, 1891, are recorded for the Czech Republic for the first time. T. inermis was redetermined from misidentified material and T. stenaspis was discovered in a greenhouse.

The spider species Cesonia aspida Chatzaki, 2002, together with its genus Cesonia Simon, 1893, was found in Anatolia (Turkey) and represent new records for the Asian spider fauna. Its characteristic features, drawings of genitalia, a photograph of the general habitus and a distribution map for Eurasia are presented.

We investigated a colony of Larinioides sclopetarius, the bridge spider, situated at a bridge-like dam in the city of Duisburg, Germany. The study ran from March until October 2004. The mean population density (all size classes) was 26.2 ind./m². The absolute maximum was found in July (71.3 ind./m²). Most of the spiderlings were found from June to October with mean densities up to 30.9 ind./m² in July, indicating that breeding of L. sclopetarius started in summer. Adult males and females occurred in spring, although the highest abundances (up to more than 3 individuals of each sex per m²) were found in summer and autumn. The adult sex ratio averaged over the study period was 1:1.2 (males:females). Some comparisons with other araneids, both solitary and social species, are drawn and discussed.

We collected 6251 adult epigeic spiders from the dwarf-shrub heath to subalpine coniferous forest on Alp Flix (CH, canton Grisons, 1950 m) between May 2005 and May 2006 using pitfall traps. Total species richness and activity density of all species decreased from the open land to the forest, although this pattern varied according to family. The distribution of the 102 species found indicates that the small area around a single tree at the timberline provides habitats for both open land and forest spider species as well as some possible timberline specialists. Five species were new to the canton Grisons: Centromerita bicolor, Centromerita concinna, Hilaira excisa, Meioneta alpica and Tallusia experta. Three species showed remarkable morphological characteristics and were analysed in more detail. We found males of Pelecopsis radicicola without the characteristic longitudinal depression on the raised carapace. It is shown that the males of Meioneta alpica have a considerably variable lamella characteristica, which is nevertheless distinct from the sister species Meioneta ressli. Because we found intermediate forms of the head region described for Metopobactrus prominulus and M. schenkeli, respectively, M. schenkeli is considered a syn. nov. of M. prominulus. This study shows that the known distribution and taxonomic status of various spider taxa in the Central Alps are still incomplete and further work on arthropods in remote areas should be strongly encouraged.

book review: Bernard Le Peru (2007): Catalogue et répartition des araignées de France

book review, plagiarism

Since about the year 2000 a hitherto unidentified species of the genus Leiobunum C. L. Koch, 1839, has rapidly invaded central and western Europe. Records are known from The Netherlands (probably the country of first occurrence in Europe), Germany, Austria and Switzerland. This introduced species, until now, mainly inhabits walls of buildings and rocky environments. Adults characteristically aggregate during daytime into groups of up to 1.000 individuals. The species is described and details on its present distribution, habitat preference, phenology and behaviour are presented.

obituary, bibliography, Joachim Adis

European Spider of the Year 2008

memorial award, Konrad-Thaler-Gedächtnispreis

congress report

On the occasion of the anniversary of C.A. Clerck's book "Swedish spiders" the paper deals with the beginnings of spider taxonomy, Clerck's life (1709-1765) and work, and P. Bonnet's successful campaign for the validation of species names given by Clerck.

A female of the dwarf sheet spider Hahnia picta Kulczynski, 1897 was found in an old castle park in Berlin (Germany). All published records as well as unpublished records from Austria are listed and mapped. This species is rarely recorded. Its distribution is confined to Europe. H. picta seems to live exclusively under the bark of old deciduous trees.

The orb-web spider Cyclosa oculata (Walckenaer, 1802) was found at eleven localities in north-western Switzerland. All records were from wildflower strips ("Buntbrachen") with a relatively high proportion of dried vegetation from the previous year, a relatively low vegetation height and a low proportion of grasses in the vegetation. C. oculata built its vertical orb-web near the ground, deep in the vegetation. Among ecribellate orb-web spiders in Central Europe, C. oculata is unique because it sometimes builds rudimentary webs on which it stays, because it builds its cocoons into the web, and because its stabilimentum is long-lasting and consists largely of debris. Based on our observations, we deduce that the stabilimentum of C. oculata serves as camouflage.

The first record of the Mediterranean spider Zelotes tenuis (L. Koch, 1866) in Austria (Burgenland, Leithaprodersdorf ) was made in a small meadow strip which is situated between a moist ditch and a small grassy road verge. The site is partly shaded by adjacent trees and shrubs. Notes are given on the records, zoogeography and ecology of Z. tenuis.

Research was carried out on lake islands in the Mazurian region of NE Poland in 2004. During the study, 8546 specimens of 190 spider species were caught by Barber traps. One male of Emblyna brevidens (Kulczynski, 1897) was found on an island of Lake Wigry (Wigry National Park). This site was situated on the edge of a peat bog with Salicetum pentandro-cinereae, surrounded by wet alder forest. For the first time complete diagnostic drawings and measurements for both sexes of E. brevidens from Poland are given.