Congress invitation

A survey on sensory organs of both sexes of the harvestman Dicranopalpus ramosus classifies structure and frequency of campaniform sensilla, falciform setae, sensilla basiconica, slit sensilla, solenidia, spines, sensilla chaetica, trichomes (simple hairs) and plumose setae. Sensilla are equally distributed on the pedipalp tarsi of both males and females, but females show higher counts of campaniform and falciform setae than males. Females furthermore have about 1000 glandular plumose setae on each pedipalp, that at the same positions in males are replaced by sensilla chaetica. The walking legs of both sexes show a similar distribution of sensory organs, with females showing more sensilla basiconica at the legs I and II and more solenidia on the first pair of legs. Males have a large number of bipterate setae (about 2200 per specimen) at the metatarsi and tarsi of the third and fourth pair of legs. In females these are replaced by simple hairs. Although females show a similar (or slightly higher) number of leg sensilla than males, their density is higher due to their shorter legs. In both sexes the second pair of legs has the largest number of falciform setae, sensilla basiconica, chaetica and solenidia, followed by the legs I, III and IV. The first pair of legs has the highest density of falciform setae, sensilla basiconica and solenidia, followed by the legs II, III and IV. The genital operculum, sternites and tergites show a multitude of slit sensilla. The slit sensilla of the genital operculum and sternites are associated with insertion plaques of muscles operating the penis/ovipositor and regulating opisthosomal volume and hemolymph-pressure.

Im Rahmen einer Untersuchung der Sinnesorgane beider Geschlechter der Weberknechtart Dicranopalpus ramosus werden die Struktur und Anzahl der Kuppelsensillen (campaniform), sichelformigen Borsten (falciforme Setae), Riechkegel (Sensilla basiconica), Spaltsensillen, Solenidien (röhrenförmige Setae) und Dornen sowie der Haarsensillen (Sensilla chaetica), Trichome (einfache Haare) und federförmige Haare (plumose Setae) beschrieben. Die Pedipalpen-Tarsen der männlichen und weiblichen Tiere weisen identische Verteilungen der Sensillen auf, wobei die Weibchen mehr Kuppelsensillen und sichelförmige Borsten besitzen als die Männchen. Weiterhin konnte festgestellt werden, dass auf jedem weiblichen Pedipalpus 1000 gefiederte Drüsenhaare (glanduläre plumose Setae) vorkommen, wohingegen bei den Männchen an den gleichen Stellen Haarsensillen vorgefunden werden. Die Beine beider Geschlechter weisen eine ähnliche Verteilung der Sinnesorgane auf, wobei Weibchen mehr Riechkegel in den Beinen I und II und mehr Solenidien am ersten Beinpaar aufweisen. männliche Tiere besitzen eine große Anzahl zweiflügeliger Borsten (bipterate Setae) (insgesamt ca. 2200 pro Tier) auf den Metatarsen und Tarsen des dritten und vierten Beinpaares . An gleicher Stelle sind bei weiblichen Tieren einfache Haare vorzufinden. Weibchen besitzen eine ähnliche (oder höhere) Anzahl an Beinsensillen als Männchen. Da die Beine der weiblichen Tiere jedoch kürzer sind, stehen die Beinsensillen bei ihnen dichter. In beiden Geschlechtern weisen die zweiten Beinpaare die größte Anzahl an sichelförmigen Borsten, Riechkegeln, Haarsensillen und Solenidien auf, gefolgt von den ersten, dritten und vierten Beinpaaren. Auf den ersten Beinpaaren erreichen die sichelformigen Borsten, Riechkegel und Solenidien die höchste Dichte, gefolgt von den zweiten, dritten und vierten Beinpaaren. Das Genitaloperculum, die Sternite und Tergite weisen eine Vielzahl von Spaltsensillen auf. Die Spaltsensillen des Genitaloperculums und der Sternite sind mit Muskelansätzen verbunden. Diese Muskeln steuern Penis bzw. Ovipositor und regeln das Opisthosoma-Volumen und den Hämolymph-Druck.

We present data and remarks on the history and contents of the whip spider collection housed in the Natural History Museum of Vienna, Austria. The collection comprises a total of 167 specimens from 4 families, 10 genera and 27 species. It includes types of four species: Charinus ioanniticus (Kritscher, 1959), Damon brachialis Weygoldt, 1999, Phrynus parvulus (Pocock, 1902) and Paraphrynus mexicanus (Bilimek, 1867). Short notes on interesting objects and former curators are provided as well as an appendix with a list of species kept alive by Michael Seiter.

Wir präsentieren Daten und Anmerkungen zur Geschichte und dem Inhalt der Geißelspinnen-Sammlung des Naturhistorischen Museums Wien, Österreich. Die Sammlung umfasst 167 Individuen aus 4 Familien, 10 Gattungen und 27 Arten und beinhaltet Typen von 4 Arten: Charinus ioanniticus (Kritscher, 1959), Damon brachialis Weygoldt, 1999, Phrynus parvulus (Pocock, 1902) und Paraphrynus mexicanus (Bilimek, 1867). Die Angaben werden durch kurze Anmerkungen zu interessanten Objekten und früheren Kuratoren sowie einem Appendix mit der Liste der von Michael Seiter lebend gehaltenen Arten ergänzt.

Preface to the section of the Proceedings of the 27th European Congress of Arachnology, Ljubljana, 2012 Sept. 2-7

The first records for Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany, of the species Mermessus trilobatus, Parasteatoda tabulata and Araniella inconspicua are provided, together with noteworthy occurences of the rare species Ero tuberculata, Jacksonella falconeri, Philodromus histrio and Oxyopes ramosus.

The taxonomic status and distribution of the poorly known gnaphosid species Zelotes strandi (Nosek, 1905) is clarified, discussed and mapped on the basis of both the holotype (a single female from Turkey) and newly collected material (males and females from Bulgaria). This species was originally described from the island of Prinkipo (= Büyükada, District of Istanbul, Turkey) and the holotype is currently housed in the Naturhistorisches Museum, Vienna. Both sexes are here diagnosed and illustrated, whereby the male is described for the first time.

Spiders were collected by pitfall traps in the south-western archipelago of Finland. Wooded study habitats on a small-sized (1.2 km2) island were: 1) natural open ash grove, 2) dense mixed grove (old overgrown wooded meadow), 3) wooded aspen pasture and 4) wooded meadow, both restored ten years earlier, 5) natural wooded meadow. Highest species and family numbers were found at the natural sites (1 and 5) and the lowest in the dense grove (site 2). Linyphiidae dominated, both at species and individual level, in the groves. Lycosidae were abundant on the wooded meadows and Gnaphosidae on the wooded pasture. The highest faunal similarities were between the groves (70 % species in common) and between the wooded meadows (64 %). The lowest similarity was found between the dense grove (17 %) and the ash grove (23 %) with the aspen pasture. Ten years after clearing, sites 3 and 4 had diverse spider faunas. The fauna at site 4 resembled that on the corresponding natural site (5), thus showing restoration success. Altogether 84 species of spiders were caught. The proportion of Gnaphosidae (16 species found) is high. Most species found in the study are common in south-western Finland and many occur across the whole country. Pardosa lugubris was most dominant at three sites, P. pullata and Diplostyla concolor both at one site. Two species, Enoplognatha thoracica and Micaria fulgens, are included in the Finnish Red Data Book.

A detailed morphological account of the male copulatory organs of three species of ground spiders, Sergiolus capulatus, Herpyllus propinquus and Callilepis pluto (Araneae, Gnaphosidae), is presented. The large sclerites (subtegulum, tegulum and embolus) appear to be homologous in all spiders. Sergiolus and Zelanda have a plesiomorphic palp organization. The increased complexity in the male bulb organization creates a locking mechanism that fixes the male palp position during intercourse in Callilepis, as well as in Encoptarthria, Trachyzelotes and Zelotes. The palp of Herpyllus, together with Anzacia, Drassodes and Intruda, demonstrates progressive modification of the male bulb.

The discovery of Stenochrus portoricensis Chamberlin, 1922 is the first record of the order Schizomida in Slovakia. Juvenile specimens and adult females were found in heated greenhouses in the Botanical Garden of the Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia. The main morphological characters of juveniles and adult females were studied and photographed.

Wolf spider females are characterised by carrying cocoons attached to their spinnerets. Emerged spiderlings are carried on the females’ opisthosomas, with the exception of three Japanese lycosid species who carry spiderlings on empty cocoons. Here, the same behaviour is recorded in a European spider: the drumming wolf spider Hygrolycosa rubrofasciata. Spiderlings of this species do not try to climb on the female’s opisthosoma, even when they are adopted by a female of a species with a normal pulli-carrying behaviour. This behaviour occurs in Trechaleidae and four unrelated species of Lycosidae inhabiting wet habitats and is therefore regarded as an adaptation to the unsuitable environment.

The sclerosomatid harvestman Homalenotus quadridentatus (Cuvier, 1795), long known close to the border of Germany, is hereby confirmed for the country. Several specimens were observed and collected in a small urban garden area in the town Aachen, suggesting a considerable population. The finding is briefly discussed, and general remarks on the distribution, ecology and conservation of the species are provided.

The pantropical theridiid spider Coleosoma floridanum Banks, 1900 was recorded for the first time in Slovakia and in the Czech Republic. Both sexes and juveniles were collected in some numbers in heated greenhouses with high humidity. A description and photographs of the species is provided.

The present study summarises spider records from East Macedonia and Thrace (NE Greece). Spiders were mainly collected by hand sampling and to a smaller extent by pitfall trapping during field trips in 2002, 2004, 2007, 2008 and 2009. 171 species from 23 families were sampled. Pelecopsis pavida (O. P.-Cambridge, 1872) (Linyphiidae) and Xysticus kaznakovi Utochkin, 1968 (Thomisidae) were new to the European spider fauna and ten further species, Diaea livens Simon, 1876, Heriaeus graminicola (Doleschall, 1852), Meioneta ressli Wunderlich, 1973, Oedothorax retusus (Westring, 1851), Philodromus albidus Kulczynski, 1911, Pocadicnemis pumila Keyserling, 1880, Sitticus saltator (O. P.-Cambridge, 1868), Stemonyphantes lineatus (Linnaeus, 1758), Synageles scutiger Prószynski, 1979 and Thanatus coloradensis Keyserling, 1880, could be added to the Greek fauna for the first time. 21 and 38 species were new to East Macedonia and Thrace, respectively. Based on previous work, plus the present study, the Greek spider fauna now includes 1,108 species.

We found the ichneumonid Polysphincta rufipes Gravenhorst, 1829 (tribus Polysphinctini) to be a koinobiont parasitoid of two species of araneid orb-weavers, Larinioides sclopetarius and Zygiella x-notata, in Central Europe. Some notes on the biology of P. rufipes are given, based on observations both in the field and in the laboratory. The wasps directly attack non-adult spiders sitting in the hubs of their webs. Parasitized spiders could be found from, at least, August to early December. The duration of the development of the wasp larvae, including the pupal stage, is about two months. It seems conceivable that at the end of the larval stage the larva somehow manipulates its host spider; i.e. the spider is forced to enter its retreat – a safe place where the larva can kill the host, complete its development and spin a cocoon for pupation (pupa libera).

We recorded the tent-web spider Cyrtophora citricola (Forsskål, 1775) (Araneidae: Cyrtophorinae) from Turkey for the first time at two sites. Body measurements and a brief description of the female are presented, as well as information on the sites (olive and orange orchards, shrubs) and the accompanying spider fauna.

An illustrated description of Withius hispanus (L. Koch, 1873) is provided based on its morphological and morphometric characters. This finding of W. hispanus is the first record of the family Withiidae in Slovakia. The present re-description of this species allows an assessment of the variability of its morphological and morphometric characters.