 SANSA NEWS 35 (2020) First record of the orb-web spider Araneus holzapfelae Lessert, 1936from South Africa (Arachnida: Araneidae)A.S. Dippenaar‐Schoeman 1 2 and S.H. Foord2 1 Plant Health and Protec on, Agricultural Research Council, Pretoria, South Africa. Email: DippenaarAatarc.agric.za 2 Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Zoology, University of Venda, South Africa. E‐mail: sfoordatuniven.ac.za ABSTRACT The spo ed orb‐web spider Araneus holzapfelae Lessert, 1936 was described from Mozambique in 1936 and is only known from the type locality. This spider was recorded for the ﬁrst me from South Africa during the South African Na onal Survey of Arachnida (SANSA). Morphological features of the species were compared with illustra ons and literature on the original de‐ scrip on of A. holzapfelae. This is the ﬁrst record of the occurrence of A. holzapfelae in South Africa, where it was recorded from ﬁve provinces. The general morphology of live specimens is discussed, with notes on their behaviour, distribu on and conserva on status. Key words: Biodiversity, distribu on, South African Na onal Survey of Arachnida (SANSA) INTRODUCTIONTAXONOMIC TREATMENTThe genus Araneus, represented by 642 species, is large ge‐ nus with a wide distribu on (World Spider Catalog 2020).Araneus holzapfelae Lessert, 1936 Araneus species in South Africa are s ll poorly documented, Araneus holzapfeli Lessert, 1936: 246, ﬁg. 40‐42. and only 11 endemic species were listed in the ﬁrst Spider Atlas (Dippenaar‐Schoeman et al. 2010). With the recent publica on of Nentwig et al. (2020), ﬁve of these species are Descrip on: Size: TL females 4–6 mm, males unknown. Ara- now listed as nomen dubium. The only recent paper on a neus holzapfeli is a colourful species and both sexes are rec‐ South African Araneus included the transfer of Larinia vara ognized by their abdomens decorated with red pa erns and Kauri, 1950 to Araneus (Marusik 2017). four black spots (Figs 1‐5). Carapace yellow with eye region As part of the South African Na onal Survey of Arachnidadark, with reddish‐brown nt extending to the fovea over a (SANSA), large numbers of specimens were sampled that slightly elevated area that bears sca ered pale long setae need to be iden ﬁed (Dippenaar‐Schoeman et al. 2015). The (Figs 1, 3); carapace as wide as long, with eye region narrow‐ iden ﬁca on of the araneids, of which most of the generaer; eye region with medial area bearing four eyes in two are not revised, are s ll a problem. One of the species sam‐rows, with posterior row slightly procurved; lateral eyes posi‐ pled was iden ﬁed as the spo ed orb‐web spider Araneusoned closed together, situated near the carapace edge (Fig. holzapfelae Lessert, 1936. The species is presently known only5); anterior median eyes a li le wider apart than the posteri‐ from the type locality in Mozambique. Morphological fea‐or median eyes. Legs similar in colour to carapace, yellow; tures of the species were compared with illustra ons andlegs some mes nted with green, slender; leg formula 1243; literature on the original descrip on of A. holzapfelae. It isfemora and biae bearing sca ered dark long setae. Abdo‐ presently s ll only known from the type locality. For the ﬁrstmen oval, slightly overhanging the carapace; dorsum with me, images received for the SANSA Virtual Museum data‐white background, decorated with reddish nted longitudinal base (Dippenaar‐Schoeman et al. 2012) were available to bands, merging anteriorly and posteriorly, shape varies be‐ document the morphology of A. holzapfelae in South Africa,tween specimens; four black spots present on midline and with notes on their general behaviour, distribu on and con‐ near posterior end. Epigynum: as in Fig. 6 serva on status. Behaviour: They are nocturnal orb‐web spiders, making their webs at night and res ng on vegeta on during the day. They are easily sampled with sweep nets and were sampled from METHODS the Savanna (Foord et al. 2011) and Grassland biomes. Speci‐ Voucher specimens are deposited in the Na onal Collec onmens were also sampled from avocado orchards and tomato of Arachnida at the Agricultural Research Council, Pretoria ﬁelds (Dippenaar‐Schoeman et al. 2013). (NCA).19SANSA NEWS 35 (2020)1 2 3 4 5 6 Figures 1–6. Araneus holzapfelae. (1) Female, dorsal view, from Ezemvelo Nature Reserve; (2) Same, lateral view; (3) Female, dorsal view, Empangeni; (4) Female from Richards Bay; (5) Immature female from Drummond; (6) Female epigyne. Photo‐ graphs courtesy of Peter Webb (1‐4) and Andrea Saunders (5). Distribu on: Mozambique. New records: South AfricaLimpopo: Blouberg Nature Reserve (‐22.99, 29.04), (Eastern Cape, KwaZulu‐Natal and Mpumalanga) (Fig. 7).10.iii.2009, V. Gelebe, 1f, NCA 2009/916; Blouberg Nature Reserve (‐22.99, 29.04), 15.iii.2008, F. Mbedzi, 1f, NCA Conserva on status: The species is protected in the follow‐ 2009/917; Li le Leigh Farm, Louis Trichardt (‐22.949, 29.870), ing conserved areas in South Africa: Blouberg Nature Reserve15.iii.2009, E. Stam, 1m, 1f, NCA 2009/1958, 2009/1957. (Muelelwa et al. 2010; Foord et al. 2019), Ezemvelo NatureMpumalanga: Brondal (20km NE of Nelspruit) (‐25.35, Reserve, Faerie Glen Nature Reserve, Kruger Na onal Park, 30.84), 2.xii.1997, M. van den Berg, 1f, NCA 98/249; Kruger Isandlwane Nature Reserve, Makelali Game ReserveNa onal Park, Pretoriuskop, Shabeni (‐25.123, 32,237), (Whitmore et al. 2001) and uMkhuze Game Reserve. Due to 10.iii.2012, B. Reynolds, 1f, NCA 2013/2711. its wide distribu on range it is listed as Least Concern.MATERIAL EXAMINED SOUTH AFRICA. Gauteng: Ezemvelo Nature Reserve (‐25.80, 28.77), 1.iii.2014, R. Lyle, 1f, NCA 2014/2552; Pretoria, Faerie Glenn Nature Reserve (‐25.74, 28.19), 28.ix.2014, P. Webb, 1m, NCA 2015/3371. KwaZulu‐Natal: Empangeni (‐28.72, 31.88), 25.x.1977, P. Reavell, 1f, NCA 78/135; Richards Bay (‐ 28.78, 32.10) 18.vi.2013, P. Webb, 1f, NCA 2016/1640; iSimangaliso Wetland Park, uMkhuze Game Reserve (‐27.63, 32.25), 14.iii. 2013, X. Combrinck, 1m, NCA 2104/3830; uM‐ khuze Game Reserve (‐27.62174, 32.24543), 20.ii. 2010, X. Combrinck, 1m, NCA 2011/2929; Isandlwane Nature Reserve (‐28.359, 30.640), 15.iii.2011, M. S ller, canopy fogging, 1f, NCA 2012/3363; Wakeﬁeld Farm, No ngham Rd. (‐29.4987, 29.9106), 24.xi.2015, P. Webb, 1m, NCA 2016/1983. Figure 7. Map showing distribu on of Araneus holzapfelaein South Africa.20 SANSA NEWS 35 (2020)ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS NENTWIG, W., BLICK, T., GLOOR, D., JÄGER, P. and KROPF, C. This study was made possible by the ﬁnancial support from 2020. How to deal with destroyed type material? The case of the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) and the Na onal Re‐ Embrik Strand (Arachnida: Araneae). Arachnologische Mi ei- search Founda on of South Africa. The authors want to lungen 59: 22–29. thank to Peter Webb and Andrea Saunders for the use of their photographs. WHITMORE, C., SLOTOW, R., CROUCH, T.E. and DIPPENAAR‐ SCHOEMAN, A.S. 2001. 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