A comparison of adhesive performance among six cursorial spider species

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  A comparison of adhesive performance among six cursorial spider species Abstract The ability to adhere to surfaces is particularly relevant for cursorial predatory arthropods like hunting spiders, which often traverse relatively complex environments characterized by large variation in substrate properties. Here, we evaluated the adhesive performance of six hunting spider species that are common in eastern temperate North America and lack specialized tarsi for climbing smooth or inclined surfaces [Lycosidae: Pardosa lapidicina Emerton, 1885 and Rabidosa rabida (Walckenaer, 1837); Oxyopidae: Oxyopes salticus Hentz, 1845; Pisauridae: Pisaurina mira (Walckenaer, 1837); Dolomedidae: Dolomedes triton (Walckenaer, 1837), and Dolomedes scriptus Hentz, 1845]. We tested adhesion performance as shear load resistance (g) on a glass plate, and as the angle of failure (°) when the plate was gradually inclined relative to horizontal. Average angle of failure and shear resistance differed among ...

Habitat Influence on Epigeic Spider Diversity in Silaka, Langeni and Kambi Forests, Eastern Cape, South Africa

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Habitat Influence on Epigeic Spider Diversity in Silaka, Langeni and Kambi Forests, Eastern Cape, South Africa

ABSTRACT

In this paper, we explore spider diversity and the effects of habitat types on spider distribution in the three different types of habitats in Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. This serves as an invaluable tool for biodiversity assessment while documenting the presence of spiders taxa across different habitats in the selected study areas. Spiders were collected using pitfall traps in Langeni forest, Kambi forest and Silaka Nature reserve. Two of these sites are situated in Mthatha and one in Port St Johns. A total of 12 families represented by 19 genera and 43 species/morphospecies were recorded. Habitat type did not significantly influence spider abundance. This present study provides an important insight into the composition and relative abundance of epigeic spiders in the a priori selected study sites. Even though the analysis of the sampling effort points the low species richness to under sampling, the dataset provides an indication of the families and guilds present in the studied forests during the period of study. The results also indicate that local habitat conditions may have an influence on the spider community structure. These data contribute to the growing knowledge of South African arachnology knowledge but due to limitations associated with the sampling, the data should be viewed as preliminary.

Mdazu, S., Munyai, C., & Niba, A. (2026). Habitat Influence on Epigeic Spider Diversity in Silaka, Langeni and Kambi Forests, Eastern Cape, South Africa. African Journal of Ecology, 64(2), e70149. https://doi.org/10.1111/aje.70149