First catalog of spiders of Egypt (Araneae)

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  First catalog of spiders of Egypt (Araneae) Abstract This study provides a comprehensive catalog of the spider fauna of Egypt, comprising 389 species assigned to 197 genera and 40 families. For each species, all published locality records are compiled and accompanied by complete bibliographic references. The dataset has been carefully reviewed and critically evaluated in light of the most recent taxonomic and faunistic information. Among the recorded species, 55 (14.13%) are currently known only from Egypt and are thus considered endemic. Based on the World Spider Catalog (2026), 28 species are treated as nomina dubia, 23 species lack confirmed records from Egypt, which is not correct, 10 have to be omitted from the Egyptian list and 8 are species inquirenda. Despite the relatively high number of documented species, the Egyptian araneofauna remains insufficiently explored. Given the country’s ecological diversity and biogeographical position, further research is expected to signi...

One time only: determining spider diversity along a latitudinal gradient in South Africa's arid Succulent Karoo and Desert biomes using a rapid sampling protocol

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One time only: determining spider diversity along a latitudinal gradient in South Africa's arid Succulent Karoo and Desert biomes using a rapid sampling protocol

Abstract

The Succulent Karoo Biome (SKB) is distributed in the western and southern parts of South Africa and is an entirely arid global biodiversity hotspot, but it is severely undersampled for spiders. To address this gap, we used a standardized sampling protocol to collect arachnids from four biotopes (open plain, riparian vegetation, east- and west-facing mountain slopes) using three methods along a latitudinal gradient of five adjacent degree-squares in South Africa's arid western interior to determine how latitude, biotopes, sampling methods and climate affect spider assemblages and diversity. A total of 6497 spiders were collected, representing 305 species and 39 families. Beating yielded the most individuals but the fewest species (n = 3710, S = 130), hand collecting in litter the most species and intermediate numbers (n = 1646, S = 213) and hand collecting from rocks collected the lowest numbers and intermediate species richness (n = 1141, S = 150). Abundance and species richness showed a general bell-shaped pattern along the transect, peaking at Akkerendam Nature Reserve (n = 1839, S = 129). Hand collecting from leaf litter was the most important contributor to spider species richness, with a lower species accumulation rate than beating or hand collecting from rocks. Spider composition from rocks and leaf litter showed some overlap, whereas beating sampled a highly distinct fauna across sites. In total, 519 specimens were sequenced (cytochrome c oxidase subunit I, COI), and this data is publicly available on the SPIZA project on the Barcode of Life Data System (BOLD).
Haddad, C. R., Van der Mescht, A., Booysen, R., Christiaan, R., Stander, A., Dippenaar-Schoeman, A. S., Van Aardt, A. C., & Foord, S. H. (2026). One time only: Determining spider diversity along a latitudinal gradient in South Africa's arid Succulent Karoo and Desert biomes using a rapid sampling protocol. Acta Oecologica, 132, 104186. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actao.2026.104186