A revision of the purse-web spider genus Calommata Lucas, 1837 (Araneae, Atypidae) in the Afrotropical Region

Abstract

The purse-web spider genus Calommata Lucas, 1837 is revised in the Afrotropical Region. Following examination of the female type material, Calommata transvaalica Hewitt, 1916 is removed from synonymy with Calommata simoni Pocock, 1903 and revalidated. The females of both species are redescribed and their males described for the first time. While Calommata simoni is very widespread across tropical Africa, Calommata transvaalica is endemic to northern South Africa. Four new species are described, all known only from males: Calommata megae sp. n. (Zimbabwe), Calommata meridionalis sp. n. (South Africa), Calommata namibica sp. n. (Namibia) and Calommata tibialis sp. n. (Ivory Coast and Togo). Notes are presented on the biology of each species.

Redefinition and partial revision of the genus Stenaelurillus Simon, 1886 (Arachnida, Araneae, Salticidae)

“…The genus Stenaelurillus is not unique in the order Araneae, as far as its distributional pattern is concerned. A similar palaeotropical distribution is also known in a number of better studied spider genera, for instance: Borboropactus Simon, 1884 (Thomisidae) recorded from tropical Africa, S and SE Asia, but compared to Stenaelurillus also including Malaysia, Indonesia, the Phillipines and Papua New Guinea (Benjamin 2011;WSC 2017); Calommata Lucas, 1837 (Atypidae) recorded from Africa, the Near East and SE Asia (Fourie et al 2011);Mallinella Strand, 1906 (Zodariidae), a recently revised genus occurring in central and west Africa, S and SE Asia, southeastward to the northern tip of Australia (Dankittipakul et al 2012a(Dankittipakul et al : fig. 14152012b) (Logunov 2001a).…”

Ground-dwelling spider assemblages in contrasting habitats in the central South African Grassland Biome

“…This is higher than the eight species collected during nearly 22 000 pitfall trap-days' sampling in open grasslands in the Erfenis Dam Nature Reserve was not collected in this study but has been recorded from the other two sites (Fourie et al 2011;Haddad et al 2015). In addition, an unidentified Harpactira sp.…”

A Triassic spider from Italy

“…In Atypus, the external portion lies along the ground, com− monly soil−covered and resembling an old−style purse (hence "purse−web"); in Sphodros, the buried part is often at the foot of a tree, and the external portion looks like an upright twig lying on the bole; the external portion of the web in Calommata is a small, soil−covered chamber (Fourie et al 2011). Prey landing on the ex− ternal portion is detected by the spider which then spears it through the web with the long fangs, while gripping the web from the inside.…”