Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Species richness and biogeography of non-acarine arachnids in Namibia

  • Published:
Biodiversity & Conservation Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

A total of 821 species, 296 genera, and 69 families of non-acarine arachnids (Araneae, Solifugae, Scorpiones, Pseudoscorpiones, Opiliones and Amblypygi) are presently known from Namibia. Patterns of spider, solifuge and scorpion species richness and endemism are summarized relative to the 14 major Namibian types of vegetation. Spiders are most speciose in the higher rainfall areas, solifuges in the dry areas, and scorpions in rocky areas. Namibia probably has the world's greatest diversity of solifuges. Many arachnids endemic to Namibia are associated with the Namib Desert sand dunes.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Alderweireldt, M. and Jocqué, R. (1992) A review of the nebulosa group of Pardosa Koch, 1847 in Africa, a complex with some highly variable species (Araneae, Lycosidae). Trop. Zool. 5, 96–8.

    Google Scholar 

  • Alderweireldt, M. and Jocqué, R. (1993) Biodiversity in Africa and Europe: the case of spiders (Araneae). Biol. Jb. Donnaea 61, 57–67.

    Google Scholar 

  • Beier, von M. (1955) Pseudoscorpionidea. In South African Animal Life, Vol. 1 (B. Hanström, P. Brinck and G. Rudebeck, eds) pp. 263–328. Lund: Almquist and Wiksells.

    Google Scholar 

  • Beier, von M. (1962) Pseudoscorpioniden aus der Namib-Wüste. Ann. Transv. Mus. 24, 223–30.

    Google Scholar 

  • Beier, von M. (1964) Weiteres zur kenntnis der Pseudoscorpioniden fauna des Südlichen Afrika. Ann. Natal Mus. 15, 30–90.

    Google Scholar 

  • Beier, von M. (1966) Ergänzungen zur Pseudoscopionidea fauna des Südlichen Afrika. Ann. Natal Mus. 18, 455–70.

    Google Scholar 

  • Beier, von M. (1973) Weiteres zur der Pseudoscorpioniden Südwest-Afrika. Cimbebasia A 2, 98–101.

    Google Scholar 

  • Beier, von M. (1978) New Cheiridium (Pseudoscorpionidea) from South West Africa. Ann. Natal Mus. 23, 429–30.

    Google Scholar 

  • Coddinton, J.A. and Levi, H.W. (1991) Systematics and evolution of spiders (Araneae). Annu. Rev. Ecol. Syst. 22, 565–92.

    Google Scholar 

  • Giess, W. (1971) Eine vorläufige Vegetationskarte von Südwestafrika mit dreisprachiger Einführung und Erläuterung der hauptsächlichsten Vegetationsgruppen und-typen durch. Dinteria 4, 1–121.

    Google Scholar 

  • Griffin, E. and Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S. (1991) A checklist of, and references to, the Namibian spider fauna (Arachnida, Araneae). Cimbebasia 13, 155–81.

    Google Scholar 

  • Henschel, J.R. (1990) The biology of Leucorchestris arenicola (Araneae: Heteropodidae), a burrowing spider of the Namib dunes. In Namib Ecology: 25 Years of Namib Desert Research (M.K. Seely, ed.) pp. 115–27. Transv. Mus. Monogr. 7.

  • Henschel, J.R. (1994) Diet and foraging behaviour of huntsman spiders in the Namib dunes (Araneae: Heteropodidae). J. Zool., Lond. 234, 239–51.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kauri, von H. (1961) Opiliones. In South African Animal Life, Vol. 8 (B. Hanström, P. Brinck, G. Rudebeck, eds) pp. 9–197. Uppsala: Almquist and Wiksells.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lamoral, B.H. (1979) The scorpions of Namibia (Arachnida: Scorpionida). Ann. Natal Mus. 23, 497–784.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lawrence, R.F. (1927) Contributions to a knowledge of the fauna of South West Africa. V. Arachnida. Ann. S. Afr. Mus. 25, 1–75.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lawrence, R.F. (1928) Contributions to a knowledge of the fauna of South West Africa. VII. Arachnida. Ann. S. Afr. Mus. 25, 215–312.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lawrence, R.F. (1931) The harvest-spiders (Opiliones) of South Africa. Ann. S. Afr. Mus. 29, 341–508.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lawrence, R.F. (1936) Scientific results of the Vernay-Lang Kalahari Expedition, March-September 1930. Spiders (Ctenizidae excepted). Ann. Transv. Mus. 17, 145–58.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lawrence, R.F. (1938) Transvaal Museum expedition to South West Africa and Little Namaqualand, May to August, 1937. Ann. Transv. Mus. 19, 215–26.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lawrence, R.F. (1961) New scorpions and solifuges from South West Africa and Angola. K. fysiogr. Sallsk. Lund Forh. 31 155–60.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lawrence, R.F. (1962a) Solifuges, scorpions and chilopoda of the Namib Desert. Ann. Transv. Mus. 24, 213–22.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lawrence, R.F. (1962b) Spiders of the Namib Desert. Ann. Transv. Mus. 24, 197–212.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lawrence, R.F. (1963) The Solifugae of South West Africa. Cimbebasia 8, 1–28.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lawrence, R.F. (1965) New and little known arachnida from the Namib Desert, S.W. Africa. Sci. Pap. Namib Desert Res. Stn. 27, 1–12.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lawrence, R.F. (1966a) New dune spiders (Sparassidae) from the Namib Desert, S.W. Africa. Cimbebasia 17, 3–15.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lawrence, R.F. (1966b) New and little known scorpions and solifuges from the Namib Desert and South West Africa Sci. Pap. Namib Desert Res. Stn. 29, 1–11.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lawrence, R.F. (1967) Additions to the fauna of South West Africa: solifuges, scorpions and pedipalpi. Sci. Pap. Namib Desert Res. Stn. 34, 1–19.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lawrence, R.F. (1969) A collection of African Amblypygi with keys to the subfamilies, genera and species of the Ethiopian fauna. Rev. Zool. Bot. Afr. 85, 80–7.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lawrence, R.F. (1972) New psammophilous Solifugae chiefly from desert regions of the Kalahari and South West Africa. Cimbebasia A 2, 97–116.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lotz, L.N. (1994) Revision of the genus Latrodectus (Araneae: Theridiidae) in Africa. Navors. nas. Mus. Bloemfontein 10, 1–60.

    Google Scholar 

  • Newlands G. and Cantrell, A.C. (1985) A re-appraisal of the rock scorpions (Scorpionidae: Hadogenes lawrencei). Koedoe 28, 35–45.

    Google Scholar 

  • Platnick, N.I. (1992) Patterns of biodiversity. In Systematics, Ecology, and the Biodiversity Crisis (N. Eldridge, ed.) pp. 15–24. New York: Columbia University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Platnick, N.I. and Jocqué, R. (1992) Two new species of Cyrioctea from southern Africa with a note on sexual dimorphism in the genus (Araneae, Zodariidae). J. Afr. Zool. 106, 191–6.

    Google Scholar 

  • Purcell, W.F. (1908) Araneae (1). In Forschungsreise in Südafrika, Vol. 1(2) (L. Schultze, ed.) pp. 205–46. Jena: Denkschr. me.-naturw. Ges.

    Google Scholar 

  • Roewer, C.F. (1960) Araneae Lycososaeformia II (Lycosidae). Explor. Parc natn. Upemba. Miss. G. F. de Witte 55, 3–1040.

    Google Scholar 

  • Russell-Smith, A. (1981) Seasonal activity and diversity of ground-living spiders in two African savanna habitats. Bull. Br. Arachnol. Soc. 5, 145–54.

    Google Scholar 

  • Simon, E. (1910) Arachnoidea: Araneae (II). In Zoologische und anthropologische Ergebnisse einer Forschungsreise im Westlichen und zentralen Südafrika, Vol. 4(11) (L. Schultze, ed.) pp. 176–218. Jena: Denkschr. med.-naturw. Ges.

    Google Scholar 

  • Starega, W. (1992) An annotated check-list of Afrotropical harvestmen, excluding Phalangiidae (Opiliones). Ann. Natal Mus. 33, 271–336.

    Google Scholar 

  • Strohbach-Fricke, M. (1996) Exciting world of Namibian flora. Namibia Environ. 1, 79–82.

    Google Scholar 

  • van den Berg, A. and Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S. (1994) A revision of the Afrotropical species of the genus Tibellus Simon (Araneae: Philodromidae). Koedoe 37, 67–114.

    Google Scholar 

  • van der Merwe, J.H. (ed.) (1983) National Atlas of South West Africa (Namibia). Goodwood: National Book Printers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wesolowska, W. (1993) Notes on the genus Natta Karsch, 1879 (Araneae, Salticidae). Genus 4, 17–32.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wharton, R.A. (1981) Namibian Solifugae (Arachnida). Cimbebasia 5, 1–87.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Museum of Namibia, P.O. Box 1203, Windhoek, Namibia

    R. E. Griffin

Authors
  1. R. E. Griffin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Griffin, R.E. Species richness and biogeography of non-acarine arachnids in Namibia. Biodiversity and Conservation 7, 467–481 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1008823527757

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1008823527757

Search

Navigation