Search

An annotated catalogue of the rare mesothele spiders (Araneae: Mesothelae: Liphistiidae) held in the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin is presented. The museum hosts non-type specimens of nine species representing all three currently recognised genera, namely: Liphistius desultor Schiödte, 1849, L. malayanus cameroni Haupt, 1983, L. cf. thaleban Schwendinger, 1990, Heptathela kikuyai Ono, 1998, H. kimurai (Kishida, 1920), H. yanbaruensis Haupt, 1983, Ryuthela ishigakiensis Haupt, 1983, R. nishihirai (Haupt, 1979) and R. tanikawai Ono, 1997 (spec. reval.). The geographical focus of this collection is Malaysia and Japan, and most of the material was collected by the Berlin-based zoologist Joachim Haupt.

The ‘Hesse collection’ of spiders (Araneae) and harvestmen (Opiliones) in the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin is documented. Biographical notes on Erich Hesse – a former arachnid curator at the museum (1921–1940) – are provided. The ‘Hesse collection’ was actually put together by other workers, and can be broadly divided into two parts. One comes from Bielinek (= Bellinchen) on the Polish side of the Oder Valley (West Pommerania); now part of the ‘Unteres Odertal’ National Park. This Bielinek material includes notable records of Heriaeus oblongus Simon, 1918 and Gibbaranea ullrichi (Hahn, 1835). The other part of the collection comes from Colbitz-Letzlinger Heide in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Notable here are Pistius truncatus (Pallas, 1772) and Philodromus buchari Kubcová, 2004; the latter representing the first record of this species for Saxony-Anhalt.

Camel spiders (Arachnida: Solifugae) are one of the arachnid groups characterised by a prosomal dorsal shield composed of three distinct elements: the pro-, meso- and metapeltidium. These are associated respectively with prosomal appendages one to four, five, and six. What is less well known, although noted in the historical literature, is that the coxae of the 4th and 5th prosomal segments (i.e. walking legs 2 and 3) of camel spiders are also separated ventrally by a distinct membranous region, which is absent between the coxae of the other legs. We suggest that this essentially ventral division of the prosoma specifically between coxae 2 and 3 is homologous with the so-called sejugal furrow (the sejugal interval sensu van der Hammen). This division constitutes a fundamental part of the body plan in acariform mites (Arachnida: Acariformes). If homologous, this sejugal furrow could represent a further potential synapomorphy for (Solifugae + Acariformes); a relationship with increasing morphological and molecular support. Alternatively, outgroup comparison with sea spiders (Pycnogonida) and certain early Palaeozoic fossils could imply that the sejugal furrow defines an older tagma, derived from a more basal grade of organisation. In this scenario the (still) divided prosoma of acariform mites and camel spiders would be plesiomorphic. This interpretation challenges the textbook arachnid character of a peltidium (or ‘carapace’) covering an undivided prosoma.

The first fossil cyphophthalmid harvestman (Opiliones: Cyphophthalmi) from Palaeogene (Eocene) Baltic amber is described. This is only the third fossil example of this basal harvestman lineage; the others being from the probably slightly younger Bitterfeld amber and the much older, early Cretaceous, Myanmar (Burmese) amber. Although incomplete and lacking most of the appendages, the new Baltic amber fossil can be identified as a female. The somatic characters preserved, especially spiracle morphology and the coxo-genital region, allow it to be assigned with some confidence to the extant genus Siro Latreille, 1796 (Sironidae). This fossil is formally described here as Siro balticus sp. nov. It resembles modern North American Siro species more than modern European ones, and can be distinguished principally on its relatively large size and the outline form of the body.

The great raft spider, Dolomedes plantarius (Clerck, 1757), is a rare and endangered species in Germany and other European countries. Current data on its distribution and ecology are briefly reviewed. Five new (or overlooked) localities for this spider from the Spreewald-region of Brandenburg in eastern Germany are provided, together with an updated distribution map. One record, based on the authors’ own collections, is described and figured in detail, with the egg-carrying female discovered in reeds at the edge of a fairly large body of open water. Both direct and indirect protective measures for the habitats of this species in the Spreewald-region are recommended.

book review: Jörg Wunderlich (ed.) (2004): Fossil Spiders in Amber and Copal. Fossile Spinnen in Bernstein und Kopal.

book review: David Penney (Ed) 2013 Spider research in the 21st century – trends and perspectives

congress report

The stylonurid eurypterid Leiopterella tetliei Lamsdell, Braddy, Loeffler, and Dineley, 2010 (Chelicerata: Eurypterida: Rhe-nopteridae) from the Early Devonian (Lochkovian) of Nunavut in Arctic Canada is redescribed. Restudy of the holotype under polarized light revealed a labrum, epistomal sutures, prosomal appendage III, and deltoid plates anterior to the genital appendage. An additional new specimen preserves the distal podomeres of appendage VI and gradually tapering opisthosomal tergites. The characters resolved here support the hypothesis that L. tetliei was relatively basal within the wider Stylonurina clade, with its tapering postabdomen supporting a more basal position within Rhenopteridae than previously suggested. Keywords: Eurypterida, Stylonurina, morphology, appendages. Unenouvelledescription de l'eurypteride stylonuride Leiopterella tetliei Lamsdell, Braddy, Loeffler et Dineley, 2010 (chelicerates : eurypterides : rhenopterides) du Devonien precoce (Lochkovien) du Nunavut (Arctique canadien) est presentee. Le reexamen de l'holotype en lumiere polarisee revele une levre, des sutures epistomales, un appendice III prosomal et des plaques delto'ides anterieures a l'appendice genital. Un nouveau specimen supplementaire preserve les podomeres distaux de l'appendice VI et des tergites opisthomosales s'amincissant progressivement. Les caracteres decrits appuient l'hypothese selon laquelle L. tetliei occupait une position assez basale au sein du clade plus large des stylonurines, son post-abdomenenbiseau appuyant l'interpretation d'une position plus basale au sein des rhenopterides que ce qui avait deja ete propose. [Traduit par la Redaction] Mots-cles: eurypterides, stylonurines, morphologie, appendices., Introduction The eurypterids (Chelicerata: Eurypterida) are a group of extinct predatory arthropods known from approximately 250 species. Some lineages, notably the pterygotids, attained very large size (approximately 2.5 m long) [...]

Scorpions (Arachnida: Scorpiones) are a diverse and widespread arachnid order with a rich and deep fossil record. Here we review the, sometimes complex, historical development of fossil scorpion higher classification. We present a chronological account of family and genus names, together with an overview of higher taxa as potential clade names. In 1884 Thorell & Lindström divided scorpions based on whether the legs were short and pointed (Apoxypoda) or ended in paired claws (Dionychopoda). Pocock in 1911 used the morphology of the ventral mesosomal sclerites, which could either be bilobed (Lobosterni) or of a modern configuration (Orthosterni). Petrunkevitch in 1949 attached importance to a putative first opisthosomal tergite being present (Protoscorpionina) or absent (Euscorpionina). Kjellesvig-Waering in 1986 recognised four major groups (Holosternina, Meristosternina, Lobosternina and Bilobosternina) based on the shape of the ventral mesosomal sclerites. The Stockwell/Jeram schemes from the 1980s and 1990s proposed a cladistic progression from early branching lineages, for which the names Protoscorpiones and Palaeoscorpiones were used, towards Scorpiones sensu stricto defined by the presence of book lungs and coxapophyses. Scorpiones was further divided into Mesoscorpionina and Neoscorpionina. Neoscorpions were characterised by a reduced number of lateral eye lenses and comprise the paleosterns, with marginal lung spiracles, and orthosterns with spiracles in the middle of the sternite. We briefly discuss the merits of these alternatives and present a summary of the current higher classification of scorpions. Forty-three extinct family groups are currently recognised, and of the 24 living families seven have fossil representatives. Including incertae sedis taxa, there are 76 extinct genera and five extant genera with fossil representatives. Both modern parvorders, Buthida and Iurida, were potentially present in the Triassic. Buthidae, Chaerilidae, Chactidae and perhaps Hormuridae have been reported from the Cretaceous. Euscorpiidae are known from the Palaeogene and Scorpionidae has potential (but unconfirmed) records from the Neogene. Given the complexity of this history and the present taxonomy of the group, we hope this contribution provides a first step towards simplifying fossil scorpion systematics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]