A check-list of the Solifugae (sun-spiders) of South Africa (Arachnida: Solifugae)

The Solifugae, also known as sun-spiders, are known from more than 1075 species globally. As part of the South African National Survey of Arachnida, inventories are underway to determine the diversity of the Arachnida fauna of South Africa. An annotated check-list of the Solifugae of South Africa is...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inAfrican plant protection Vol. 12; no. 1; pp. 70 - 92
Main Authors Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S., Gonzalez Reyes, A.X., Harvey, M.S.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published ARC Plant Protection Research Institute 01.01.2006
Subjects
Arachnida
Solifugae
South African National Survey of Arachnida
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Summary:The Solifugae, also known as sun-spiders, are known from more than 1075 species globally. As part of the South African National Survey of Arachnida, inventories are underway to determine the diversity of the Arachnida fauna of South Africa. An annotated check-list of the Solifugae of South Africa is presented here based mainly on published records. A total of 30 new distribution records are provided for 10 species. South Africa has a rich fauna of sun-spiders represented by 143 species in six families, viz. Ceromidae, Daesiidae, Gylippidae, Hexisopodidae, Melanoblossidae and Solpugidae. This represents about 13.3 % of the world's fauna, with 93 (65 %) of the 143 species recorded being endemic to South Africa. Solifugae are aggressive predators that prey on a variety of pest species and may play an important role in agroecosystems.
ISSN:1023-3121
2309-3811