Spider diversity in a native grassland fragment in Irene, in the Gauteng Province, South Africa (Arachnida: Araneae)

Interest in the invertebrate faunas of urban and suburban areas has increased in the last few years. Over a period of six years, spiders were regularly collected and photographed in a native grassland patch near Irene in the Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is home to a diverse group of spiders, and 39 spider families represented by 150 genera and 257 species have been collected. The Araneidae (46)Salticidae (36 spp.), and Thomisidae (32 spp.) are the most species-rich families. Several of the species collected are new to science or first records for Gauteng. All species collected have been photographed, and this has added a valuable contribution to the South African Na-tional Survey of Arachnida Virtual Museum and iNaturalist. It is important that pristine areas like this in urban areas be protected and not developed.