Spider diversity of the Springbok Flats in the Limpopo Province of South Africa (Arachnida: Araneae)

SANSA participates in several national research projects. One such project by the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) took place on the Springbok Flats in the Limpopo Province, where methods to control the Red-billed Quelea (Quelea quelea) were examined. The Springbok Flats is an extensive plain of fertile thornveld–grassland situated in the Waterberg District of the Limpopo. Surveys to sample invertebrates were conducted on six farms over 27 months, from January 2001 to March 2003. The spiders sampled were sorted and identified at the National Collection of Arachnida (NCA) at the ARC-Plant Health and Protection. A total of 245 species and 157 genera from 38 families were recorded. The spiders sampled across the Springbok Flats are part of the SANSA Limpopo survey project and represent 27% of Limpopo spiders and 40% of the Waterberg survey.