A first look at the non-acarine arachnid biodiversity of the Meerkat National Park, South Africa

In this study, we present the first preliminary checklist of the non-acarine arachnids of the Meerkat National Park, based on iNaturalist images generated during a BioBlitz conducted in the park in October 2024 and an Entomology field excursion conducted by the University of the Free State in March - April 2025 in the Jaskloof area. During the latter, sampling was conducted in three biotopes (open Nama Karoo grassland, a rocky hillside and riparian woodland) using a standardized sampling protocol (beating, sweeping and pitfalls), supplemented by ad hoc collecting by beating, hand collecting from rocks, litter sifting and night collecting. A total of 89 spider species in 30 families were recorded, as well as six species of scorpions, four species of solifuges and two species of pseudoscorpions. The most species-rich families sampled were Salticidae (15 spp.) and Gnaphosidae (14 spp.). We also generated 33 DNA barcodes representing 22 species based on the material collected, all of which are imaged. All of the species identified to species level (60 spp.) can be considered of Least Concern. The majority of them are southern African endemics (31 spp.), whereas 10 are South African endemics, 13 Afrotropical endemics and six species are cosmopolitan. Although this is only a preliminary survey carried out in a small portion in the west of the park, it provides valuable baseline data to guide future sampling efforts and species identifications.