African Wildlife & Environment Issue 84 2023

GOOD READS

Discovering Spiders

to spiders. The latter may be accessed at https:// zenodo.org//communities/sansa, and constitute a remarkable resource of which this Field Guide is a product; the South African National Survey of Arachnida . On the subject of photography Ansie says “ The digital camera and macro-photography have opened a new world for science. The beautiful colours, intricate webs and interesting behaviour of spiders are now documented daily. I hope this book will influence and stimulate photographers to record our spider fauna so that we will eventually have an image of every species in the country.” That is going to be a tall order, because to date no less than 72 families and 2,782 species are known from South Africa! Thoroughly revised and updated, this new edition remains the most comprehensive guide to South African spiders published to date. It features over 780 of the more common spider species encountered in the field and in homes and gardens, as well as representative species from some of the rarer spider families.These are the highlights of the new Field Guide: • 'Quick Keys' to the 72 South African spider families provide a useful starting point to identification. • Succinct genus and species accounts cover identifying characteristics, breeding, behaviour, distribution and conservation status. • Colour photographs and/or illustrations as well as distribution maps support each entry. • Introductory chapter discusses spider morphology, spider life cycle, the functions of silk, as well as spider collection techniques. • Section on venom identifies species that pose a danger to humans, unpacks neurotoxic and cytotoxic venom, and details the symptoms and treatment of spider bites. Spiders come in a bewildering number of shapes, sizes and lifestyles, but this book will certainly help to demystify the group and should be in the library of everyone interested in natural history and biodiversity. An irrational fear of spiders is very pervasive in most sectors of our society and children are taught to be scared of them from an early age. Nearly all spiders are ‘venomous’ and subdue their prey by injecting them with venom through their sharp hollow fangs.

Dippenaar-Schoeman, Ansie (2023). Field Guide to the Spiders of South Africa . Soft cover, 15 x 21 cm, 400 pp,illustrated in colour throughout with photographs maps and line drawings. ISBN 978-1-77584-797-7. Struik Nature, an imprint of Penguin Random House South Africa (Pty) Ltd, Cape Town. RRP R480. The astonishing, stunning image of a jumping spider (family Salticidae) on the cover is worthy of a poster sized picture on any wall! Until the technology of macro-photography arrived, people have not really been able to appreciate the intricate beauty of these tiny creatures. The photo is by Vida van der Walt who has been documenting Salticids for seven years and has a website dedicated to them at http://jumpingspiders.co.za/ Here is a fine example of citizen science at its best! Ansie is the foremost authority on South African spiders and has been working on them for 55 years! She has published over 300 papers, nine books and 66 photo identification guides

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