Peter Webb’s scientific contributions

The crab spider Geraesta congoensis (Lessert, 1943) is endemic to Africa and was described as Stephanopis congoensis from the Democratic Republic of Congo. It was first recorded in South Africa in 2010, and it is known from the Eastern Cape, KwaZu-lu-Natal, Limpopo, and Mpumalanga, South Africa. The general morphology of the species is described based on photographs of live specimens, and notes on their behaviour, distribution in South Africa, and conservation status are provided.

The litter crab spider Borboropactus silvicola (Lawrence, 1938) is endemic to South Africa and was described as Regil-lus silvicola from Port Sheptone, KwaZulu-Natal. It is now known from the Eastern Cape, Limpopo and several localities in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The general morphology of the species is noted based on photographs of live specimens. Notes on their behaviour updated distributional records, and their conservation status in South Africa are provided.

Runcinia erythrina Jézéquel 1964 is a typical grassland species with a wide distribution. It is known from the Ivory Coast in the Afrotropical Region to South Africa in the south. It is presently known from eight provinces in South Africa. The female, with her characteristic decorated abdomen, is easily recognized. More information on its morphology, lifestyle, distribution, and conservation status is provided.

Hirriusa arenacea is a Southern African spider described by Lawrence (1927) as Hirrius arenaceus from Namibia. They are small ground-running spiders frequently encountered in sandy areas on the soil surface. Information on their general morphology, behaviour, and distribution in South Africa, as well as photographs of live specimens, is provided.

Records of the spider Artema atlanta Walckenaer, 1837 from South Africa are presented. The general morphology of live specimens is discussed, and photographs are provided, with notes on their behaviour and distribution.

The National Gardens constitute a large proportion of "green space," they have principal conservation value for invertebrates. An annotated list of spider species known from the Pretoria National Botanical Garden is provided. A total of 152 species from 36 families and 113 genera are presently protected in the garden. The two most species-rich families are the Araneidae (23 spp.) and Salticidae (21 spp.), followed by the Thomisidae (16 spp.) and Gnaphosidae (14 spp.), while singletons represent 15 families. Each species' global distribution, endemicity, and conservation status are provided. Most species (98.7.%) have a wide distribution range and are of Least Concern , while 1.3% are possibly new.

Pycnacantha tribulus (Fabricius, 1781) is the first species collected and described from South Africa. The type locality was only given as "Cap bona spei." Surveys have shown the species to have a wide distribution, and it is presently known from eight provinces. With its very characteristic spiky abdomen, this unique spider is also known as the hedgehog spider. It is a very common grass dweller and one of the orb-web spiders known for their adapted and reduced orb-webs More information on their morphology, lifestyle, distribution, and conservation status are provided.

The comb-foot spider Theridion bicruciatum Roewer, 1961, is known only from the type locality in Senegal. This species was recorded for the first time from South Africa during the South African National Survey of Arachnida (SANSA). Specimens were sampled from vegetation. The general morphology of live specimens is discussed, with notes on their behaviour, distribution, and conservation.

The species Ideocaira transversa Simon, 1903, was described from South Africa 122 years ago. The description based only on the female was short, and no drawings were provided. Nothing is known about this unique species. Based on specimens sampled during the South African National Survey of Arachnida and photographs of live specimens, we can add to the general morphology and discuss their behaviour, distribution, and conservation status.