The spider fauna associated with litter under woodrat middens in southern California (Arachnida : Araneae)

摘要

Litter from under wood rat (Neotoma sp.) middens from southern California, was sampled, primarily between 1977-1985, in search of latridiid beetles. As an ancillary by-product, spiders were collected, separated and labeled with collection data but most have remained undetermined until now. In this paper, we determine the spider species associated with the rat middens, predominantly from five southern Californian counties, ranging in elevation from 200 to 1900 m. This study yielded 316 specimens representing 42 species, 34 genera and 20 families of spiders. The family Linyphiidae was represented here with the greatest number of genera, species and specimens. The most frequently collected species, Tapinocyba dietrichi Crosby & Bishop (Linyphiidae), contributed 37.3% of the specimen total. Spirembolus erratus Millidge (Linyphiidae) and Zanomys californica (Banks) (Amaurobiidae) were the second and third most predominant species, contributing 16.5% and 5.1%, respectively, of the specimen total. Many of the specimens identified in this study are members of minute species (1-3 mm), which can easily be overlooked unless samples are carefully scrutinized, Some of the more interesting and uncommon species include Trogloneta paradoxum Gertsch (Mysmenidae), Gertschanapis shantzi (Gertsch) (Anapidae), several Zanomys spp., and members from the families Hahniidae, Caponiidae and Oonopidae. Specimens collected here will contribute to the description of three new species (2 amaurobiids, 1 linyphiid) and the male of a second linyphiid species.