5th ASIAN SOCIETY OF ARACHNOLOGY CONFERENCE 2018

TENTATIVE DETAILED PROGRAM

Sunday November 18th

Time Activities

14:00–18:00 Registration

Monday November 19th

Time Activities

8:00–8:30 Registration (cont.)

8:30–8:45 Welcoming address by

Dr. Noppadon Kitana
Head of Biology Department, Faculty of
Science, Chulalongkorn University

8:45–9:00 ASA Presidential address by

Dr. Joseph Koh

9:00–10:00 Plenary 1 – Dr. Deborah R. Smith

“The history and possible future of social
spider research”
10:00–10:30 Coffee break
10:30–10:50 O1: Long Yu
“Predator avoidance: bird dropping
masquerading in a crab spider”

10:50–11:10 O2: Dr. Jayaraman Dharmaraj

“Diversity of Spider in Rain Forest of
The Nilgiris, Tamilnadu, India”

11:10–11:30 O3: Sunil Jose Kanniparambil

“Diversity of Theridiid spiders from Western
Ghats of Kerala, India”

11:30–11:50 O4: Dr. Radek Michalko

“Biocontrol efficiency of spiders across the
globe: a meta-analysis”

11:50–12:10 O5: Peter Koomen

“Jumping spiders of the genus Laufeia
(Salticidae) on and around Kinabalu
Mountain, Borneo, Malaysia-Sabah”
12:10–12:30 O6: Dr. Yuri Marusik
“Distribution of spiders and the World Spider
Catalog”

12:30–14:00 Lunch
14:00–14:20 O7: Dr. Yuri Marusik
“History of G.N. Potanin’s trips to northern
China and reconstructions of expedition
routs”
14:20–14:40
O8: Dr. Akio Tanikawa
“Highly diversified population structure of
Lycosa ishikariana inhabiting sandy beach
habitat”
14:40–15:00
O9: Dr. Mathew M. Joseph
“Spider fauna of the high-altitude temperate
montane cloud forests of the Western Ghats
biodiversity hotspot, India”
15:00–16:30 Poster session

16:00–16:30 Coffee break

16:30–17:30 Poster session

18:30–22:00 Welcoming Banquet &

Free Flow Wines and Beers &
“Spider Dance” performed by crews from
Thailand Got Talents

Tuesday November 20th

Time Activities

8:00–9:00 Registration (cont.)

9:00–10:00 Plenary 2 – Dr. Robert Raven

“Mygalomorph systematics: future directions
for Asia”

10:00–10:30 Coffee break

10:30–10:50 O10: Dr. Yuri Marusik
“The splendid confusion about terra typica of
spiders described by O. Pickard-Cambridge
from the Himalaya and Xinjiang”

10:50–11:10 O11: Sunil Jose Kanniparambil

“Generic diversity of the family
Theraphosidae (Araneae: Theraphosidae) in
Western Ghats, India.”
11:10–11:30 O12: Dr. Peter Jaeger
“Taxonomy – millions of years of history and
today’s status”

11:30–11:50 O13: Dr. Narin Chomphuphuang

“DNA barcoding and species delimitation of
Cyriopagopus Simon, 1887 (Araneae:
Theraphosidae: Ornithoctoninae)”

11:50–12:10 O14: Dr. Hafiz Muhammad Tahir

“Impact of insecticides and herbicides on
biological control potential of spiders: most
abundant natural predators in agro-
ecosystems”
12:10–12:30
O15: Dr. Stephanie F. Loria
“Systematics and biogeography of the Asian
scorpion family Scorpiopidae Kraepelin,
1905”
12:30–14:00 Lunch
14:00–14:20 O16: David C. Court
“Spider diversity in the Bukit Timah Nature
Reserve, Singapore”

14:20–14:40 O17: Dr. Daiqin Li

“Effects of aggression on jumping spider
male contests”

14:40–15:00 O18: Chawakorn Kunsete

“Report and Taxonomy of the spider genus
Atmetochilus Simon, 1887 (Araneae;
Nemesiidae) in Thailand”

15:00–15:20 O19: Dr. Hirotsugu Ono

“Liphistiid spiders (Araneae: Mesothelae)
from Myanmar”

15:20–15:40 O20: Varat Sivayyapram

“Relationships between body size and burrow
structure of primitive trapdoor spider genus
Liphistius in Mae-Wong National Park,
Thailand”

15:40–16:00 O21: He Zhang

“Phylogeny of Chinese Sinopoda spiders
(Araneae: Sparassidae) based on target-gene
analyses”

16:00–16:30 Coffee break

16:30–18:30 Poster session
 Wednesday November 21st
Time Activities

7:00–9:00 Bus to KMUTT, Ratchaburi campus

9:00–17:00 Excursion

17:00–19:00 Bus to CU

Thursday November 22nd

Time Activities

9:00–10:00 Student award by Dr. Peter Jaeger

10:00–10:30 Coffee break

10:30–12:30 General assembly and election &
Presentation of the 6th ASA venue by
Dr. Mathew Joseph &
Closing session by Dr. Joseph Koh
12:30–14:00 Lunch
 Table of Contents

Predator avoidance: bird dropping masquerading in a crab spider

Long Yu, Xin Xu, Zengtao Zhang, Xiaodong Yang, Fengxiang Liu, Jian Chen,

Xiaoguo Jiao and Daiqin Li* ............................................................................................................... O1

Diversity of Spider in Rain Forest of The Nilgiris, Tamilnadu, India

Jayaraman Dharmaraj*, Chinnappan Gunsekaran ................................................................................ O2

Diversity of theridiid spiders from Western Ghats of Kerala, India

Reshmi Sekhar and Sunil Jose Kanniparambil * ................................................................................... O3

Biocontrol efficiency of spiders across the globe: a meta-analysis

Radek Michalko*, Stano Pekár, Martin Dul’a, and Martin H. Entling ................................................... O4

Jumping spiders of the genus Laufeia (Salticidae) on and around Kinabalu

Mountain, Borneo, Malaysia-Sabah
Peter Koomen* .................................................................................................................................... O5

Distribution of spiders and the World Spider Catalog

Yuri M. Marusik* ............................................................................................................................... O6

History of G.N. Potanin’s trips to northern China and reconstructions of

expedition routs
Yuri M. Marusik* & Alexander S. Ryabukhin ..................................................................................... O7

Highly diversified population structure of Lycosa ishikariana inhabiting

sandy beach habitat
Akio Tanikawa*, Akira Shinkai, Haruki Tatsuga & Tadashi Miyashita ................................................ O8

Spider fauna of the high-altitude temperate montane cloud forests of the

Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot, India
Mathew M. Joseph .............................................................................................................................. O9

The splendid confusion about terra typica of spiders described by O.

Pickard-Cambridge from the Himalaya and Xinjiang
Yuri M. Marusik & Mikhail M. Omelko ........................................................................................... O10

Generic diversity of the family Theraphosidae (Araneae: Theraphosidae)

in Western Ghats, India
Sunil Jose Kanniparambil* ............................................................................................................... O11

Taxonomy – millions of years of history and today’s status

Peter Jaeger...................................................................................................................................... O12
DNA barcoding and species delimitation of Cyriopagopus Simon, 1887
subfamily Ornithoctoninae (Araneae: Theraphosidae)
Narin Chomphuphuang, Deborah Smith, Varat Sivayyapram, Chaowalit Songsangchote, Natapot Warrit*
........................................................................................................................................................ O13

Impact of insecticides and herbicides on biological control potential of

spiders: most abundant natural predators in agro-ecosystems14
Hafiz Muhammad Tahir and Tayyba Basheer ................................................................................... O14

Systematics and biogeography of the Asian scorpion Family Scorpiopidae

Kraepelin, 1905
Stephanie F. Loria* and Lorenzo Prendini ........................................................................................ O15

Spider diversity in the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, Singapore

Joseph K H Koh* and David John Court........................................................................................... O16

Effects of aggression on jumping spider male contests

Daiqin Li*, Jin Hon Lim, Chia-chen Chang and Hua Zeng................................................................ O17

Taxonomic study of genus Atmetochilus Simon, 1887 (Araneae;

Nemesiidae) from Phra Thaen Dong Rang Forest Park, Thailand
Chawakorn Kunsete, Varat Sivayyapram, Chaowalit Songsangchote and Natapot Warrit* ................. O18

Liphistiid spiders (Araneae: Mesothelae) from Myanmar

Hirotsugu Ono and Mu Mu Aung ..................................................................................................... O19

Relationships between body size and burrow structure of primitive

trapdoor spider genus Liphistius in Mae-Wong National Park, Thailand
Varat Sivayyapram and Natapot Warrit * ........................................................................................... O20

Phylogeny of Chinese Sinopoda spiders (Araneae: Sparassidae) based on

target-gene analyses
He Zhang, Yang Zhong, Chen Jian1, Jie Liu*.................................................................................... O21

Comparative analysis of the antibacterial properties of spider silk

Anitha Abraham and Mathew M. Joseph .............................................................................................. P1

On some little-known Amaurobiidae spiders from China

Zheng Fan, Lu-yu Wang, Zhi-sheng Zhang* ......................................................................................... P2

Spider diversity in kitchen gardens: influence of human modification and

environmental correlation in urban habitats
Reena Laharia, Priyanka Hadole and Deeplaxmi Kulkarni .................................................................... P3

Biogeography and conservation of one of the world’s “hottest” biodiversity

hotspots: the pseudoscorpions of India’s Western Ghats
Jithin Johnson*, Mathew M.J. & P.A. Sebastian ................................................................................... P4
Database of South East Asian jumping spiders
Peter Koomen* .................................................................................................................................... P5

Alloscorpiops viktoriae: a new remarkable species of scorpion from

Myanmar
Ondřej Košulič* and Wilson Lourenço ................................................................................................. P6

New record of the jumping spider Epeus exdomus from Nepal

(Araneae: Salticidae: Plexippina)
Kiran Thapa Magar *, Min Bahadur Gurung, David E. Hill and Bimal Raj Shrestha ............................... P7

The dynamics of prey selection by orb-weaving spider

Gasteracantha hasselti in tropical lowland forests
Radek Michalko*, Ondřej Košulič, Venus Saksongmuang, Prasit Wongprom, Prapinya Siripaiboon and
Yongyut Trisurat .................................................................................................................................. P8

The research progress of Liocranidae in China (Araneae)

Yannan Mu and Feng Zhang* ............................................................................................................... P9

Ecomorphological study of scorpions in central parts of Iran

Shahrokh Navidpour ......................................................................................................................... P10

Crab spider (Araneae: Thomisidae) at Chong yen, Mae Wong National

Park, Thailand
Ubolwan Patomwonggrit*, Anchalee Boukampor, and Suthon Weingdow .......................................... P11

Preliminary results from the effect of herbicide on a generalist predator

Prapinya Siripaiboon 1, Varundhorn Chuaboonmee1 and Booppa Petcharad1* ...................................... P12

A new species of the genus Gaeolaelaps Evans & Till (Acari; Gamasida;
Laelapidae) from nest of stingless bee, Homotrigona fimbriata (Smith), in
Northern Thailand
Prapun Traiyasut, Natapot Warrit* ..................................................................................................... P13

Preliminary study on pseudoscorpion fauna of India

Aneesh Mathew Vergis & Mathew M Joseph * ................................................................................... P14

Effect of mowing height level of grass adjacent to rice paddy field on

spider population
Sunida Jongjairak and Patchanee Vichitbandha* ................................................................................ P15

A further study on the wolf spider subfamily Artoriinae from China

(Araneae: Lycosidae)
Lu-Yu Wang, Xian-Jin Peng, Volker W. Framenau & Zhi-Sheng Zhang ............................................ P16
New species of the family Chthoniidae from China (Arachnida:
Pseudoscorpiones)
Weitong Wang, Feng Zhang .............................................................................................................. P17

Mitochondrial genome evolution and tRNA truncation in Araneae:

evidence from Lycosidae
Run-Biao Wu, Zhi-Sheng Zhang* ..................................................................................................... P18
 O1

Predator avoidance: bird dropping masquerading in a crab spider

Long Yu1, Xin Xu1, 2, Zengtao Zhang1, Xiaodong Yang3, Fengxiang Liu1, Jian Chen1,
Xiaoguo Jiao1 and Daiqin Li4*
1
College of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430062, China
2
College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, 410006, China
3
Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese
Academy of Sciences (XTBG), Menglun, Yunnan, 666303, China
4
Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore,
117543, Republic of Singapore

*Corresponding author E-mail: dbslidq@nus.edu.sg

Prior theoretical and empirical studies have primarily focused on the function of adaptation
coloration such as crypsis, aposematism and mimicry, but masquerade remains largely unexplored. Bird
dropping masquerade is well known in many animals, including spiders. Phrynarachne is a genus of
sit-and-wait crab spiders whose shape, size and colour bear striking resemblance to bird droppings, and
is often cited as a textbook example of bird dropping masquerade. However, this notion has yet tested
empirically. Here we provided the first evidence that bird-dropping crab spiders benefit from
masquerade. We used domestic chicks (Gallus gallus domesticus) as predators, and bird-dropping
(Phrynarachne ceylonica) and ordinary, non-bird dropping (Ebrechtella tricuspidata) crab spiders as
prey. By manipulating predators’ prior experience of bird droppings and testing them with P. ceylonica
and E. tricuspidata. We showed that chicks’ prior experience had no significant effects on their latency
to make the first peck and number of pecks. However, chicks routinely preyed on ordinary crab spiders,
but avoided P. ceylonica when spiders were presented alone or together with bird droppings. We
therefore concluded that P. ceylonica functions to avoid predation by being misidentified as bird
droppings by their predators, and predators have an innate aversion to attacking bird droppings.

Keywords: bird dropping masquerade, crab spiders, Phrynarachne ceylonica, predators

 O2

Diversity of Spider in Rain Forest of The Nilgiris, Tamilnadu, India

Jayaraman Dharmaraj1*, Chinnappan Gunsekaran2
1
Unit of Conservation Biology, Department of Zoology, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore,
Tamilnadu, India.
2
Unit of Conservation Biology, Department of Zoology, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore,
Tamilnadu, India.

Email: dharmaraj590@gmail.com

We estimated the spider diversity of a rain forest in different degree of human disturbance at
Avalanche, The Nilgiris, Tamilnadu India. Spiders were sampled by sweep-netting at two different
habitats like Rain forest and grassland fragments between 2016 and 2017 from April to June. A total of
1176 spiders were collected. Determined specimens represented 43 species and morphospecies, 25
genera and 17 families belonging to 70 species were collected. The results showed that human
disturbance has an influence on spider communities: species richness was significantly higher in the
preserved site as regards to the Rain forest and Grassland ecosystems. Despite their proximity, the
composition of spider communities showed only a moderate similarity between the two sites. Similar
differences in abundance were found among sites when considering the whole sample, but sites differed
clearly when seasons were analyzed separately. The rainy season had a negative effect on the abundance
of spiders in the preserved site. Although the spider community structure was very similar between
sites, there was a trend towards a greater species evenness in the preserved site for the whole sampling
period and for the dry season.

Keywords: Avalanche, Rain Forest, Ecosystems, Diversity, India

 O3

Diversity of theridiid spiders from Western Ghats of Kerala, India

Reshmi Sekhar1 and Sunil Jose Kanniparambil 2*

1
Research scholar, School of Biosciences, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam-686560, Kerala,
India
2
Assistant professor, Department of zoology, Deva Matha College, Kuravilangad, Kottayam-686633,
Kerala, India

Email: sunil32@gmail.com

Theridiidae is one of the largest families of spiders in the world with about 2472 species in 124
genera (World spider catalogue, 2016). In spite of rich diversity, studies about Indian theridiids are
highly neglected, probably due to their small size and lack of literature (Siliwal, 2009). Only 58 species
belonging to 19 genera (Sebastian & Peter, 2009) were reported from India so far. In our studies on
theridiid spiders of Kerala we came across many new species especially from Western Ghats which
were not even reported from our country. In the present paper we present the details of a few genera
like Nihonhimea, Meotipa and Janula collected from Western Ghats of Kerala.

Keywords: Diversity, Theridiidae, Kerala, Western Ghat

 O4

Biocontrol efficiency of spiders across the globe: a meta-analysis

Radek Michalko1*, Stano Pekár2, Martin Dul’a1, and Martin H. Entling3

1
Department of Forest Ecology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Mendel University in
Brno, Zemědělská 3, Brno 613 00, Czech Republic
2
Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, 611 37
Brno, Czech Republic
3
Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Koblenz-Landau, Fortstrasse 7, DE –76829
Landau/Pfalz, Germany

Email: radar.mi@seznam.cz

The role of spiders in biocontrol remains controversial as they can either suppress or enhance
pest populations. The biocontrol function of spiders seems to be, therefore, context-dependent. Here we
performed a meta-analysis of the published data on the effect of spiders on pest densities and crop
performance. We investigated (i) the overall effect of spiders on pest density and crop performance; (ii)
whether the biocontrol efficiency of spiders depends on the crop type (vine, cabbage, wheat, and rice),
and climate and geography. We found that spiders, in general, supressed pests significantly. The effects
of spiders cascade down and they improve the crops’ performances. In addition, the effects of spiders
escalate rather than attenuate down through the food-chains. We also found that the biocontrol
efficiency of spiders differed among crops. The highest efficiencies were in rice and vine. In addition,
the biocontrol efficiency of spiders decreases with higher latitudes and increases with mean annual
temperature. Our results provide evidence that generalist spiders are effective biocontrol agents,
especially in crops with higher structural heterogeneity and under warmer climate. Our study also
provides a support for the hypothesis that the predation pressure in terrestrial ecosystems intensifies
towards tropics.

Keywords: agroecosystem, latitude, pest, predation

 O5

Jumping spiders of the genus Laufeia (Salticidae) on and around

Kinabalu Mountain, Borneo, Malaysia-Sabah
Peter Koomen1*

1
Natuurmuseum Fryslân, Schoenmakersperk 2, NL-8911EM Leeuwarden, The Netherlands

Email: koome266@planet.nl

Spiders are everywhere. This statement even holds true for the summit of the Kinabalu
Mountain in Malaysian Borneo, as could be confirmed during the Kinabalu-Crocker Scientific
Expedition 2012. Up to 3350 m altitude, jumping spiders of the genus Laufeia could be encountered,
living under harsh conditions: bare rocks, toxic soil, sparse vegetation, and frosty nights. It is not self-
evident that jumping spiders are adapted to such and exceptional environment: the mountain is relatively
young (about 2 million years) and surrounded by tropical forests. Mountains of the same size are at
least 2700 km away. Where did the Kinabalu summit jumpers come from? What is their relationship
with other Laufeia species?

Keywords: systematics, evolution, endemism

 O6

Distribution of spiders and the World Spider Catalog

Yuri M. Marusik*

Institute for Biological Problems of the North, Portovaya 38/248, Magadan, Russia.

Email: yurmar@mail.ru

It is impossible to imagine Arachnology of the modern time without using WSC almost every
day, whether it is by taxonomists and faunistics or by those who work on ecology, ethology, or
physiology of spiders. The WSC is powerful tool lacking in other species diverse orders of arthropods.
Although the Catalog was originally designed to provide references to taxonomic literature, WSC also
lists as supplementary data the distribution of species. Many arachnologists rely on this supplementary
data uncritically. In my presentation I will give examples of distribution misinterpretations in the
Catalog and will demonstrate an algorithm that extracts correct data about the known distribution of
certain species, at least in the Holarctic.

Keywords: incorrect data, incorrect interpretation, range

 O7

History of G.N. Potanin’s trips to northern China and

reconstructions of expedition routs
Yuri M. Marusik1* & Alexander S. Ryabukhin2

1
Institute for Biological Problems of the North, Portovaya 38/248, Magadan, Russia.
2
not provided

Email: yurmar@mail.ru

Famous Russian traveler G.N. Potanin made five expeditions to China and Monfolia in 1876–
1889. During at least at three of them he collected spiders in 1876‒1877, 1884‒1886, and 1899. Spiders
collected during the first expedition have been described by Simon (1895), material collected in 1884‒
1886 have been processed by Schenkel (1963) and spider collections from the last expedition are housed
in Zoological Institute in St. Petersburg and not examined yet. Altogether over a hundred species have
been described but their type localities remained unknown to most of arachnologists and especially
Asian. Although Potanin wrote books about his trips (except the last one), it is hard to understand exact
localities, even for Russian readers because of problems of transliteration of Chinese name to Russian,
lack of digitalized maps, different styles of maps and some other reasons. We will explain how his
expedition to Central China have been reconstructed.

Keywords: China, Mongolia, type locality

 O8

Highly diversified population structure of Lycosa ishikariana

inhabiting sandy beach habitat
Akio Tanikawa1*, Akira Shinkai2, Haruki Tatsuga3 & Tadashi Miyashita1

1
Laboratory of Biodiversity Science, School of Agriculture and Life Sciences, The University of
Tokyo, 1‑ 1‑ 1, Yayoi, Bunkyo‑ ku, Tokyo 113‑ 8657, Japan
2
274‑ 29‑ 603, Otsuka, Hachioji‑ shi, Tokyo 192‑ 0352, Japan
3
Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, University of the
Ryukyus, 1 Sembaru, Nishihara, Okinawa 903‑ 0213, Japan

Email: dp7a-tnkw@j.asahi-net.or.jp

The burrowing wolf spider Lycosa ishikariana lives only in sandy beach. It is designated as VU
(vulnerable) in the Red List of Japan, because the total shoreline length of sandy beaches drastically
decreased in Japan. In case of local extinction by habitat loss, does only the restoration of sandy beach
make it possible to re-establish spiders’ population by natural immigration? If their dispersal ability is
large, it is possible, but if their dispersal ability is small, it is impossible. In this study, we analyzed the
population structure of Lycosa ishikariana in order to infer their dispersal ability, using mitochondrial
COI sequencing data and microsatellite data. As a result, highly diversified population structure was
detected, and it was concluded that dispersal ability of Lycosa ishikariana is small. Consequently, in
case of local extinction, only the restoration of sandy beach cannot make it possible to re-establish
spiders’ population by its own immigration from distant habitat.

Keywords: Dispersal ability, Mitochondrial COI, Microsatellite, Conservation

 O9

Spider fauna of the high-altitude temperate montane cloud forests of the

Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot, India
Mathew M. Joseph

Division of Arachnology, Dept. of Zoology, Sacred Heart College (Autonomous), Thevara, Kochi-682
013, Kerala, India.

Email: mathewmj@gmail.com

A diversity study on spiders was conducted in the high-altitude temperate montane cloud forests
(TMCFs) in the Western Ghats. The Western Ghats Mountains are a 1600-km long chain that forms
one of the most isolated sky-island systems in the world. Within the Western Ghats, TMCFs occur on
the sky islands between 1,000 and 2,400 m and are a natural mosaic of grasslands and forest patches in
an undulating terrain, commonly referred to as the Shola-grassland ecosystem. The study provided a
baseline data on the spiders associated with the cloud forests. A total of 151 spp., 88 genera, and 30
families have been sampled during a three-year study. Among the spiders collected, 6 spp. have been
identified to be new to science. The study classified spiders into 9 ecological guilds based on the
foraging mode of the spiders. Among the 30 families of spiders collected, majority (28%) belonged to
Orb-weavers. A total of 8 spp. recorded from the study area were found to be endemic to cloud forests
in India. The study also provided valuable insights into the dynamic system of sky island complexes,
which showed greater species richness, greater endemism, more biogeographical specialties and unique
forms compared to other inland terrains.

Keywords: Western Ghats, sky islands, TMCF, spiders, diversity

 O10

The splendid confusion about terra typica of spiders described by

O. Pickard-Cambridge from the Himalaya and Xinjiang
Yuri M. Marusik1 & Mikhail M. Omelko2, 3

1
Institute for Biological Problems of the North, Portovaya Street 18, Magadan 685000, Russia.
2
Far Eastern Federal University, Sukhanova 8, Vladivostok 690950, Russia.
3
Gornotaezhnaya Station FEB RAS, Gornotaezhnoe Vil., Ussuriyski Dist., Primorski krai 692533,
Russia.

Email: yurmar@mail.ru

O. Pickard-Cambridge described 109 new species based on the material collected during the
Second Yarkand Mission. The expedition started in Murree, northern Punjab, British India (now
Pakistan) and reached Yarkand, southwestern Xinjiang, China. On the return journey to Murree,
Stolička passed away. The type materials from this expedition are hard to identify, having no proper
labels, such as species name and localities, though a few are numbered. For this reason, most of the
types remain unrecognised in the collection. Up to now, only a few groups were the subject of studies.
Whilst trying to revise species rich families, the Lycosidae and Gnaphosidae, we recognized that the
World Spider Catalog, as well as catalogues of Bonnet, Rower, regional catalogs and revisions often
provide incorrect data about type localities of the majority of species, many being located in other
countries, and separated from the actual type locality by over 500 kms. Most of localities mentioned in
the text of O. Pickard-Cambridge are easy to recognize, although some remain uncertain. In this
presentation we will provide accurate data about type localities of each species.

Keywords: China, India, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan

 O11

Generic diversity of the family Theraphosidae (Araneae: Theraphosidae)

in Western Ghats, India.
Sunil Jose Kanniparambil*

Department of Zoology, Deva Matha College, Kuravilangad, Kerala, INDIA-686633,

Email: sunil32@gmail.com

Mygalomorph spiders of India are poorly studied and represented by only 89 species. The
family Theraphosidae Thorell, 1870 consisting of 55 species and 11 genera is the dominant spider
family among mygalomorphs in India. Due to their secluded nature, very little is known about the
theraphosids in Western Ghats. The present work reveals the results of a project work on the diversity
of theraphosids during the period 2013 to 2017. A rich diversity of theraphosids was discovered from
Kerala state in the south western portion of Western Ghats. 19 species belonging to seven genera such
as Annandaliella, Chilobrachys, Haploclastus, Neoheterophrictus, Poecilotheria, Sahydroaraneus and
Thrigmopoeus were recorded during the study. Poecilotheria is the only arboreal theraphosids among
this group. The study also revealed that deforestation, landslides and floods are threatening the survival
of many ground dwelling theraphosids in the Western Ghats of Kerala. Several important sites having
comparatively higher density of theraphosid spiders were recorded during the study. Any kind of forest
destruction in these areas can lead to disappearance of many species. The study also highlights the need
for contiguity of forest patches so that gene flow is not prevented, which would otherwise cause
inbreeding and slow extinction.

Keywords: Tarantulas, Mygalomorph spiders, Kerala.

 O12

Taxonomy – millions of years of history and today’s status

Peter Jaeger

Senckenberg Research Institute, Arachnology, Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt, Germany

Email: peter.jaeger@senckenberg.de

How has taxonomy evolved? What is folk, taxonomy? And how did scientific taxonomy
develop over the time? The talk investigates the role of taxonomy in its beginnings and critically analyse
its understanding in today’s research.

Keywords: taxonomy, history

 O13

DNA barcoding and species delimitation of Cyriopagopus Simon, 1887

subfamily Ornithoctoninae (Araneae: Theraphosidae)
Narin Chomphuphuang1, Deborah Smith2, Varat Sivayyapram1,
Chaowalit Songsangchote3, Natapot Warrit4*
1
Zoology Program, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330
2
Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas
3
Spider Planet Research Center 49/201 Sukhapiban 5 Soi 45 Rd. Orngean Saimai,
Bangkok Thailand 10220
4
Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University

Email: narinbio@gmail.com

Taratulas are powerful research tools in understanding evolutionary processes. Nevertheless,

traditional classification of tarantulas based on morphological characters reveals widespread patterns of
homoplasy. Ornithoctoninae, also known as a subfamily of the earth tigers, particularly of the genus
Cyriopagopus Simon, 1887 provides interesting questions regarding convergent evolution, and its
monophyly status. The present study is the first to investigate the relationships among members of the
Ornithoctoninae in Thailand using DNA sequences. The phylogenetic trees inferred from Cytochrome
c Oxidase subunit I (COI) gene were implemented using Maximum Likelihood (ML) and Bayesian
Inference (BI) methods. The result shows Cyriopagopus not to be a monophyletic group and discovered
that C. minax is a cryptic species complex, whereas C. vonwirthi should be regarded as a junior synonym
of C. albostriatus due to its high support values of bootstrap and posterior probability. In addition, the
results confirm the validation of two Cyriopagopus species (C. lividus and C. longipes). Species
delimitation approaches were combined with our current phylogenetic studies, morphology, geographic
information and haplotype network to resolve the species identities and boundaries of Cyriopagopus.

Keywords: systematics, molecular phylogenetics, earth tigers

 O14

Impact of insecticides and herbicides on biological control potential of

spiders: most abundant natural predators in agro-ecosystems
Hafiz Muhammad Tahir and Tayyba Basheer

1,2
adress: not provided

Email: not provided

Insecticides are extremely successful at killing insect pests but they may also interfere with
natural biological control by disturbing prey-predator balance in the fields. Spiders are one of the most
important natural predators in agro-ecosystems all over the world. They successfully suppress insect
pests of agricultural crops. The present study was designed to evaluate the effects of Lambda-
cyhalothrin and Bifenthrin (insecticides), and Glyphosate (herbicide) on foraging behaviour of
Neoscona theisi (Araneae: Araneidae) and Lycosa terrestris (Araneae: Lycosidae). N. theisi is one of
the most dominant spider species on foliage in rice-wheat ecosystems of Punjab, Pakistan. L. terrestris
is the most dominant ground dwelling spider. Toxicity assays against insecticides and herbicide were
conducted in the laboratory following the method described by Tahir et al. (2016). Lambda-cyhalothrin
caused significant mortality in spiders. It also affected the foraging activity of both species of spiders.
L. terrestris was found to be more susceptible to Lambda-cyhalothrin than N. theisi. Both species of
spiders after exposure with recommended field rate of Lambda-cyhalothrin consumed significantly less
prey than untreated control group of spiders. Similarly, when they were offered Lambda-cyhalothrin
exposed prey (flies), they consumed significantly less prey than control spiders which were offered
untreated prey. The effect of Bifenthrin on the foraging activity of spiders was mild. Glyphosate showed
least effect on the foraging behavior of spiders. We also recorded the abundance of both spiders in the
rice-wheat field. The density of both spider species was significantly less in Lambda-cyhalothrin
sprayed field than untreated control field. The density of both spiders was different also different in
Bifenthrin treated and control field but the difference was statistically non-significant. Glyphosate had
no effect on the density of both spider species in the field. It is concluded that Lambda-cyhalothrin is
highly toxic to the spiders. It not only directly kills the spiders but also affect the biological control
potential of survivors. It is recommended that before launching any insecticides in the market its effect
on all major predator species especially spiders and predatory beetles should be evaluated.

Keywords: biological control, herbicides, insecticides, natural predators, spiders.

 O15

Systematics and biogeography of the Asian scorpion

Family Scorpiopidae Kraepelin, 1905
Stephanie F. Loria1, 2* and Lorenzo Prendini2

1
Richard Gilder Graduate School, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th
Street, New York, N.Y. 10024-5192, U.S.A.
2
Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th
Street, New York, N.Y. 10024-5192, U.S.A.

*Email: sloria@amnh.org

The scorpion family Scorpiopidae Kraepelin, 1905 includes 70 species in eight genera:
Alloscorpiops Vachon, 1980; Dasyscorpiops Vachon, 1974; Euscorpiops Vachon, 1980; Neoscorpiops
Vachon, 1980; Parascorpiops Banks, 1928; Plethoscorpiops Lourenço, 2017; Scorpiops Peters, 1861
and Vietscorpiops Lourenço & Pham, 2015. This family is widely distributed across South and
Southeast Asia from Pakistan to southwest Borneo. Most species are only known from one or a few
localities and each genus has a unique distributional pattern. Scorpiops is mostly distributed across the
Himalayas. Neoscorpiops is restricted to the Western Ghats. Alloscorpiops and Euscorpiops overlap in
range and are found in Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam and several species of Euscorpiops are
known from India. The monotypic genera Dasyscorpiops, Parascorpiops, Plethoscorpiops and
Vietscorpiops are found on peninsular Malaysia, Borneo (Sarawak), Myanmar and Vietnam,
respectively. We present the first phylogeny and biogeographical analysis of Scorpiopidae using
molecular data. The dataset comprised approximately 50 samples representing 18 ingroup species from
across the distribution. The genera Euscorpius, Megacormus, Iurus and Troglocormus were used as
outgroups. Results of this study have implications for the systematics of Scorpiopidae and
understanding the complex geological history of South and Southeast Asia.

Keywords: systematics, scorpions, biogeography, Southeast Asia

 O16

Spider diversity in the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, Singapore

Joseph K H Koh1* and David John Court2

1
National Biodiversity Centre, National Parks Board, 1B, Cluny Rd., Singapore 259598, Republic of
Singapore.
Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, 2
Conservatory Drive, Singapore 117377, Republic of Singapore.
2
Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, 2
Conservatory Drive, Singapore 117377, Republic of Singapore.

Email: borboropactus@gmail.com

The Bukit Timah Nature Reserve (BTNR), an ASEAN Heritage Park, set on a low granite hill
in central Singapore, includes a remnant of lowland dipterocarp forest full of interesting wildlife. Under
the guidance of the National Parks Board, two plots were established in each of three zones of
vegetation, viz., primary forest, old secondary forest, and maturing secondary forest. They were
sampled for spiders over an 18-month period. A tally of 223 species, spanning 42 families, was
recorded. Several of the species may be new to science. Five of the spider families have not previously
been recorded from the BTNR. The three zones harboured different spider assemblages. Only ~10% of
the spider fauna recovered was shared by all three zones. Some preliminary data for species dominance,
abundance and zoogeographic relationships were obtained. Some of the species reported earlier from
BTNR were either absent in our collection or represented by singletons or very low counts. That the
BTNR may be the last refuge of some spider species reinforces the special value of the reserve.

Keywords: Lowland, dipterocarp, forest, assemblage, refuge

 O17

Effects of aggression on jumping spider male contests

Daiqin Li*, Jin Hon Lim, Chia-chen Chang and Hua Zeng

Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore

117543

Email: dbslidq@nus.edu.sg

Consistent inter-individual difference in behaviour (i.e. personality) has been known to

influence animal contests. More aggressive individuals are more likely to win a contest, indicating
higher resource holding potential (RHP). Animals use assessment strategies to decide to escalate or
retreat from a contest to minimize costs incurred. However, how animals adopt assessment strategies
based on their personality remains largely unexplored. Here we investigated the effects of aggression
on contest outcome and assessment strategy using Thiania bhamoensis, the fighting jumping spider
well-known for its aggression in nature. After aggression measurements, we performed contests
between aggression-matched male pairs as well as between aggression-unmatched male pairs. Thiania
bhamoensis males exhibited consistent individual difference in aggression. Male aggression predicted
the outcome of contests, thus indicating a male’s RHP. The correlation between RHP and contest costs
(escalation levels, as higher escalation, more energy costly) can be explained by self-assessment
strategy. The results suggest that T. bhamoensis males may use self-assessment strategy based on their
own personality (here aggression) to decide whether to retreat during male-male contests.

Keywords: personality, jumping spider, contest, resource holding potential, assessment strategy
 O18

Taxonomic study of genus Atmetochilus Simon, 1887 (Araneae;

Nemesiidae) from Phra Thaen Dong Rang Forest Park, Thailand
*
Chawakorn Kunsete1, Varat Sivayyapram1, Chaowalit Songsangchote2 and Natapot Warrit1

1
Center of Excellence in Entomology and Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn
University, Bangkok
10330, Thailand
2
Spider Planet Research Center, 49/201 Sukhapiban 5 Soi 45 Rd., Orngean, Saimai district, Bangkok
10220

Email: dreamchawakorn@gmail.com

The genus Atmetochilus Simon, 1887 (Araneae; Nemesiidae) is widely distribute in India and
Southeast Asia. Historically, Atmetochilus was reported in Thailand from the northeastern and western
parts; however, specific identity was not confirmed. During a field expedition in 2015, we discovered
a population of Atmetochilus in Phra Thaen Dong Rang Forest Park, Kanchanaburi province, Thailand
and conducted a taxonomic study of the specimens (n = 34). In addition, more specimens were recently
collected from Dawei (Tavoy), Myanmar during 2 nd–4th of May 2018. Specimens collected from
Myanmar were identified as A. fossor Simon, 1887 (n = 8) and A. atriceps Pocock, 1900 (n = 2), the
first two species described in the genus from the late 19th century. Syntypes of both species were
examined. Conclusively, Atmetochilus found in Phra Thaen Dong Rang Forest Park is morphologically
distinct from other previously described species and should be named as new. Female of the new species
is superficially similar to A. fossor but can be distinguished by the absence of spine on tibia and patella
of Leg I, the absence of spine on patella of Leg II, and the smaller overall size compares to A. atriceps.

Keywords: mygalomorph; wishbone spider; geography

 O19

Liphistiid spiders (Araneae: Mesothelae) from Myanmar

Hirotsugu Ono1 and Mu Mu Aung2

1 Department of Zoology, National Museum of Nature and Science, Amakubo, 4-1-1, Tsukuba,
Ibaraki, Japan
2 Forest Research Institute, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation, Yezin,
Nay Pyi Taw, Republic of the Union of Myanmar

Email: ono@kahaku.go.jp

The present knowledge of spiders of the genus Liphistius Schiödte, 1849 (Mesothelae:
Liphistiidae) of Myanmar is reported. Although more than 30 species of the genus are hitherto known
from neighboring Thailand, only two recent species are recorded from Myanmar: Liphistius birmanicus
Thorell, 1897 from Carin Hill, Kayah State and L. lordae Platnick & Sedwick, 1984 from Taunggyi,
Shan State. Recently we made spider expeditions in Myanmar under the joint research project between
the National Museum of Nature and Science, Japan, and the Ministry of Natural Resources and
Environmental Conservation, Myanmar, particularly in Tanintharyi Region (January, 2017), in the
Myeik Archipelago (May–June, 2017), in Chin State (November–December, 2017) and in Bago, Kayin,
Kaya and Shan States (August, 2018), and obtained new information of taxonomy and zoogeography
of this group. The study material includes several, presumably new species obtained from Myeik
Archipelago, Bokepying Township, Tanintharyi Region located at the base of Malay Peninsula, and in
the mountainous area (800–1,000 m above sea level) in Thaundaungyi Township, Kayin State, and in
Chin State, near to the border between Myanmar and India.

Keywords: taxonomy, zoogeography, Liphistiidae, Myanmar

 O20

Relationships between body size and burrow structure of primitive

trapdoor spider genus Liphistius in Mae-Wong National Park, Thailand
Varat Sivayyapram and Natapot Warrit*

Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University

E-mail of presenting author: v.sivayyapram@gmail.com

The trapdoor spiders of the genus Liphistius (Araneae, Mesothelae) are of interest to many
arachnologists because of their phylogenetic position as the basal group of all extant spiders; however,
most studies focus on the taxonomy, which render their biology to be unknown. In this study, we focus
on the nesting biology of L. maewongensis from Mae Wong National Park, Thailand (1000 –1300 m
above sea level). Spiders were collected and recorded along with ecological information (nesting
structure, habitat physical parameters).Association between spider morphological characters and
burrowing structures were assessed. The spiders construct two burrowing types: a simple linear burrow
and a T-shape burrow. The simple linear burrows are subterranean tubes with only one entrance,
undivided, more or less straight, whereas the T-shape burrows have two entrances. Trapdoor length,
width, and burrow depth are significantly correlated with spider body length (Pearson’s correlation r =
0.80, 0.73, 0.51 respectively, n = 46, p < 0.01) suggesting the spider burrow size and depth increase as
they grow. The Chi-Square test reveals the association between trapdoor length and the type of burrow
constructed (X2= 92.23, 2; p < 0.01) implying changes of nest burrow types from simple linear to T-
shape burrow as the spiders age.

Keywords: Mesothelae, Liphistiidae, Living fossil, Araneae

 O21

Phylogeny of Chinese Sinopoda spiders (Araneae: Sparassidae)

based on target-gene analyses
He Zhang1, Yang Zhong1, Chen Jian1, Jie Liu1*

1
College of Life Sciences Hubei University Wuhan, Hubei 430062 China

Email: sparassidae@aliyun.com

Sinopoda is exclusively distributed in the southern (China, Japan, Korea) and eastern
(Malaysia, Laos) parts of Asia. Some species are widely distributed, but some are distributed in
narrowed caves, but they may be locally abundant and co-occur frequently. Therefore Sinopoda is a
good model to analyse evolution and biogeography in the region. In order to solve the matter of
morphologically diagnostic groups and geographical distributions of focal Sinopoda spiders much
better, we use five gene segments (16S, 28S, COI, H3, and ITS2). We use a total of 230 individual’s
molecular data including download from Genbank representing 21 described species and about 20 new
species.

Keywords: taxonomy, barcoding, morphologically diagnostic groups, geographical distributions

 P1

Comparative analysis of the antibacterial properties of spider silk

Anitha Abraham¹, ² and Mathew M. Joseph²

¹ Department of Zoology, Maharajas College, Ernakulam, Kerala-682011, India.

² Department of Zoology, Sacred Heart College (Autonomous), Thevara, Kochi, Kerala-682013,
India.

Email: anileena.govt@gmail.com

Spider silk has antifungal and antiseptic properties that keep microbes away, minimizing the
chances of infection. This study aims to stabilify the antibacterial activities of spider silk and to
comparatively analyse the antibacterial properties of two different spider silks. Drag-line silk of Pholcus
phalangioides and egg sac of Parawixia dehaani were collected under sterile conditions. The extracts
of silk in acetone solvent were screened for antibacterial activity using microtiter plate assay (broth
dilution). Bacteria used for the study were Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli. The antibacterial
activity was determined by calculating percentage of inhibition by accounting the optical densities of
control and test sample solutions. Egg sac silk of P. dehaani showed more antibacterial activity than
drag-line silk of P. phalangioides against E. coli. In both conditions, E. coli was more inhibited than B.
subtilis. A linear relationship between concentration of the extract and percentage of inhibition was also
found. Therefore this study showed that spider silk possesses antibacterial properties and also egg sac
silk of P. dehaani is more antibacterial than drag-line silk of P. phalangioides.

Keywords: spider silk, antibacterial activity

 P2

On some little-known Amaurobiidae spiders from China

Zheng Fan1, Lu-yu Wang2, Zhi-sheng Zhang1*

1
Key Laboratory of Eco-environments in Three Gorges Reservoir Region (Ministry of Education),
School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China.
2
College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University No. 36, Lushan Rd., Changsha, Hunan Province
410081, China

Email:fanzheng1993@gmail.com

The spider family Amaurobiidae was mainly recorded from Europe and North America and
keeps little-known in Asia, especially in Chinese fauna, which owns vast territory, several different
weather zones and high biodiversity. Here we reported six new species of Amaurobiidae, which were
assigned into four genera, Amaurobius C.L. Koch, 1837, Callobius Chamberlin, 1947 (newly recorded
genus from China), Diananzhica gen. nov. and Henganzhica gen. nov.. The new species are
Amaurobius guangwushan sp. nov., A. wulongdong sp. nov., Callobius changbaishan sp. nov.,
Diananzhica lui sp. nov., D. mui sp. nov. and Henganzhica yangi sp. nov.. All type materials are
deposited in the School of Life Sciences, Southwest University (SWUC).

Keywords: Cribellate, dorsal tibial apophysis, new genus, new species, taxonomy
 P3

Spider diversity in kitchen gardens: influence of human modification and

environmental correlation in urban habitats
Reena Laharia1, Priyanka Hadole2 and Deeplaxmi Kulkarni3

1
Shri Brijlal Biyani Science College, Amravati-444605,
2
SGB Amravati University, Amravati-444602,
3
Bhartiya Mahavidyalaya, Amravati-444605.

Corresponding author: priya.hadole@gmail.com

We determined how alterations in urban spaces affect spider diversity and abundance. A
detailed review of spiders was carried out in kitchen gardens of Amravati city during the four seasons
around the year. We have reported 87 species from 14 families. The maximum species diversity was
eminent from August to January. Cyclosa sp, Leucauge decorata, Plexippus paykulli, Neoscona theisi,
Phintella vittata, Pardosa sp, Lycosa sp are the most common species recorded. We conclude that
habitat structure and alteration of different vegetation and other such factors may influence the
abundance and richness of certain spiders as well as related arthropod groups within these urban areas.
Incorporating large fragments of natural habitats into future urban planning may be important for
conservation of rich spider communities.

Keywords: Diversity, spiders, conservation, kitchen gardens, Amravati.

 P4

Biogeography and conservation of one of the world’s “hottest” biodiversity

hotspots: the pseudoscorpions of India’s Western Ghats
Jithin Johnson*, Mathew M.J. & P.A. Sebastian

Division of Arachnology, Department of Zoology, Sacred Heart College, Thevara, Cochin, Kerala
682 013, India.

Email: jithinjohnson94@gmail.com

The ‘Western Ghats (WG)’ of India is recognized as one of the world’s eight ‘hottest
biodiversity hotspots’ owing to its exceptionally high level of biodiversity and endemism. As such, this
precious hotspot is facing severe threats due to rapidly growing anthropogenic activities with its
resultant loss of nature, biodiversity and genetic resources. WG further provide a template for
evolutionary processes to produce the grandest experiments on life, and incidentally, most of them turn
out to be invertebrates. This in turn necessitates the importance of studying and conserving invertebrate
diversity, thereby protecting the WG. Our study focuses on documenting the diversity of a lesser-known
yet an important arachnid order called the “pseudoscorpiones” and to use them as models to test various
biogeographic hypotheses concerning the WG. Despite their importance, pseudoscorpions of India have
been largely neglected, and most studies dates back to over a century. A pilot study conducted in random
sites across Kerala, (and Southern WG) to find their habitat suitability revealed over 20 spp. of which
one was new to science, one being a first record from India and another from WG. The numbers can in
fact be higher, considering the fact that currently there are no in-country expertise available in the
country, and most of the regions of the Ghats remain unexplored.

Keywords: Western Ghats, biodiversity, pseudoscorpion, biogeography, conservation

 P5

Database of South East Asian jumping spiders

Peter Koomen1*

1
Natuurmuseum Fryslân, Schoenmakersperk 2, NL-8911EM Leeuwarden, The Netherlands

Email: koome266@planet.nl

In 2001 I started to study the spiders (labah-labah in Malay) of Sabah, Malaysian Borneo.
However, summarizing literature (field guides, handbooks) was lacking, and internet databases were
still in their infancy. I started the compilation of a database with all the pictures (drawings, photographs)
from the scattered literature referring to species or genera of jumping spiders (Salticidae) that may occur
on Borneo. So: literature describing species from Borneo and neighbouring areas like Sumatra, Java,
West-Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Southeast-China, Vietnam, Philippines. The database ‘Labah-
labah Sabah’ was developed in such a way (MS Access, simple structure, pictures incorporated within
the database), that it should be easy to use. It now contains about 10,800 pictures. Although a
tremendous progress was made with internet databases, my database still has a few advantages. E.g.,
pictures can be arranged in an ‘atlas’ of pictorial datasheets per species (a SE Asian jumping spider
book!) or in overviews of similarly looking genital organs. Its major drawback is, of course, that it is
restricted to Salticidae and to South East Asia. If it still may be a useful tool for you, I will be glad to
provide you with a (free) copy of the whole database (1.95 GB) and/or a pdf of the atlas (150 MB).

Keywords: systematics, checklist, diagnostics, identification

 P6

Alloscorpiops viktoriae: a new remarkable species of

scorpion from Myanmar
Ondřej Košulič1* and Wilson Lourenço2

1
Department of Forest Protection and Wildlife Management, Faculty of Forestry and Wood
Technology, Mendel University, Brno, Czech Republic
2
Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Sorbonne Universités, Institut de Systématique, Evolution,
Biodiversité, Paris 75005, France

Email: ondrej.kosulic@mendelu.cz

The diversity of scorpions from family Scorpiopidae in the Southeast Asia is relatively small
in compare with other areas in the subtropic and tropic zone. In the Indochinese region, there are known
records of scorpions from genus Dasyscorpiops Vachon, 1974, Alloscorpiops Vachon, 1980 and
Euscorpiops Vachon, 1980. Among this family, Alloscorpiops remains yet rather very discrete. Only
recently new species were added to this genus, increasing its number from two to six. Therefore, species
of Alloscorpiops can be considered rare and uncommonly collected. One particular newly discovered
species, Alloscorpiops viktoriae Lourenço & Košulič 2018, is described on the basis of two females and
one pre-adult male collected from the northern part of Central Myanmar (Burma). The new species
presents most features exhibited by scorpions of the genus Alloscorpiops, but it is characterized by a
moderate to small size, very strongly marked granulation and a particular trichobothrial pattern. Aspects
of the ecology and distribution of the new species are discussed and compared with that of other species
of genus Alloscorpiops occuring in the countries of Southeast Asia.

Keywords: Scorpiopidae, Alloscorpiops, biodiversity, new species, Southeast Asia

 P7

New record of the jumping spider Epeus exdomus from Nepal

(Araneae: Salticidae: Plexippina)
Kiran Thapa Magar1*, Min Bahadur Gurung1, 2, David E. Hill3 and Bimal Raj Shrestha1

1
Central Department of Zoology, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal,
2
Small Mammals Conservation and Research Foundation, Kathmandu, Nepal,
3
213 Wild Horse Creek Drive, Simpsonville, SC 29680-6513, USA,

Email: kiranmaski935@gmail.com

The jumping spider Epeus exdomus Jastrzębski 2010 has been reported only once, from an
unspecified location in Nepal. A live male collected in Kathmandu District is figured and described.

Keywords: jumping spider, Epeus exdomus, Nepal

 P8

The dynamics of prey selection by orb-weaving spider

Gasteracantha hasselti in tropical lowland forests
Radek Michalko1*, Ondřej Košulič2, Venus Saksongmuang3, Prasit Wongprom4, Prapinya Siripaiboon5
and Yongyut Trisurat4
1
Department of Forest Ecology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Mendel University, Brno
613 00, Czech Republic.
2
Department of Forest Protection and Wildlife Management, Faculty of Forestry and Wood
Technology, Mendel University, Brno 613 00, Czech Republic.
3
Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University, Songkhla 90110, Thailand.
4
Department of Forest Biology, Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand.
5
Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Thammasat University, Pathum
Thani 12121, Thailand.

Email: radar.mi@seznam.cz

The prey selection by generalist predators can be highly dynamic depending on the prey
community structure. However, the dynamics of prey selection are rarely investigated under natural
conditions in trap-building predators like web-spiders. Here we investigated the dynamics of prey
selection by the orb-weaving spider Gasteracantha hasselti (Araneidae) depending on the composition
of the available prey in the tropical lowland forests located in north-eastern Thailand. We found that
Gasteracantha captured a wide variety of prey but selected, on average, mostly Coleoptera and Diptera.
The selectivity of Gasteracantha for Coleoptera were constant. The selectivity for Hemiptera decreased
rapidly with their increasing relative densities. The selectivity for Diptera and Hymenoptera increased
and decreased, respectively, with their absolute densities. The relative selectivity for a particular prey
type was driven by the presence and density of the highly selected prey rather than overall prey density.
The results show that the prey selection of Gasteracantha hasselti had both fixed and dynamic
components and the dynamic component was determined by the relative as well as absolute densities
of the particular prey types.

Keywords: dynamic, generalist, predator; prey selection, trophic niche

 P9

The research progress of Liocranidae in China (Araneae)

Yannan Mu1 and Feng Zhang1, 2*

1
The Key Laboratory of Invertebrate Systematics and Application, College of Life Sciences, Hebei
University, Baoding, Hebei 071002, P. R. China
2
The Museum of Hebei University, Baoding, Hebei 071002, P. R. China

Corresponding author: E-mail: dudu06042001@163.com

Liocranidae separate from Micariinae by Simon and raised to subfamily as Liocraninae (1897),
then to family rank as Liocranidae by Lehtinen (1967). Later, a lot of works concentrate on general
transfer and new species report. [Reiskind (1969), Deeleman-Reinhold (2001), Dankittipakul et. al.
(2011, 2012, 2013), Bosselaers & Jocqué (2013), Ramírez (2014)]. At present, 20 species belonging to
7 genera have been reported in China (World Spider Catalog 2018). While examining liocranid
specimens, eight genera 46 species were indentified in China.

Keywords: China, Liocranidae, progress, morphology

 P10

Ecomorphological study of scorpions in central parts of Iran

Shahrokh Navidpour

Razi Reference Laboratory of Scorpion Research (RRLS), Razi Vaccine & Serum Research Institute,
Agricultural Research Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Karaj, IRAN

E.mail :navid1038@hotmail.com

This study is a premier effort in exploring the scorpion fauna and dispersion in central regions
of Iran. Scorpion searches were carried out during the year 2015-2017 by UV light. Totally 1335
scorpions specimens were collected in 7 province .Identification based on the Iranian scorpions keys
indicated that 10 species from 9 genus of Buthidae family.The highest and lowest densities were
prominent in Mesobuthus eupeus (Pocock, 1899) (78%) and Iranobuthus krali Kovarik, 1997 (0.4%)
respectively. The other species comprised Compsobuthus matthiesseni (Birula, 1905), Compsobuthus
kaftani Kovarik, 2003, Androctonus crassicauda (Olivier, 1807), Odontobuthus doriae (Thoreii, 1876)
, Orthochirus zagrosensis Kovarik, 2004, Hottentotta saulcyi (Simon, 1880), and Scorpio maurus
(Pocock,1900). The seasonal activity of the scorpions showed a lower peak in March, with the main
peaks in August for the dominant species. All the known dangerous scorpions having the medical
importance, including Odontobuthus doriae (Thoreii, 1876), Mesobuthus eupeus (Pocock, 1899),
Hottentotta saulcyi (Simon, 1880) and Androctonus crassicauda (Olivier, 1807) were revealed in the
study area.

Keywords: Scorpions, fauna, dispersion, central provinces, Iran.

 P11

Crab spider (Araneae: Thomisidae) at Chong yen, Mae Wong

National Park, Thailand
Ubolwan Patomwonggrit1*, Anchalee Boukampor1, and Suthon Weingdow2

1
Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Naresuan University, Phitsanulok 10330, Thailand.
2
Mae Wong National Park, Klonglan District, Kamphaeng Phet 62180, Thailand.

Email: ubolwanb@nu.ac.thThe crab spiders, Family Thomisidae Sundevall, 1833, were

collected between the years of 2015-2016 from Chong Yen, Mae Wong National Park Thailand. A
total of 77 adult specimens belong to Thomisidae family were examined and identified. The
Thomisidae family was represented by 7 species in 6 genera. There were Camaricus siltorsus Saha &
Raychaudhuri, 2007; Lycopus longissimus Tang & Li, 2010; Heriaeus concavys Tang & Li, 2010;
Lysiteles minusculus Song & Chai, 1990; Lysiteles leptosiphus Tang & Li, 2010; Strigoplus bilobus
Saha & Raychaudhuri, 2004; and Tmarus kotigenharus Tikader, 1963. Heriaeus concavys were the
most dominant species among collected thomisids.

Keywords: Crab spiders, Araneae, Thomisidae, Mae Wong National Park

 P12

Preliminary results from the effect of herbicide on a generalist predator

Prapinya Siripaiboon1, Varundhorn Chuaboonmee1 and Booppa Petcharad1*

1
Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Thammasat University, Ransit,
Pathum Thani, 10120, Thailand

Email: prapinya.si@gmail.com

Herbicide is common use in various agricultural lands including rice field which is a common
agroecosystem of Thailand. Tiller®, a commercial name composed of Ethoxysulfuron 2% and
Fenoxaprop-P-ethyl 6.9% W/V has been among the most use recently in rice field. The use of Tiller®
may cause of death and change in behavior of a generalist predator including spiders. Here, we focused
on the responses of the lynx spider Oxyopes lineatipes collected from organic rice field in Pathum Thani
Province, Thailand. The spiders were exposed to four concentrations of Tiller®, 0.00%, 0.20%, 0.27%,
and 0.4% v/v. We recorded movement and foraging behaviors and dead number of spiders. We found
that there were no any spiders die. The movement of the body and the legs of spiders did not differ
while the number of killed preys, Drosophila melanogaster differed significantly between different
concentrations. The number of prey killed was significantly highest in the treatment of the spiders
exposed to 0.27% v/v of Tiller ®. This result shows the first attempt to examine the effect of certain
herbicide on lynx spiders. It would be helpful information for evaluation of integrate pest management
systems.

Keywords: Oxyopes lineatipes, spiders, Oxyopidae, predatory behavior, movement behavior

 P13

A new species of the genus Gaeolaelaps Evans & Till (Acari; Gamasida;
Laelapidae) from nest of stingless bee, Homotrigona fimbriata (Smith), in
Northern Thailand
Prapun Traiyasut1,2, Natapot Warrit2*

1
Program in Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Ubon Ratchathani Rajabhat University, Ubon Ratchathani,
Thailand 34000
2
Center of Excellence in Biodiversity, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Chulalongkorn
University, Bangkok, Thailand 10330

E-mail: punpun.marine@gmail.com

A new species of the genus Gaeolaelaps Evans & Till, 1966 (Acari; Gamasida; Laelapidae),
collected from a colony of a stingless bee, Homotrigona fimbriata (Smith, 1857), in northern Thailand,
is described. Female description and illustrations are provided, along with female identification key to
Gaeolaelaps that are associated with stingless bees.

Keywords: Gaeolaelaps, Acari, Homotrigona, stingless bee, Thailand

 P14

Preliminary study on pseudoscorpion fauna of India

Aneesh Mathew Vergis & Mathew M Joseph*

Division of Arachnology, Department of Zoology, Sacred Heart College, Thevara, Cochin, Kerala
682 013

E-mail: pseudoscorpion.aneesh@gmail.com

A preliminary study was conducted to document pseudoscorpion diversity in selected areas. A

total of 8 species of pseudoscorpiones belonging to 8 genera from 6 families were identified. This
accounted for 4.8% of Indian pseudoscorpion species, 13.11% of Indian pseudoscorpion genera and
31.5% of the pseudoscorpion families of India. Despite incredible work by some arachnologists during
1980s, we know little about the distribution and taxonomy of pseudoscorpions in India. As the first step,
reported here, is to document what species are presently known to occur in the country. Future efforts
will be directed at producing an identification guide to Pseudoscorpions of India.

Keywords: checklist, Eastern Ghats, south india, western ghats

 P15

Effect of mowing height level of grass adjacent to rice paddy field

on spider population
Sunida Jongjairak1 and Patchanee Vichitbandha1*

1
Department of Science, Faculty of Liberal Arts and Science, Kasetsart University, Kamphange Saen
Campus, Nakorn Pathom, 73140, Thailand.

*Email: faaspnv@ku.ac.th

Agricultural to paddy fields are expected to provide an alternative habitat for various spiders,
the natural enemies of rice pests in rice paddy ecosystems. This study aimed to evaluate spider families
and their abundance on rice vegetations and weed adjacent to rice paddy fields in conventional farms
in U-thong, Suphanburi. Three plots of rice fields were selected for 2 levels of grass management, 2
sides for each level: short grass (2 cm) and tall grass (15 cm). Six families of spiders were found on rice
and weed adjacent to rice fields: Araneidae, Thomisidae, Tetragnatridae, Clubionidae, Micryphantidae
and Oxyopidae. Rice fields adjacent to tall grass contained all six families while those adjacent to short
grass contained only three families which were Araneidae, Thomisidae and Clubionidae. The aranid
was the most population family in both level of grass management. Although this management may
introduced more spiders distributed to tall grass more than short grass significantly, population of
important rice pests (Nilaparvata lugens and Empoasca sp.) was no different. However, these pests
choose to live on both weed and rice in the tall grass side, while the majority of them lived more on rice
vegetation in the short grass side. This caused the 3 8 % reduction in tall grass side of pest number in
rice area from short grass side. These results suggested that the height of weed or grass could affects
family diversity and population of the spider and may indirectly reduce the damage from rice pests via
the change of their habitat selection behavior for finding alternate food source or avoiding predators.

Keywords: alternative habitat, population, spider, mowing height level

 P16

A further study on the wolf spider subfamily Artoriinae from China

(Araneae: Lycosidae)
Lu-Yu Wang1, 2, Xian-Jin Peng2, 5, Volker W. Framenau3, 4, 5 & Zhi-Sheng Zhang1, 5

1
Key Laboratory of Eco-environments in Three Gorges Reservoir Region (Ministry of Education),
School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China.
2
College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, Hunan, China
3
School of Animal Biology, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia 6009,
Australia. Email: volker.framenau@uwa.edu.au
4
Department of Terrestrial Zoology, Western Australian Museum, Welshpool DC, Western Australia
6986, Australia
5
Center of Natural History (CeNaK), University of Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3, 20146
Hamburg, Germany

Corresponding author. zhangzs327@qq.com; xjpeng@126.com

The further collection and study of Chinese wolf spiders, family Lycosidae Sundevall, 1833,
expand the distribution of the subfamily Artoriinae Framenau, 2007 in China to Guangxi Zhuang
Autonomous Region, Guizhou Province and Sichuan Province. Sinartoria gen. nov. is described to
include two new species, S. damingshanensis sp. nov. (type species of the genus) and S. zhuangius sp.
nov. In addition, a new Artoria species, A. caligarius sp. nov. is described and additional distribution
records for Artoria ligulacea (Qu, Peng & Yin, 2009) and A. parvula Thorell, 1877 are provided. Within
the Artoriinae, Sinartoria gen. nov. appears most similar to the South American Lobizon Piacentini &
Grismado, 2009, but these relationship remains contentious without a comprehensive phylogenetic
analysis of artoriine genera.

Keywords: new genus, new species, taxonomy, morphology, distribution

 P17

New species of the family Chthoniidae from China

(Arachnida: Pseudoscorpiones)
Weitong Wang1, Feng Zhang2

1
The Key Laboratory of Invertebrate Systematics and Application, College of Life Sciences, Hebei
University, Baoding, Hebei 071002, P. R. China; E-mail:
2
The Museum of Hebei University, Baoding, Hebei 071002, P. R. China; China;

E-mail: weitongwang2@163.com, dudu06042001@163.com

The family Chthoniidae Daddy, 1888 belongs to order Pseudoscorpiones de Geer, 1778. So far,
it contains 14 species (four cave-inhabiting and 10 leaf litter inhabiting species) have been reported in
China (Harvey 2013, Gao et al, 2018). The species of the family Chthoniidae in China belong to two
genus: Lagynochthonius Beier, 1951 and Tyrannochthonius Chamberlin, 1929. Ten new species are
figured in the family Chthoniidae, Daday, 1888. They bring up to 24 the number of species currently
recorded in China, but this is certainly only a small proportion of the total number occurring in the
numerous environment systems of this country.

Keywords: Psuedoscorpiones, Chthoniidae, new species, China

 P18

Mitochondrial genome evolution and tRNA truncation in Araneae:

evidence from Lycosidae
Run-Biao Wu, Zhi-Sheng Zhang*

School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China

*Corresponding author email zhangzs327@qq.com

Mitochondrial genome plays an important role on phylogeny of Eukarya. There are more than
40,000 species of spiders in the world, but the researches in mitochondrial genome of spiders are still
rare. We sequenced and assembled the mitochondrial genome of four species of Lycosidae: Arctosa
tanakai, Hippasa bifasciata, Pardosa laura and Wadicosa daliensis. Our results indicate that some D-
arm and T-arm are missing in tRNAs of four spiders and gene rearrangements are common in
mitochondrial. Moreover, geographical historical events may affect gene rearrangements. From the
Carboniferous to the Permian period, with the climate becoming drier and lower oxygen, the
mitochondrial gene rearrangements may help them adapt to the environment better.

Keywords: not provided

 Participant list

Akio Tanikawa The University of Tokyo dp7a-tnkw@j.asahi-net.or.jp

pseudoscorpion.aneesh@gmail
Aneesh M. Vergis Sacred Heart College, Thevara
.com
Anitha Abraham Not provided anileena.govt@gmail.com

Booppa Petcharad Thammasat University zigzagargiope@yahoo.com

Chalermkiat Leamyongyai Not provided arachnomania@hotmail.com

Daiqin Li National University of Singapore dbslidq@nus.edu.sg

Honorary Research Affiliate, Lee

David J. Court Kong Chian Natural History Museum, araneus@singnet.com.sg
National University of Singapore

He Zhang Hubei University 1403511491@qq.com

National Museum of Nature and
Hirotsugu Ono ono@kahaku.go.jp
Science

Irina A. Marusik Not provided yurmar@mail.ru

Jayaraman Dharmaraj Bharathiar University dharmaraj590@gmail.com

Jithin Johnson Sacred Heart College jithinjohnson94@gmail.com

National Biodiversity Centre,

Joseph K H Koh1 Josephkhkoh@gmail.com
Singapore
Khin Pyae Pyae Aung Not provided pyaepyaeaung14@gmail.com

Kiran Thapa Magar Tribhuvan University kiranmaski935@gmail.com

Luyu Wang Not provided wangluyu1989@gmail.com

Mathew M. Joseph Sacred Heart College, India mathewmj@gmail.com

Shankarlal Khandelwal Arts Science milindshirbhate2912@gmail.c
Milind V. Shirrbhate
and Commerce College Akola om

Mogana S. Arumugam Not provided moganwild@gmail.com

Mu Yannan Not provided 15188605531@163.com

Muhammad K. Mukhtar University of Sargodha, Sargodha mkmukhtar@gmail.com

Muhammad Tahir GC University Lahore hafiztahirpk1@yahoo.com

Naglaa F.R. Ahmad Agricultural Research Center. naglaaahmad@gmail.com

Narin Chomphuphuang Not provided narinbio@gmail.com

Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University

Numan Khan numanzoologist@sbbu.edu.pk
Sheringal

Ondřej Košulič Mendel University in Brno kosulic.ondrej@gmail.com

Patchanee Vichitbandha Not provided faaspnv@ku.ac.th

Peter Jaeger Senckenberg Research Institute Peter.jaeger@senckenberg.de

Peter Koomen Natuurmuseum Fryslân koome266@planet.nl

Prapinya Siripaiboon Not provided Prapinya.si@gmail.com

Shrikrishna Peth, Duffrin Road,

Pratibha Hadole Amravati-444601, Maharashtra, priyankahadole7@gmail.com
India.
Shrikrishna Peth, Duffrin Road,
Priyanka A. Hadole Amravati-444601, Maharashtra, priya.hadole@gmail.com
India.

Radek Michalko Mendel University in Brno radar.mi@seznam.cz

Reena Laharia Not provided dr.reenalaharia@gmail.com

School of Bio science, Mahatma
Reshmi Sekhar reshmishkhr@gmail.com
Gandhi university
Rirun Pojprasat Not provided Raveger123@hotmail.com

RUN-Biao Wu Not provided 352304798@qq.com

Ruttapon Srisornchai Not provided ruttapon774@gmail.com

Sarita Ghumare Not provided neelkant.akl@gmail.com

Shahrokh Navidpour Razi research institute navid1038@hotmail.com

Stephaniefrancesloria
Stephanie F. Loria American Museum of Natural History
@gmail.com
Deva Matha College, Kuravilangad,
Sunil J. Kanniparambil sunil32@gmail.com
Kerala, India
Tian Lu Southwest University, China lutian901213@gmail.com

Ubolwan Patomwonggrit Naresuan University ubolwanb@nu.ac.th

Wang W. Tong Not provided weitongwang2@163.com

Yu Long Hubei University www.747898113@qq.com
Institute for Biological Problems of
Yuri M. Marusik yurmar@mail.ru
the North

Zheng Fan Southwest University fanzheng1993@gmail.com