Back in Europe:Quamtanaspiders (Araneae: Pholcidae) in Germany

Abstract

Two undescribed species of the African pholcid spider genus Quamtana have been found in German greenhouses and plant markets since 2012. Both species seem to have established stable populations. This genus has not been previously recorded from Europe, except for a fossil specimen in Eocene amber from the Paris Basin that was tentatively assigned to Quamtana and that is estimated to date from 53 million years ago. Since the actual geographic origins of the two species (probably South and/or tropical Africa) are unknown, we do not formally describe them.

Spermophora senoculata on Sicily/Italy (Araneae: Pholcidae)

“…The Asian Pholcus phalangioides (Fuesslin, 1775) and the Mediterranean Holocnemus pluchei (Scopoli, 1763) are among the most successful of relevance to temperate regions (Huber 2009a). At least sixteen pholcid species have been introduced in Europe, making Pholcidae the second most speciesrich introduced family in the continent, placed between the much larger families Salticidae Blackwall, 1841 and Theridiidae Sundevall, 1833(Van Keer & Van Keer 2001, Kobelt & Nentwig 2008, Huber et al 2015, Nentwig 2015, Huber et al 2017. Among them, a second species of Spermophora, S. kerinci Huber, 2005, native to South-eastern Asia (Huber 2005), was recently discovered inside some heated buildings in England and Germany just few years after its description (Snazell & Smithers 2007, Kielhorn 2009.…”

“…Among them, a second species of Spermophora, S. kerinci Huber, 2005, native to South-eastern Asia (Huber 2005), was recently discovered inside some heated buildings in England and Germany just few years after its description (Snazell & Smithers 2007, Kielhorn 2009. Of these sixteen pholcid species (Nentwig 2015, Huber et al 2015, apart from Spermophora spp., the following six are currently considered established (Nentwig 2015): Artema atlanta Walckenaer, 1837, Crossopriza lyoni (Blackwall, 1867), Micropholcus fauroti (Simon 1887), Modisimus culicinus (Simon, 1893), Pholcus phalangioides, Psilochorus simoni (Berland, 1911) and Smeringopus pallidus (Blackwall, 1858). Most of the introduced pholcids appear to prefer anthropogenic habitats and none is recognized as harmful (Huber et al 2017).…”