A glimpse of the tropics – spiders (Araneae) in the greenhouses of the Botanic Garden Berlin-Dahlem

Abstract

In a survey of the spider fauna in greenhouses of the Botanic Garden Berlin-Dahlem, 30 spider spe- cies were recorded. Two species are new to Europe: Theotima minutissima (Petrunkevitch, 1929) and Heteroonops spinimanus (Simon, 1891). T. minutissima is the first member of the family Ochyroceratidae reported from Europe. Oecobius navus Blackwall, 1859 is new to Central Europe. Triaeris stenaspis Simon, 1891, is recorded from Germany for the first time. Zodarion italicum (Canestrini, 1868) is new to eastern Germany. Despite the discovery of some species previously unknown to Germany, the spider fauna in the Botanic Garden consisted mainly of well- known synanthropic species and common inhabitants of greenhouses. Several alien spiders recently found in greenhouses, garden centers and houses were not recorded in the Botanic Garden. The species composi- tion of the exotic spider fauna in greenhouses seems to depend chiefly on the specific modes of acquisition of plants and plant substrate. The spider fauna of botanic gardens and green- houses has attracted several researchers, starting with SIMON (1896) and followed by PICKARD- CAMBRIDGE (1906), VAN DER HAMMEN (1949a), HOLZAPFEL (1932) and others. BOETTGER (1929)