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ABSTRACT
Spiders are one of the most abundant predator groups found in agroecosystems and they have special adaptations towards a predatory way of life. The aim of this paper is to review our present knowledge of spider diversity in different agroecosystems of South Africa, as well as their potential prey. This paper provides a measure of what has been achieved in research on spiders in South African agroecosystems, and identifies directions for future research. A checklist of spiders found in these systems is provided, based on published surveys and data from the South African National Survey of Arachnida (SANSA) database, with information on the guilds that they occupy. Thus far, 51 families with 238 genera and 413 species have been recorded from crops in South Africa. Five agrobiont species have been listed that might play an important role as natural control agents of pests: Ostearius melanopygius (O.P.- Cambridge, 1879) (Linyphiidae); Pardosa crassipalpis Purcell, 1903 (Lycosidae); Cheiracanthium furculatum Karsch, 1879 (Miturgidae); Heliophanus pistaciae Wesołowska, 2003 (Salticidae) and Misumenops rubrodecoratus Millot, 1941 (Thomisidae).
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We thank the ARC-Plant Protection Research Institute for providing the opportunity and the facilities for most of these investigations. The technical assistance and helpfulness of the staff at the different research stations is greatly appreciated. We also want to thank all the people who assisted at various times with fieldwork and for their encouragement. Vaughn Swart (University of the Free State) is also thanked for providing spider material from pecan nut orchards for inclusion in this study.