The Grassland Biome is found on the high central plateau of South Africa, including large parts of Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Free State, parts of North West, the inland regions of KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape. This biome is dominated by a single layer of grass and absence of trees, except in a few localised areas. There are many unique spiders found having adaptations in body form, colour and web and retreat construction. A total of 65 arachnid families (excluding the Acari) represented by 209 genera and 312 species have so far been recorded from this biome. Approximately 350 sites have been sampled in the Grassland Biome so far. This includes 7 sites where long-term surveys have been conducted for one to five years (Rietondale Research Centre, Florisbad Research Station, farm Deelhoek, Bloemfontein, Erfenis Dam Nature Reserve, Golden Gate National Park and Qwa-Qwa Park). PROJECTS UNDERWAY IN THE FREE STATEProject: National Botanical Gardens In January 2006 a project was launched jointly by the Departments of Arachnology (Leon Lotz and Trudie Peyper) and Entomology (Riana Poller and Sonnika Otto) of the National Museum, to survey the Arachnida and Insecta of the National Botanical Gardens in Bloemfontein. From January 2006 to January 2007 pitfall traps were set to collect the surface active fauna. During 2007 sweeping and beating of the grass, shrub and tree species will be carried out to determine the associated fauna. The material collected so far still has to be sorted and identified. A similar project is underway in the Botanical Gardens in Pretoria run by the Spider Research Centre at the ARC Plant Protection Research Institute under leadership of Elizabeth Kassimatis. Project: Franklin Nature Reserve (Naval Hill) A survey of the spiders of Franklin Nature Reserve (Naval Hill), Bloemfontein, was conducted by the Arachnology Department of the National Museum (Leon Lotz) from May 1990 to December 1991. A total of 29 families of spiders were collected during the survey. These results are to be published in the near future. Project: Golden Gate National Park Inventories of the spiders of Golden Gate National Park (including Qwa-Qwa Nature Reserve, as it seems that this area is to be incorporated into GGNP).
Project: Erfenis Dam Nature Reserve A project was initiated in September 2005 to determine the arachnofauna of the Erfenis Dam Nature Reserve near Theunissen. Initially, the focus of the study was to determine the impact of controlled burning on various faunal groups, including arachnids (Charles Haddad, U.F.S), insects (Riana Poller and Sonnika Otto, National Museum, Bloemfontein) and small mammals (Nico Avenant, National Museum). While the project was primarily focused on the ground-dwelling fauna, the potential was recognised to expand the project to sampling to grass- and foliage-dwelling spiders as well. Presently, a B.Sc (honours) student, René Fourie, is investigating spider communities in four contrasting grassland types, and also the spider communities associated with Rhus lancea, R. ciliata and Acacia karroo trees. Sampling is carried out once a season and will be completed in August 2007. During the first year of sampling (2005 – 2006) 66 species (13 families) were collected from the grassland, while 45 species (16 families) were collected from the three tree species. Additional sampling has also been carried out in leaf litter, under rocks and under bark of trees to collect other arachnids, and ultimately a checklist of the entire arachnid fauna will be published as part of SANSA in the Grassland Biome. Project: Spitzkoppen Retreat, Clocolan A survey of the spiders of Spitskoppen Retreat near Clocolan is underway.
PROJECTS UNDERWAY IN GAUTENG A similar project is underway in the Botanical Gardens in Pretoria run by the Spider Research Centre at the ARC Plant Protection Research Institute under leadership of Elizabeth Kassimatis. Project: Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve Project: Ezemvelo Nature Reserve Project: Groenkloof Nature Reserve
Project: Gauteng Survey
A long term survey of the spiders of the Free State Province by the Arachnology Department of the National Museum (Leon Lotz and Trudie Peyper) started in mid 2006.
PUBLISHED RESULTS OF GRASSLAND BIOME HADDAD, C.R. 2005. Ecology of spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) inhabiting Themeda triandra Forskål grassland in semi-arid South Africa. Navorsinge van die Nasionale Museum, Bloemfontein 21: 25-36. HADDAD, C.R. & DIPPENAAR-SCHOEMAN, A.S. 2002. The influence of mound structure on the diversity of spiders (Araneae) inhabiting the abandoned mounds of the snouted harvester termite Trinervitermes trinervoides (Sjöstedt). Journal of Arachnology 30: 403-408. HADDAD, C.R. & DIPPENAAR-SCHOEMAN, A.S. 2006. Spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) inhabiting abandoned mounds of the snouted harvester termite Trinervitermes trinervoides (Sjöstedt) (Isoptera: Termitidae: Nasutitermitinae) in the Free State, with notes on their biology. Navorsinge van die Nasionale Museum, Bloemfontein 22: 1-15. LOTZ, L.N. 2002. The Opiliones (Arachnida) of the Free State Province, South Africa. Navorsinge van die Nationale Museum, Bloemfontein 18: 161-188. LOTZ, L. N., SEAMAN, M. T. & KOK, D. J. 1991. Surface active spiders (Araneae) of a site in semi-arid central South Africa. Navorsinge van die Nationale Museum, Bloemfontein 7: 529-540. VAN DEN BERG, A. & DIPENAAR-SCHOEMAN, A.S. 1991. Ground-living spiders from an area where the harvester termite Hodotermes mossambicus occurs in South Africa. Phytophylactica 23: 247-253 | 
