Julianne M. Waldock

Prospective Study of Centipede Bites in Australia

Background: There are limited reports of definite bites by centipedes with expert identification, which are required for attribution of particular clinical effects to different species. Objective: To describe the clinical effects of centipede bites in Australia. Methods: Prospective study of calls regarding centipede exposures to a state poison information center, from December 2000 to March 2002. Information collected included demographics, details of the exposure, local effects, systemic effects, and treatment. Collected centipedes were identified by an expert. All subjects were followed until clinical effects had resolved. Results: Of 48 centipede exposures 3 were centipede ingestions with no adverse effects and one was a contact reaction to the centipede that resulted in erythema and delayed itchiness. Of 44 definite centipede bites, the centipedes obtained and formally identified in 14 cases were from the genera Scolopendra (5), Cormocephalus (6), and Ethmostigmus (3). Of these 14 bites, 13 occurred distally (hands or feet). Pain occurred in all 14 cases and was severe in 7 patients. Redness/red mark occurred in 53%, swelling/raised area in 43%, and itchiness in 14%. No systemic effects were reported. Ethmostigmus spp. and Scolopendra spp. caused more severe effects. Of the bites, 57% occurred indoors and 50% at night. Treatment consisted of supportive measures including ice packs and simple analgesia, and 4 patients reported pain relief after immersing the bite area in hot water. Similar clinical effects were reported in the other 30 definite centipede bites. Conclusions: Australian centipede bites cause minor effects with moderate to severe pain, associated with localized swelling and erythema in bites by the genera Ethmostigmus and Scolopendra. Hot water immersion may potentially be beneficial for centipede bites. The genus Scolopendra occurs worldwide and the results may have international applicability.

Where have all the spiders gone? The decline of a poorly known invertebrate fauna in the agricultural and arid zones of southern Australia

Earth is currently experiencing the sixth mass extinction of complex multi‐cellular life, the first at the hands of a single species. The documented extinctions of iconic (mostly vertebrate and plant) taxa dominate the discourse, while poorly known invertebrate species are disappearing ‘silently’, sometimes without having ever been described. Here, we highlight the decline of elements of the trapdoor spider (Mygalomorphae: Idiopidae) fauna of southern Australia – a taxonomically poorly documented yet diverse assemblage of long‐lived fossorial predators. We show that a number of trapdoor spider species may be threatened after a century of intensive land clearing and stocking, and that remaining populations in some areas may be experiencing serious contemporary population declines. So, how do we conserve this fauna? We suggest that baseline systematic studies are crucial, and that follow‐up surveys, including integrative citizen science solutions, should be used to assess where remnant populations still exist, and whether they can persist into the future. Detailed population genetic research on a handful of carefully chosen taxa could be broadly informative, and ongoing natural history studies remain invaluable. Although solutions may be limited in the face of ongoing habitat degradation and other threats, urgently quantifying declines has implications not just for spiders but for mitigating against the mass extinction of poorly known invertebrate taxa across the globe.

Salticidae (Arachnida: Araneae) from Oriental, Australian and Pacific Regions. Genus Cosmophasis Simon, 1901

Abstract. The genus Cosmophasis Simon, 1901 is reviewed for Australia and some localities in Papua New Guinea, southeast Asia and the Pacific islands. The study is based on new and type material and includes 24 species, of which 17 are described as new: C. baehrae, C. banika, C. colemani, C. courti, C. darwini, C. harveyi, C. hortoni, C. humphreysi, C. kairiru, C. kohi, C. lungga, C. motmot, C. panjangensis, C. rakata, C. sertungensis, C. tavurvur and C. trobriand. C. micans (L. Koch, 1880) and C. modesta (L. Koch, 1880), described from Australia, have neither been located in the collections nor in field and have not been included here, however, according to their original description, both seem to be valid species. Amycus tristriatus L. Koch, 1880 and Maevia ombria Thorell, 1877 are reinstated as Cosmophasis tristriatus (L. K.) and C. ombria (Th.), respectively. C. marxii (Thorell, 1890) is synonymised with C. ombria (Thorell, 1877) and C. muralis Berry, Beatty & Prószyński, 1997 with C. tristriatus (L. Koch, 1880). For all species complete documentation is given, including diagnoses, the data on intraspecific variation and the maps of actual and predicted distributions. The key for species is not included because the genitalic characters are too complex to describe concisely. Based upon morphological criteria, five species groups are proposed. Remarks on relationships and distribution of Cosmophasis are given.