Vol. 51, Issue 1

Mostovski, M., Celebrating the International Year of Biodiversity
The United Nations declared 2010 to be the International Year of Biodiversity. It is one-year world-wide celebration of biological diversity and its importance for life on Earth. While biodiversity is frequently spoken about in the context of its conservation, no one would argue that protection....

Herbert, D.G. & Moussalli A., Revision of the larger cannibal snails (Natalina s. l.) of southern Africa - Natalina s. s., Afrorhytida and Capitina (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Rhytididae)
Natalina sensu lato includes some of the largest carnivorous snails in the world and represents an important African radiation of the Gondwanan land snail family Rhytididae. It comprises the taxa Natalina, Afrorhytida and Capitina, all three of which we treat as full genera. We provide a....

Wesener, T., Bespalova, I. & Sierwald, P., Madagascar's living giants: discovery of five new species of endemic giant pill-millipedes from Madagascar (Diplopoda: Sphaerotheriida: Arthrosphaeridae: Zoosphaerium)
Five new species of the endemic giant pill-millipede genus Zoosphaerium from Madagascar are described: Z. muscorum sp. n., Z. bambusoides sp. n., Z. tigrioculatum sp. n., Z. darthvaderi sp. n., and Z. heleios sp. n. The first three species fit into the Z. coquerelianum species-group, where Z.....

Azarkina, G.N. & Logunov, D.V., New data on the jumping spiders of the subfamily Spartaeinae (Araneae: Salticidae) from Africa
Twelve species of the Spartaeinae from Africa are considered. Previously unknown sexes are described for three species: Cyrba nigrimana Simon, 1900 (male); Meleon raharizonina Logunov & Azarkina, 2007 (female); and Meleon russata (Simon, 1900) (male). Three species, Cyrba lineata Wanless,....

Londt, J.G.H., A review of Daspletis Loew, 1858 with the addition of a remarkable South African species (Diptera: Asilidae: Stenopogoninae)
Microstylum vespertilio Engel, 1932 is redescribed from the Northern Cape Province of South Africa and transferred to Daspletis Loew, 1858, a genus closely related to Microstylum Macquart, 1838, that now incorporates eight southern African species. Knowledge of the species is updated and a new....

Oppong, C.K., Addo-Bediako, A., Potgieter, M.J. & Wessels, D.C.J., Nymphal behaviour and lerp construction in the mopane psyllid Retroacizzia mopani (Hemiptera: Psyllidae)
The nymphal stages of the African mopane psyllid Retroacizzia mopani occur on Colophospermum mopane leaves, feeding on the phloem sap. The emergence of R. mopani coincides with the dry winter period in South Africa, when other trees are leafless. The nymphal stages secrete a scutcheon-like....

Shamshev, I. & Grootaert, P., The genus Tachydromia Meigen (Diptera: Hybotidae) from the Afrotropics
Two new species of the genus Tachydromia Meigen are described: T. freidbergi sp. n. (Ethiopia) and T. stuckenbergi sp. n. (Uganda). Re-descriptions of T. lilaniensis Smith, 1969 and T. petrabilis Smith, 1969, known from South Africa and Lesotho, are given. A key to Afrotropical Tachydromia is....

Williams, K.A., Museum collections - resources for biological monitoring
The "colonial explorer" image was about exploration and conquering exotic lands. Specimens of everything that was encountered were collected and often later donated or sold to museums. This approach became unpopular because it encouraged overcollecting of natural areas to make money....