A checklist of the spiders (Arachnida, Araneae) of the Bontebok National Park in the Western Cape Province, South Africa

An annotated species list of spiders presently known from the Bontebok National Park (BNP) is provided. The checklist was compiled from data collected from the South African National Survey of Arahnida (SANSA) database. A total of 184 species from 44 families and 134 genera are presently protected in the park. The most species-rich families are the Gnaphosidae (26 spp.), Salticidae (20 spp.) and Araneidae (19 spp.), while 19 families are represented by singletons. The global distribution, en-demicity and conservation status for each species is provided. Eighty-one of the species have a wide distribution range and are of Least Concern. Approximately 8 % of the total South African spider fauna is protected in the Bontebok National Park, and 20 % of the species recorded are South African endemics and 11.4 % are Western Cape endemics. This study provides baseline data on spiders conserved in the Bontebok National Park, which can be used for Red Listing and future assessments of habitat transformation. Only 15 spider species was previously listed from the park and 169 species are newly recorded. Species of special concern are identified, as well as possible new species