History


 

 

 

November 2011
 Distribution information for the Caucasus Region is now integrated and available together with a link to caucasus-spiders.info on species data sheet (thanks to Stefan Otto). There, we now also provide a link for salticid species to http://www.jumping-spiders.com (thanks to Heiko Metzner).
June 2011 The separate key to linyphiid spiders with a matrix of 42 characters allows to identify 800 (out of 1200) European linyphiid species. Thanks to Anna Stäubli and helpers.
January 2011 We included figures by Simon published in Les arachnides de France (volume 6) for species where we had so far no illustrations in our database. Thanks to Ambros Hänggi and helpers.
November 2010 Araneae - Spiders of Europe going public.
August 2010 Start of beta version with a group of experts.

May 2010

 Natural History Museum Basel and Bern first sponsors.
April 2010 We cover now more than 3927 species, 611 genera, 58 families and the database includes 16.482 figures and 661 references.
February 2010 First alpha release presented to the editors.
December 2008 Database administration backend finished.
October 2007 Translation of  key and datasheet content completed.
December 2006 Parsing of existing key content and species information into the database completed.
October 2005 Inclusion of all species from Fauna Europaea.

September 2005

 Decision to switch to a true database and enlarge the geographical focus to Europe.
July 2003 More than 100 visitors daily in the first 6 months of this year.
March 2003 All useful figures of Azheganova (1968) included.
April 2002 All useful figures of Tullgren (1946) included.

March 2002

We cover now 330 genera and 1350 species and include 11.000 figures.

March 2002

The English version includes now all genus keys for 43 families

February 2002

In all genus keys sex symbols allow a fast switch to the other sex

October 2001

First distribution maps included.

July 2001

All useful figures of Braendegaard (1972) included.

April 2001

Revised species index

March 2001

All useful figures of Wiehle and Roberts (1995,1998) are included.

January 2001

All useful figures of Zabka (1997) included.

December 2000

Revised version of genera and species index.

August 2000

After miscellaneous additions and corrections we cover now 325 genera and 1260 species.

July 2000

Presentation of the internet key at the 19th European Colloquium of Arachnology in Aarhus, Danmark.

June 2000

First revised version of all family keys to genera (except Linyphiidae) available.

May 2000

Key to genera for 43 families improved. 

April 2000

Check of families: We cover now 43 families.

March 2000

Nemesiidae and Ctenizidae included by Arthur Decae.

January 2000

Completely new key to theridiid genera provided by Barbara Knoflach-Thaler.

December 1999

Improved version of the key to families available.

September 1999

First version of Lexicon and References.

May 1999

All taxa from Heimer & Nentwig are included, check for additional species.

December 1998

First copyright permits allow the beginning of the practical work.

May 1998

Project starts: discussion of ideas and possibilities