Jerzy Proszynski 1997-2003
   e-mail: proszyn@robal.miiz.waw.pl     

 SALTICIDAE (ARANEAE) OF THE WORLD

The Diagnostic Drawings Library part of this publication is a result of 42 years of my research and was invented step by step to fulfil particular research needs. I started in early 1960-ties by pasting photocopies of drawings and descriptions of Salticidae of the World on cards, intending to have them handy for identification purposes. As my teaching and administrative duties slowed publication of larger paper, I substituted revisions by provisional atlases of my original drawing of types and other valuable specimens published in 1976 (part of publication), 1984c and 1987. In 1990-ties I have learned on possibilities of computer storage of diagnostic drawings and started storing them on hard disk and later make them available on Internet and copies on CD. In that I followed example set by Dr. Wayne Maddison, University of Arizona and used his advices. Dr Maddison also placed this work on the server at University of Arizona. I used also technical advises from my son Witold J. Proszynski; who has handled all programs installation and system adjustments, and also has authored comparison page.

Taxonomic studies required loans of type specimens from various collections, usually kept in more or less chaotic state, with curators often having no information on contents of their collections. So I started in 1960-ties visiting various collections and make quick lists of their specimens for future loans; some collections had some sorts of catalogues, in other I had to open jar after jar, remove all vials and write down the Salticidae specimens. In some collections I had even to search in various rooms and cabinets, for forgotten and lost collection jars. The results was a "Catalogue of Salticidae (Aranei) specimens kept in major collections of the world" (Proszynski, 1971b), which was later included into the present computer Monograph. Continuation of cataloging collections were list I made in a number of USA collections, large and small, in years 1985/86 and 1989/90.

I was very much impressed by the superb Bibliographia Araneorum by P. Bonnet (1945, 1955-1959, 1961), which contains literature data until 1939, however, when in 1986 I begun to collect bibliographic data for continuation of Bonnet, I have learned from N. I. Platnick on advantages of the computerized Catalogue, with abbreviated species entries. He has also lent me suitable computer program and sent his own Salticidae part of the Catalogue. So I followed Platnick's example, with a few different own approaches: I quoted number of figures in each publication, and omitted his elaborate method of transferring species to new genus. My approach was a practical one: I quoted data from Catalogues of Bonnet, Roewer (1942-1954) and Brginoli (1983), I checked correctness of my Catalogue with Platnick, written original data from papers mainly from 1960-ties onwards. I made full use of computer possibilities of linking of drawings with bibliographic data, which seems main feature of the present "Salticidae of the World".

The work on so extensive project was possible owing to kind assistance and cooperation of numerous individual scientist, as well as scientific institutions and various organizations, mentioned in my consecutive publications. I feel grateful and obliged to all of them.

The part of the project made during years 1997-2002 was supported in part by the grant No. PB397/PO4/97/12, extended by No 6 PO4C 024 19 from the Polish Committee of Scientific Research (KBN) and was possible owing to kind attitude and facilities provided by the Muzeum i Instytut Zoologii of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw. The usage of drawings was possible owing to kind permission of individual Authors and Publishers of the Scientific Periodicals, listed below.

I wish to express thanks for permission to copy illustrations to the following Editors and Publishers of the following scientific periodicals.
    - Acta Arachnologica - Dr Nobuo Tsurusaki
    - Andrias, Staatliches Nuseum fur Naturkunde, Karlsruhe - through Dr Heiko Metzner 
   - Annales Museo Civico di Storia Naturale and Doriana,  Genoa - Dr. R. Poggi
   - Annales Zoologici, Muzeum i Instytut Zoologii PAN, Warsaw
   - Arthropoda Selecta, Moscow - Dr. K. G. Mikhailow
   - Blackwell Sciences, Berlin (formerly Verlag Paul Parey) - letter from Mrs.W. Dueber, received through Dr W. Nentwig 
   - British Arachnological Society Bulletin - Dr. P. Merret
   - Fauna Palaestina, Jerusalem - Prof. F. D. Por 
	- Fauna of Saudi Arabia    - Dr. Friedhelm Krupp
   - Genus, Wroclaw - Dr W. Wesolowska 
   - Hebei Science and Technology Publishing House, No 8 Xinwenli, Hepingxi Road, Shijiazhuang 050071, China 
     (letter from Dr Song Daxiang of 25. V. 2000) 
   - Journal of Natural History, Taylor and Francis Ltd., 1 Gunpowder Square, London EC4A  3DE 
   - Memoirs Queensland Museum, P.O.Box 3300, South Brisbane Qld 4101, Australia    - Dr. John N. A. Hooper
   - New Zealand Journal of Zoology, SIR Publishing - Mr. Robert Lynch, Manager.
   - Records Australian Museum, 6-8 College Street, Sydney NSW 2000, Australia    - Editor, Dr Shane F. McEvey
   - Records Western Australian Museum, Francis Street, Perth WA 6000, Australia    - Dr Mark Harvey
   - Revue Arachnologique - Editor M. J-C. Ledoux, 30390 Aramon, France. 
	- Senckenbergiana Biologica, and Cour. Forsch.-Inst. Senckenberg Senckenberg Anlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt a. M., Germany -
				 Dr Manfred Grasshoff
   - Stutgarter Beitr. Naturk., A, Stuttgart, Staatliches Museum fur Naturkunde, Rosenstein 1, D-70191 Stuttgart, Germany - Dr Wolfgang Seeger
   - Trustees of the Natural History Museum - permission to copy drawings of Mr. F. R. Wanless in Bulletin of Natural History 
   -  the University of California Press
	- Verlag Paul Parey -    through Dr. Nentwig
   - Zeszyty naukowe WSRP, Siedlce

	I am further grateful for permission to use their drawings to the following individual scientist:   
	 the late Dr Maria Elena Galiano - Buenos Aires, Dr Cristina Scioscia - Buenos Aires 
	Dr Dimitri V. Lgunov - Novossibirsk, Dr Wanda Wesolowska - Wroclaw, Dr Marek Zabka - Siedlce

J. Proszynski, 2000.

Copyright © for the page by J. Proszynski , 2000.