Three new spider species of the family Thomisidae from Hong Kong (Arachnida: Araneae)

Hong Kong is located in a wide transition zone between the Palaearctic and Oriental regions. Xu & Li (2006) reported that Palaearctic species comprise 30% of the spider fauna in Hong Kong. Although Platnick (2007) reported a total of 24 families and 148 species of spiders in this area, the biodiversity of spiders is not well known. Further study of the spiders of Hong Kong would facilitate construction of an accurate taxonomy, an exploration of biogeographic patterns and potentially a predictive framework for establishing priorities for conservation. Recently, we examined a collection of spiders taken from farmland fields and nearby non-crop fields at the Tai Lung Experimental Station (TLES), Sheung Shui, Hong Kong. The only government farmland in Hong Kong, the TLES serves to help farmers with plant husbandry and protection. The station occupies 19.8 ha and primarily consists of established orchards, open fields and greenhouses for experimental use. Our examination of the collection revealed three new species of spiders.