Highest altitudes at which pholcid spiders have been found

Pholcids are largely restricted to warm climates. Their highest diversity is strongly concentrated in the tropics and subtropics. However, some species are fairly cold-tolerant and occur far from the equator or high above sea level. Recently, the highest records both for Africa and for South America have been documented, the latter being the highest record worldwide.

South America
Andrés Taucare-Ríos from Universidad Arturo Prat in Iquique (Chile) has recently collected pholcids (presumably genus Chibchea) in Northern Chile at 4150 m a.s.l. Below are photos he took showing the magnificent landscape as well as the exact locality where the spiders were found.





Africa
In November 2010 I walked up Ruwenzori Mountain in Uganda up to about 4000 m in an effort to see up to which altitude I could find pholcids. Below are photos of the otherworldly vegetation at about 3500 m and of the exact spot where the highest specimen (genus Smeringopus) was found at 3780 m a.s.l.