Seppo Koponen

ANNUAL DIFFERENCES AND SPECIES TURNOVER IN PEAT BOG SPIDER COMMUNITIES

Abstract The yearly differences between material collected over two years by means of pitfall traps in three peat bogs in Lithuania and one in Finland were analyzed. Single year collections formed 58.8–87.9% of all the species collected over the two year period. No turnover occurred in the abundant species (> 1% of all specimens in one year sample) if traps were not relocated. The rates of the turnover can vary considerably in various dominance groups and show different trends at different sites. Marked annual differences in abundance were recorded even among some typically abundant peat bog species like Pardosa sphagnicola, Drassyllus pusillus, Scotina palliardi, Agyneta cauta, Arctosa alpigena, Bathyphantes gracilis, Antistea elegans, and Drassodes pubescens. Only a few species typical of other habitats were found to be permanently abundant in peat bogs. Five species recorded during the investigation are new to the spider fauna of Lithuania.

DIVERSITY OF SPIDERS IN BOREAL AND ARCTIC ZONES

Abstract During the last two decades a great number of studies dealing with arctic and boreal spiders have been published, both in the Palaearctic and the Nearctic. Such an increase in information makes it possible to analyze basic patterns of spider diversity in the North as well as to show areas where further studies are still necessary. The number of species found in faunas of larger areas north of 60°N varies from 620 (Finland) to 250 (Polar Urals) and 300 (Yukon), when island faunas are excluded. Two areas, divided by the Bering Strait, Northeastern Siberia and north-western North America have marked proportion of endemic taxa (ca. 8 %) belonging to several spider families. Considerable number of endemic spiders are known also in Middle Siberia. The number of spiders in local faunas of the boreal zone varies around 300 species. Study of species composition in more than 20 local northern faunas reveals that proportion of Lycosidae species in each local fauna varies in smallest range (7–12 % of all species found) in comparison to other families. Thus Lycosidae can be used as an indicator group of general species diversity of spiders in local faunas.

EARLY SUCCESSION OF A BOREAL SPIDER COMMUNITY AFTER FOREST FIRE

Abstract Ground-living spiders were studied, using pitfall traps, 3–4 months after a wildfire, and then during three post-fire summers. The study area was a pine (Pinus sylvestris) forest in southwestern Finland. Lycosidae dominated in individual numbers at the burned site and Linyphiidae at the control. In species numbers, Linyphiidae dominated at both sites, and Lycosidae, Gnaphosidae and Theridiidae were more species-rich at the burned than control site. The lycosid Xerolycosa nemoralis was dominant at the burned site, and the linyphiid Agyneta cauta at the control. Abundant species found only at the burned site included Xerolycosa nemoralis, Pardosa riparia, Acantholycosa lignaria and Micaria silesiaca. Tapinocyba pallens and Pardosa lugubris occurred at both sites in large numbers. A slight positive effect of fire on the species richness was found. Species with more or less stable abundance at the burned site during the study period included Pardosa riparia, P. lugubris and Diplostyla concolor. Increasing abundance in successive years occurred for Acantholycosa lignaria, Micaria silesiaca, Xerolycosa nemoralis and for the family Lycosidae. Euryopis flavomaculata, Agyneta rurestris, Tapinocyba pallens and the family Linyphiidae showed a decreasing abundance during the study years. The spider community at the burned site remained clearly different compared to the control during three post-fire summers, primarily caused by the abundance of Gnaphosidae and Lycosidae.

A SURVEY OF SPIDERS (ARANEAE) WITH HOLARCTIC DISTRIBUTION

Abstract Of the 13,800 species distributed in the Holarctic Region only 395 are known both from Eurasia and North America. Of these only 105 species are distributed throughout the whole Holarctic (circum-Holarctic species). In addition, 28 species have an almost complete Holarctic distribution, occurring from Europe to northwestern North America (subcircum-Holarctic species). Species with a circum-Holarctic distribution were found in 13 families. The highest numbers of circum-Holarctic species were in the families Linyphiidae (37), Theridiidae (14), Araneidae (13) and Gnaphosidae (11). The percentage of the circum-Holarctic species among the Holarctic spiders is highest in Philodromidae (2.4%), Araneidae (2.2%), Theridiidae (2.0%) and Tetragnathidae (1.9%). These families encompass mainly herb-bush-tree dwellers. Somewhat unexpectedly it was found that most circum-Holarctic species occupy the boreo-nemoral zone (41%), or may even have a polyzonal range (23%). Twenty-nine species (28%) of the circum-Holarctic spiders have a northern distribution; most of them occurring both in arctic and boreal zones.

GROUND-LIVING SPIDERS IN BOGS IN NORTHERN EUROPE

Abstract Spiders were studied in open Sphagnum bogs in Sweden, Finland and northern Norway. Material was collected in pitfall traps. Southern sites (hemiboreal zone) differed from coniferous taiga sites (boreal zone, including three subzones), and also the northern sites, north of taiga (palsa and hemiarctic zones) had their own fauna. Typical abundant species for hemiboreal zone was Pirata uliginosus, for boreal zone(s) Pardosa sphagnicola and P. hyperborea and for palsa and hemiarctic zones Hilaira nubigena and Pardosa atrata. No species was found to be dominant and typical throughout the study area.

Redescription of three species of Filistatidae (Araneae) described by C.F. Roewer from Afghanistan

Types of three filistatid species described by Roewer (1960, 1962) from Afghanistan are redescribed and two of them transferred to other filistatid genera. The new combinations proposed are: Zaitunia afghana (Roewer 1962) comb. n. (ex. Filistata Latreille, 1810) and Tricalamus lindbergi (Roewer, 1962) comb. n. (ex. Pritha Lehtinen, 1967). The taxonomic position of Pholcoides afghana Roewer, 1960 is discussed and the species is placed in the filistatid subfamily Prithinae Gray, 1994.

A review of the Holarctic genus Tmeticus Menge, 1868 (Araneae, Linyphiidae), with a description of a new genus

Abstract Eight species attributed to Tmeticus are reviewed; five are redescribed and illustrated: Tmeticus affinis (Blackwall, 1885), Tmeticus bipunctis (Bösenberg & Strand, 1906), Tmeticus nigriceps Kulczyński, 1916, Tmeticus ornatus (Emerton, 1914) and Tmeticus tolli Kulczyński, 1908. The new genus, Paratmeticus gen. n. is erected for Tmeticus bipunctis, and a new combination is established: Paratmeticus bipunctis (Bösenberg & Strand, 1906), comb. n. Three species names: Gongylidium vile Kulczyński, 1885, syn. n., Tmeticus difficilis Kulczyński, 1926, syn. n. and Tmeticus dubius Kulczyński, 1926, syn. n., are synonymized with Tmeticus tolli Kulczyński, 1908. Although Gongylidium vile has date priority over Tmeticus tolli it is synonymized because of the lack of usage. Three species from Japan attributed to Tmeticus: Tmeticus neserigonoides Saito & Ono, 2001, Tmeticus nigerrimus Saito & Ono, 2001 and Tmeticus vulcanicus Saito & Ono, 2001 are not related to Tmeticus affinis, the type species of the genus, and their affinities remain unclear. The male of Tmeticus nigriceps is described for the first time.

First data about cave spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) from Iran

This paper reports seven species found in Shirabad Cave located in the western part of Golestan Province and two species found nearby. Three families: Anyphaenidae, Segestriidae and Theridiosomatidae, and one species, Metellina merianae (Scopoli, 1763) are recorded from Iran for the first time. Two species are described as new: Tegenaria zamanii Marusik & Omelko, sp.n. (♀) and Segestria mirshamsii Marusik & Omelko, sp.n. (♀). Four species: Lepthyphantes iranicus Saaristo & Tanasevitch, 1996, Metellina merianae, Octonoba yesoensis (Saito, 1934) and Pholcus sp. are illustrated. Uloborus georgicus Mcheidze, 1997 from Eastern Georgia is synonymized with Octonoba yesoensis. The distribution of all species treated in the paper is briefly discussed, with emphasis on the easternmost records. http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:614A0FF0-40B0-4A7E-B2B8-C6B117A80AFE

A Survey of Spiders (Araneae) Collected on the Arctic Island of Dolgiy (69°12′N), Barents Sea

Summary Fifty-two spider species from six families were found on Dolgiy Island in 2004. The family Linyphiidae clearly dominates (44 species), followed by Lycosidae (4 species). Among arctic islands, Dolgiy has the secondmost species-rich spider fauna after Greenland. More than 30 of the species found are unknown from other arctic islands; this is explained by the proximity of mainland. Of the species found, 14 are true arctic spiders. Dolgiy Island is the southernmost locality for e.g. Mughiphantes sobrius (Thorell, 1871), the northernmost for Xysticus canadensis Gertsch, 1934, the westernmost e.g. for Alopecosa mutabilis (Kulczyński, 1908), Mecynargus tundricola Eskov, 1988, Semljicola simplex (Kulczyński, 1908) and Silometopoides pampia (Chamberlin, 1948), and the northernmost and westernmost for Agyneta ripariensis (Tanasevitch, 1984) and Hilaira jamalensis Eskov, 1981. Praestigia makarovae Marusik, Gnelitsa & Koponen, 2008 has a small known arctic range (Dolgiy Island is the type locality). Diagnostic figures are given for poorly known linyphiids Gibothorax tchernovi Eskov, 1989 and Masikia indistincta (Kulczyński, 1908).

A redescription of the ant mimicking spider Myrmecium gounellei (Araneae: Corinnidae, Castianeirinae), with notes on the genus

Myrmecium Latreille, 1824 is a relatively large genus of Castianeirinae with 16 species, distributed exclusively in the Neotropics (WSC 2015). Although this genus is rather well known as a good example of ant mimicking spiders, its taxonomy is very poorly studied. Two of its species are described based on unknown sex; one species is described based on a juvenile; eight species are known based on a single sex: for seven, only females are known, and for one, only a male is known (Platnick 2014). Eleven species are known from a single record, and two species were never illustrated. The latest taxonomic paper dealing with Myrmecium was published more than 60 years ago by Camargo (1953). Although both sexes are known for six species of Myrmecium, the male palp and female epigyne are illustrated for three species only. The male palp is relatively well illustrated for the type species of the genus, M. rufum Latreille, 1824 (Camargo 1953). Somatic characters are illustrated also only for M. rufum (Simon 1897).