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Seasonal Activity of the Ground Spider Fauna in a Mediterranean Ecosystem (Mt Youchtas, Crete, Greece)

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Seasonal Activity of the Ground Spider Fauna in a Mediterranean Ecosystem (Mt Youchtas, Crete, Greece) 1998. P. A. Selden (ed.). Proceedings of the 17th European Colloquium of Arachnology, Edinburgh 1997. Seasonal activity of the ground spider fauna in a Mediterranean ecosystem (Mt Youchtas, Crete, Greece) M. Chatzaki1,2, A. Trichas1, G. Markakis2 and M. Mylonas1 1Natural History Museum of the University of Crete, Knossou Av., 71409 Irakleio, Crete, Greece 2Dept of Biology, University of Crete, 71100 Irakleio, Crete, Greece Summary Arachnological data on the ground faunas of the eastern Mediterranean island ecosystems are very scarce, usually concerned with descriptions of new taxa or reviews of distributional data of the known species of the area. An ecological approach is limited and almost absent at post-family level. The scope of the present work is the structure of the spider community (family and species compo- sition) as well as spider kinetic activity during the period of one year, in a Mediterranean phryganic ecosystem (north-east slopes of Mt Youchtas, 16 km south of the city of Irakleion, Crete). Spiders were sampled monthly, using 25 pitfall traps placed under the dominant plant species of the site (Broom, Thyme and Kermes Oak) and on the open ground. A total of 1845 individuals were cap- tured throughout the year, belonging to 21 families and 61 species. The dominant families as far as both species richness and abundance are concerned were Gnaphosidae, Linyphiidae and Salticidae, with the rest of the families much less well represented. Seasonal variation revealed three basic pat- terns of activity, indicating differences in life style and responses to environmental factors. Spatial variation was limited only by minor differences between open ground areas and those covered by the dominant plants of the site. Introduction Arachnological data on the ground faunas of ecosystems in Greece have been provided by Spiders are generalist feeders with great researchers such as Brullé (1832), Lucas (1853), species richness in every type of terrestrial habi- Kulczyn´ski (1903), Strand (1916), Roewer tat, and therefore they play an important role in (1928, 1959) and Bristowe (1934), who the structure of communities and food webs, presented lists of the spider species of several both as number of individuals and as energy continental and insular sites of Greece with consumers (Post & Riechert, 1977; Foelix, some ecological notes. A more detailed study of 1982; Fasola & Mogavero, 1995). These fea- the region was carried out later by Brignoli, who tures make them ideal models as terrestrial produced many papers on spider taxonomy with predators in community analyses (Post & biogeographical notes, in the period 1968–1986 Riechert, 1977; Wise, 1993). Ecological studies (Brignoli, 1984, and references therein, 1985, of this kind have been presented in the past, 1986). He concentrated mainly on cave spiders. mainly concerning the relationships between Contemporary researchers are making further taxonomically well-defined groups of spider contributions with descriptions of new species species in regions in which problems on spider and/or distributional data on the spider fauna of taxonomy are more or less resolved. Knowledge the same area. of species composition and distribution in east- Species catalogues on a national or regional ern Mediterranean ecosystems is very limited, level are still unavailable for Greece, while the making ecological studies in this region very contribution of Greek scientists has been limited difficult. (Chatzisarantos, 1940; Paraschi, 1988). 236 Proceedings of the 17th European Colloquium of Arachnology, Edinburgh 1997 THE THO including dwarf, aromatic and thorny shrub CL 3% 2% 2% species characteristic of the Cretan landscape OT 10% such as: Genista acanthoclada, Coridothymus CT 4% capitatus, Ebenus creticus, Salvia fruticosa, ZO 4% Asphodelus aestivus, Cistus creticus, as well as taller shrubs of Quercus coccifera. Plants cover DY 6% about 80% of the site; the remaining 20% is open ground. The area chosen for this study, although quite close to urban, pastural and agri- LI 11% cultural regions, is undisturbed by human activ- ities (grazing of animals is prohibited), and has been proposed for inclusion in the NATURA 2000 EEC network of protected areas (on account of high levels of biodiversity and plant SA 13% endemism). It is quite close to the University, facilitating monthly visits. GN 45% Twenty-five pitfall traps were placed under the dominant plant species (Quercus coccifera, Genista acanthoclada, Coridothymus capitatus, Fig. 1: Dominant spider families on an annual scale. Ebenus creticus, Salvia fruticosa) and on the GN = Gnaphosidae, SA = Salticidae, LI = open ground. The traps were plastic cans (12 cm Linyphiidae, DY = Dysderidae, ZO = Zodariidae, high, 9.5 cm diameter); the killing agent and CT = Ctenizidae, CL = Clubionidae, THE = Theridiidae, THO = Thomisidae, OT = Others. preservative fluid used was ethylene glycol. Spiders and other arthropods were sampled monthly and the samples were sorted and stored Neither the main characteristics nor the indi- in 70% alcohol. The sampling period lasted vidual details of the Greek arachnofauna are from December 1995 to January 1997. The well known. Apart from the ecological data on results of the first twelve months are presented Greek spiders of the maquis of the central here, while data of the remaining two months Aegean provided by Paraschi (1988), no other have been used as a control. data are available on the arachnofaunas of the Spiders were sorted, identified, counted and southern Greek ecosystems. deposited in the Natural History Museum of the The present work focuses on the basic struc- University of Crete. Some of the identifications as well as species confirmations were carried ture of spider communities (family and species out by Dr K. Thaler, Institut für Zoologie, composition, dominant taxa), on the family and Innsbruck. Immature specimens were identified dominant species phenologies, as well as on the to below family level when possible. life strategies of the arachnofauna, in the south In order to equalize the number of individuals Aegean phryganic ecosystems. An effort has for each month, all monthly catches were trans- also been made to reveal spatial differentiation formed into number of individuals per 30 trap in different microbiotopes of the study area. days. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Materials and methods Correspondence Analysis (CA) were used for the spatial differentiation analysis for each The study area is situated on the north-eastern month (Pielou, 1984). slopes of Mt Youchtas (highest point 811 m), 16 km south of the city of Irakleion, north- central Crete, and is about 350 m above sea Results level. The substrate is calcareous with many Faunal composition and abundances stones and rocks, while the slope of the site varies between 20–40%. The vegetation can be A total of 1845 individuals were captured described as degraded maquis and phrygana, during the one-year sampling, belonging to 21 Chatzaki et al.: Seasonal activity of Mediterranean ground spiders 237 families and 61 species. Gnaphosidae can be Agelenidae Maimuna cf. cretica, Tegenaria sp.; classified as the dominant family (over 40% Amaurobiidae Amaurobius cf. erberi; Anyphaenidae annual representation), while the rest of the Anyphaena sabina; Clubionidae Clubiona vegeta?, families belong to influent (16–23%) or acces- Mesiotelus cf. tenuissimus; Ctenizidae Cyrtocarenum sories (below 8%), following the classification cunicularium; Dysderidae Dysdera gigas, Harpactea coccifera, H. cressa, n. sp.; Filistatidae Filistata of ´Luczak (1963) (Fig. 1). (Pritha) sp., Filistata insidiatrix; Gnaphosidae Family composition of the spider community Aphantaulax seminigra, Drassodes lapidosus, shows considerable variability from month to D. lutescens, Haplodrassus dalmatensis? H. signifer, month. Gnaphosidae represent the dominant Nomisia cf. ripariensis, Pterotricha lentiginosa, Zelotes family for most of the months, ranging from 2% (Drassyllus) sp., Zelotes cf. creticus, Zelotes sp.; (December) to 77% (May). Linyphiidae domi- Linyphiidae Gonatium sp., Lepthyphantes aff. collinus, nate during the winter and spring months, Mecopisthes sp., n. sp., Pelecopsis sp., Savignya? sp., ranging from 2% (May) to 63% (December), but Sintula retroversus, Theonina sp., Walckenaeria clavilobus, are absent during the summer and autumn. W. cretaensis; Loxoscelidae? (immature specimen); Salticidae reach their maximum abundance in Lycosidae Lycosa narbonensis; Oecobiidae Oecobius sp.; Oonopidae Oonops sp.; Oxyopidae Oxyopes September (34%). The rest of the families repre- heterophthalmus; Palpimanidae Palpimanus sp.; sent less than 10% of the total arachnofauna, Pholcidae? (immature specimen); Salticidae Aelurillus with their maximum monthly abundance being sp., cf. Aelurillus, Ballus sp., Cyrba algerina, Euophrys sp., less than 25%. Heliophanus sp., Pellenes?, Philaeus chrysops, Saitis The three dominant families, Gnaphosidae, graeca?; Scytodidae Scytodes thoracica; Theridiidae Linyphiidae and Salticidae, are also the most Crustulina scabripes, Enoplognatha thoracica, Episinus numerous as far as species richness is con- sp., Euryopis sexalbomaculata, Theridion cf. melanurum; cerned: Linyphiidae are represented by 10 Thomisidae Ozyptila confluens, Proxysticus sp., Thanatus species, Gnaphosidae by 10 species, Salticidae vulgaris, Xysticus turcicus; Zodariidae Zodarion sp. 1, by 9 species. Some families are represented by 4 Zodarion sp. 2. or 5 species (such as Dysderidae, Theridiidae
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