Arachnologische Mitteilungen / Arachnology Letters 61: 11-19 Karlsruhe, April 2021 An annotated checklist of spiders deposited in the Arachnida collection of the Institute of Zoology, Scientific Center of Zoology and Hydroecology of the NAS RA, Yerevan, Armenia. Part I Noushig A. Zarikian & Mark Y. Kalashian doi: 10.30963/aramit6102 Abstract. Data on Armenian spider species are summarized. A catalogue of spiders collected during 1988–1998 and deposited in the Institute of Zoology collection, Yerevan, Armenia is given. The review revealed 20 species belonging to nine families. Fourteen species are recorded for Armenia for the first time. Thus, the number of spider species known from Armenia rises to 190. Liocranum rupicola (Walckenaer, 1830) is recorded for the first time in the Caucasus. Keywords: Araneae, Caucasus, country list, new records Zusammenfassung. Kommentierte Checkliste der Spinnentiersammlung des Institute of Zoology, Scientific Center of Zoology and Hydroecology of NAS RA, Jerewan, Armenien. Teil I. Die Daten zu den Spinnen Armeniens werden zusammengefasst. Wir erstel- len einen Katalog der 1988–1998 gesammelten Spinnen, die in der Sammlung des Instituts für Zoologie in Jerewan, Armenien, hinterlegt sind. Diese Liste enthält 20 Arten aus neun Familien. Vierzehn Arten werden erstmals für Armenien nachgewiesen, dadurch erhöht sich die bekannte Artensumme für Armenien auf 190. Liocranum rupicola (Walckenaer, 1830) wird erstmals für den Kaukasus gemeldet. Ամփոփում. ՀՀ ԳԱԱ կենդանաբանության եվ հիդրոէկոլոգիայի գիտական կենտրոնի սարդակերպերի հավաքածուում պահպանված սարդերի մեկնաբանված ստուգացանկ, ՀՀ ԳԱԱ կենդանաբանության եվ հիդրոէկոլոգիայի գիտական կենտրոն, Երևան, Հայաստան: Մաս I. Սույն հոդվածով ամփոփվում են Հայաստանի սարդերի տեսակային կազմի վերաբերյալ տվյալները: Ներկայացված է 1988–1998 թվականներին հավաքված և Կենդանաբանության ինստիտուտի հավաքածուում պահպանված սարդերի ստուգացուցակ, Երևան, Հայաստան: Ուսումնասիրությունը պարունակում է ինը ընտանիքի պատկանող 20 տեսակ սարդերի տվյալներ, որոնցից տասնչորսը գրանցվել է առաջին անգամ Հայաստանում: Այսպիսով, Հայաստանից հայտնի սարդերի քանակը հասել է 190-ի: Կովկասում առաջին անգամ է գրանցվում Liocranum rupicola (Walckenaer, 1830) տեսակը: Spiders are a little studied group of animals in the Armenian The number of spider species from Armenia given in fauna, along with most other invertebrates. Spiders from Ar­ other sources is very low. In the comprehensive check­list of menia were first mentioned by Koch (1878) and Kulczyński the spiders of the former Soviet Union territories, Mikhailov (1895). Only a few papers on spiders from areas within the (2013) listed 118 spider species for Armenia, adding nine contemporary boundaries of Armenia have been published more species in Addendum 2 to the Catalogue (Mikhailov since (Charitonov 1936, 1956, Mcheidze 1964, 1997, Ovt­ 1999). Summarizing further data, he mentioned 141 species sharenko 1982, 1994, Wesołowska 1986, Eskov 1987, Tana­ for Armenia (Mikhailov 2016) and 15 more spider species are sevitch 1987, 1990, Dunin 1984, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1992, listed for the country by Mikhailov & Propistsova (2017). Fi­ Marusik 1989, Mikhailov 1986, 1987, 1990, 1992, 2003, nally, in the on­line Faunistic Database on the Spiders of the 2013, 2016). Some important papers for the study of the Ar­ Caucasus Ecoregion (Otto 2020) the list of Armenian spi­ menian spider fauna were published by D. V. Logunov (Lo­ ders includes 163 species – while Nentwig et al. (2020) have gunov 1996, 1998, 1999, 2015, Logunov & Guseinov 2002, 162 recorded species – not including the latest publication 2008, Rakov & Logunov 1997, Zyuzin & Logunov 2000). (Zarikian 2020), which added thirteen species such that the Vadimir Zacharjan, who was the main collector of our mate­ formal recorded species number of spiders in Armenia is 176. rial, wrote a single publication (Dunin & Zacharjan 1991). This paper aims to provide new data on the spiders of Ar­ Based on his material, Zacharjan provided some data on menia. The material is kept in the collection of the Institute spiders to the country’s First National Report to the Conven­ of Zoology, Scientific Center of Zoology and Hydroecology, tion of Biological Diversity (H. Khachatryan pers. comm.). National Academy of Sciences of Armenia. While 302 species belonging to 30 families are quoted for the Armenian fauna in the First National Report (Ministry of Materials and methods Nature Protection 1999; families are listed only in the Arme­ The material was collected between 1988–1998 from various nian version of the Report, Annex 9). In the Fifth National sites in Armenia (Fig. 1 and Tab. 1) by staff of our Institute, Report, 325 spider species are quoted (Ministry of Nature Dr. Vladimir Zacharjan and Arthur Sukiasyan, and utilised Protection 1999, Appendix 3; the number “600 species” men­ sweeping, pitfall trapping and visual search and collecting tioned in Appendix 4 is an obvious mistake). Unfortunately, systems. The material is kept in 70% ethanol. Most of the Zacharjan’s unpublished list of species, which served a back­ material was identified by the collectors themselves and part ground for these numbers, is lost. of it by the first author of the present paper based on Jones­ Walters (1989) and Nentwig et al. (2020). Approximate GPS Noushig A. ZARIKIAN, Mark Y. KALASHIAN, Scientific Centre of Zoology and Hyd- data based on the field notes are given in Tab. 1. In the list of roecology, National Academy of Sciences of Armenia, P. Sevak Str. 7, Yerevan 0014, species, the order of families and species follows that of Otto Armenia; E-mail: [email protected], [email protected] (2020). The world distribution is taken from the World Spi­ Academic editor: Petr Dolejš der Catalog (2020) and the distribution in the Caucasus from submitted: 3.9.2020, accepted: 1.2.2021, online: 5.3.2021 Otto (2020) and Nentwig et al. (2020). The data on habitats 12 N. A. Zarikian & M. Y. Kalashian are based on the field experience of the second author and do Distribution. Europe, North Caucasus, Georgia, Azerbaijan, not refer to precise collection sites, however, they match the Africa, Asia, Australia, New Zealand and numerous islands, Armenian habitat at that time. An abbreviated checklist of introduced to the Americas. New record for the Armenian Armenian spider species is given in Tab. 2. fauna. Tab. 1: Collecting sites Habitat. Warm corners, occupied and abandoned buildings. Site Site name coordinates Altitude No. (m a.s.l.) Family Tetragnathidae Tetragnatha dearmata Thorell, 1873 1 Tumanyan 40.5900°N 44.3900°E 857 ( Material examined. 1 , Jrarat, “Vordan karmir” state sanc­ 2 Hankavan 40.6282°N 44.5342°E 1900 ) (( 3 Sevan 40.3440°N 44.5835°E 2020 tuary, 13. Aug. 1994; 1 , 3 , Meghri, 2. Jun. 1989, all V. 4 Yerevan 40.1240°N 44.3330°E 1230 Zacharjan leg. 5 Jrarat, “Vordan karmir” 40.0755°N 44.2401°E 840 Distribution. North America, Europe, North Caucasus, state sanctuary Azerbaijan, Russia (from European part to Far East). New 6 Goght 40.1375°N 44.8138°E 1750 record for the Armenian fauna. 7 “Khosrov forest” State between –1300– Habitat. Wetlands or in the vicinity of water. Reserve, Vedi area 39.9700°N 44.8700°E 1460 and Tetragnatha extensa (Linnaeus, 1758) (( 39.9900°N 44.9000°E Material examined. 3 , Jrarat, “Vordan karmir” state sanc­ (( 8 Yeghegnadzor 39.7422°N 45.3283°E 1242 tuary, 1. May 1996; 4 , env. Sevan town, 17. Jun. 1998, all 9 Areni 39.7227°N 45.1906°E 1081 A. Sykiasyan leg. 10 Kapan 39.1227°N 46.2420°E 780 Distribution. North America, Greenland, Europe, Turkey, 11 Gudemnis 38.9381°N 46.1784°E 1350 North Caucasus Georgia, Azerbaijan, Russia (from European 12 Meghri 38.9058°N 46.2540°E 1193 part to Far East), Iraq, Iran, Kazakhstan, Central Asia, China, Korea, Japan. In Armenia recorded in the Armenian highland List of species by Mikhailov (2000). Habitat. Grasslands and in low vegetation, especially at the Family Pholcidae waterside and in wetlands. Pholcus phalangioides (Fuesslin, 1775) )) (( )) Material examined: 2 , 6 , Areni, 22. May 1988; 2 , Tetragnatha montana Simon, 1874 (( )) (( ) 6 , Yerevan, 4. May 1993; 2 , 6 , env. Tumanyan, 6. Apr. Material examined. 1 , Khosrov Forest State Reserve, Vedi 1991, all V. Zacharjan leg. area, 25. Jun. 1998, A. Sykiasyan leg. Fig. 1: Map of Armenia with collect- ing sites (Map provided by Philippe Rekacewicz, Emmanuelle Bournay, UNEP/GRID-Arendal. https://www. grida.no/resources/5338) 1 – Tumanyan; 2 – Hankavan; 3 – Sevan; 4 – Yerevan; 5 – Jrarat; 6 – Goght; 7 – Khosrov; 8 – Yeghegnadzor; 9 – Areni; 10 – Kapan; 11 – Gudemnis; 12 – Meghri Armenian spiders 1 13 ( Distribution. Europe, Turkey, North Caucasus, Georgia, area, 22. May 1990; 1 , Yerevan 10. Aug. 1992, both V. Zach­ Azerbaijan, Russia (from European part to Far East), Central arjan leg. Asia. New record for the Armenian fauna. Distribution. Albania, North Macedonia, Bulgaria, Greece, Habitat. Low vegetation in a variety of habitats, mostly at Turkey, Ukraine, Russia (European part), North Caucasus, low altitudes. Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Iran, Central Asia. In Ar­ menia, recorded in the Armenian highland by Mikhailov Tetragnatha nigrita Lendl, 1886 (2013). (( ( Material examined. 2 , Gudemnis, 13. Jun. 1989; 1 , Ka­ Habitat. Dry, warm and rocky areas and steppes. pan, 5. Jun. 1989, all V. Zacharjan leg. Distribution. Europe, North Caucasus, Georgia, Azerbai­ Family Dictynidae jan, Russia (from European part to Far East), Central Asia, Argenna patula (Simon, 1874) ( China, Japan. New record for the Armenian fauna. Material examined. 1 , Khosrov Forest State Reserve, Vedi Habitat. Arable and waterside lands. area, 17. Aug. 1992, V. Zacharjan leg. Distribution. Europe, Azerbaijan, Russia (Europe to South Tetragnatha pinicola L. Koch, 1870 Siberia), Kyrgyzstan, China. New record for the Armenian ( ) Material examined. 1 , 1 , Sevan town, 17. Jun. 1998, fauna. A. Sykiasyan leg. Habitat. Banks of tidal rivers. Distribution. Europe, Turkey, North Caucasus, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Russia (from European part to Far East), Cen­ Family Anyphaenidae tral Asia, China, Korea, Japan. New record for the Armenian Anyphaena accentuata (Walckenaer, 1802) ) fauna. Material examined. 1 , Hankavan, 14. Jun. 1990, A. Syki­ Habitat. Woodland clearings and rides.