Continental data on cave-dwelling spider communities across Europe (Arachnida: Araneae)

Abstract

Spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) are widespread in subterranean ecosystems worldwide and represent an important component of subterranean trophic webs. Yet, global-scale diversity patterns of subterranean spiders are still mostly unknown. In the frame of the CAWEB project, a European joint network of cave arachnologists, we collected data on cave-dwelling spider communities across Europe in order to explore their continental diversity patterns. Two main datasets were compiled: one listing all subterranean spider species recorded in numerous subterranean localities across Europe and another with high resolution data about the subterranean habitat in which they were collected. From these two datasets, we further generated a third dataset with individual geo-referenced occurrence records for all these species. Data from 475 geo-referenced subterranean localities (caves, mines and other artificial subterranean sites, interstitial habitats) are herein made available. For each subterranean locality, information about the composition of the spider community is provided, along with local geomorphological and habitat features. Altogether, these communities account for > 300 unique taxonomic entities and 2,091 unique geo-referenced occurrence records, that are made available via the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) (Mammola and Cardoso 2019). This dataset is unique in that it covers both a large geographic extent (from 35° south to 67° north) and contains high-resolution local data on geomorphological and habitat features. Given that this kind of high-resolution data are rarely associated with broad-scale datasets used in macroecology, this dataset has high potential for helping researchers in tackling a range of biogeographical and macroecological questions, not necessarily uniquely related to arachnology or subterranean biology.

Biospeleological notes on fauna in an artificial cave in Përmet (Albania) importance of former military installations for biodiversity

“…The nomenclature follows Stoev et al (2008), Witt andRonkay (2011), Schönhofer (2013), The World Spider Catalog (2019), Frost (2019), and Hutson et al (2019). The taxa newly found in the cave are marked with an asterisk (*).Comments on the distribution of cave-dwelling spiders are in accordance with Deltshev (2008), Naumova et al (2016a), and Mammola et al (2019a, b), who have reported a total of 416 species for Balkan caves.…”

Local- versus broad-scale environmental drivers of continental β -diversity patterns in subterranean spider communities across Europe

“…R. Soc. B 286: 20191579 dataset of subterranean spider communities across Europe are available in an associated data paper [32] and updated as long as new data becomes available.…”

“…We compiled what we believe to be the first continental-scale georeferenced dataset of subterranean spider communities across Europe [32]. The dataset comprises data from 475 caves from 27 European countries, and covers a latitudinal range from 35°to 70°(figure 1).…”

Updating salamander datasets with phenotypic and stomach content information for two mainland Speleomantes

“…For example, prolonged monitoring may help to understand the impact of specific environmental changes 17 – 19 , allowing to forecast future scenarios and promptly act to protect endangered species 20 – 22 . In this regard, the production of comparable datasets through time is of key importance 9 , 23 , 24 . However, data collection may not always be an easy task.…”