Rare and poorly known spider species of the Volhynian Polissia (Ukraine)

Abstract

State of knowledge about spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) from the Volhynian Polissia, which is located within the Volyn and Rivne oblasts of Ukraine, were analyzed. According to the literature-derived data, araneofauna of this region consists of 285 species. More than 250 of them were listed from the Shatsk National Nature Park of the Volyn oblast and 75 from Lva-Stvyga inter-river area of the Rivne oblast. These studies cover the extreme western and eastern points of the region, while the main part of the territory remains unexplored. Based on the analysis of published data and in accordance with unpublished material of my own collection, six rare and poorly-known species of spiders of the Volhynian Polissia were singled out, namely Argyroneta aquatica (Clerck, 1757), Lathys heterophthalma Kulczyński, 1891, Gnaphosa nigerrima L. Koch, 1877, Micaria micans (Blackwall, 1858), Zelotes exiguus (Müller & Schenkel, 1895) та Erigonoplus foveatus (Dahl, 1912). Among them, Lathys heterophthalma is first mentioned from Ukrainian Polissia, Micaria micans – from Ukraine. For each of species, a brief description of the distribution in the world and in Ukraine, as well as environmental preferences are given, localities within the Volhynian Polissia are described and highlighted on the map. Analysing these data, we can assume that the number of records of species such as Argyroneta aquatica, Erigonoplus foveatus and Zelotes exiguus will certainly increase when the territory of Polissia is more fully covered by research. Two species, Lathys heterophthalma and Micaria micans, are known from single localities. However, Micaria micans as a separate species is considered only from 2020. Therefore, it is necessary to revise the available material of Micaria pulicaria, which was previously considered a senior synonym to Micaria micans, and to accumulate new data on the distribution of those two species not only in Ukraine but also in Europa. Gnaphosa nigerrima, requires monitoring of populations because it occurs in oligotrophic sphagnum bogs, the area of which has been steadily declining in recent decades. From this point of view, it should be included in the list of rare species of animals in the region.