SPIDERS (ARANEAE) OF THE MEADOW-STEPPE ECOSYSTEMS OF THE BUKOVYNIAN CISCARPATHIANS. THE FIRST STAGE OF RESEARCH
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32782/1998-6475.2026.60.13Keywords:
arachnids, inventory of the fauna, rare species, assemblage structure, dry grasslands, biodiversity, UkraineAbstract
Grassland ecosystems are among the most transformed by human activity, and they continue to shrink in area. Grassland fragmentation, uncontrolled fires, changes in management from overgrazing to complete cessation, and proximity to artificial forest plantations result in vegetation degradation and encroachment of woody and shrub vegetation. Nevertheless, natural and semi-natural grassy habitats remain biodiversity hotspots in the agricultural landscape, and their biota require comprehensive study. We investigated a site with steppe and meadow-steppe vegetation near the village of Zavoloka in the Chernivtsi region and found 48 species of ground-dwelling spiders belonging to 18 families. The Gnaphosidae family was best represented with 15 species, followed by the Lycosidae with seven species. Other families are encountered with one to five species. Of these, eleven species are new to the regional fauna, and four are rare and have mosaic distribution throughout Ukraine (Dysdera hungarica Kulczynski, 1897, Micaria micans Blackwall, 1858, Nematogmus sanguinolentus Walckenaer, 1841, and Episinus truncatus Latreille, 1809). Spider assemblages exhibited high alpha diversity. Their dominant complexes comprised six species. The representatives of the Lycosidae prevailed, which is typical of meadow-steppe communities. The most abundant were Alopecosa pulverulenta (Clerck, 1757), Aulonia albimana (Walckenaer, 1805), Arctosa lutetiana (Simon, 1876), and Pardosa bifasciata (C. L. Koch, 1834). The high abundance of Zora spinimana (Sundevall, 1833) of the family Miturgidae added local features. A comparison of the local araneofauna of meadow-steppe habitats in the forest and forest-steppe zones of Ukraine revealed that, of the 162 recorded species, 36 (22%) were widespread and 102 (63%) were only found in one or two localities, although most of them have a European or Palearctic distribution. This indicates the specificity of each site due to its geographical location and the insularisation of natural grasslands. This confirms the importance of the meadow-steppe habitats for maintaining spider diversity and local biodiversity as well.
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