Joanna Kocot-Zalewska

Motivation: Spiders are common inhabitants of caves and other subterranean habitats, where they play key ecological roles as generalist predators and strongly influence local food webs. They have been instrumental as model organisms for testing various eco‐evolutionary hypotheses. Furthermore, strictly subterranean species exhibiting narrow ranges and high endemism are particularly significant for conservation planning and vulnerability assessments. Although high‐quality data are essential for research on and conservation of subterranean spiders, such information remains scarce, especially regarding distribution patterns. To help fill this gap, we screened the literature, unpublished records and open datasets to compile georeferenced occurrences of subterranean spiders across caves and other subterranean habitats throughout Europe. To illustrate one potential application of the compiled dataset, we also present a prediction of subterranean spider richness patterns across Europe using stacked species distribution models. Main Types of Variables Contained: The European Subterranean Spider Dataset (ESSD) comprises 31,498 records of 637 subterranean‐dwelling spider species, covering a range of information including taxonomy, locality details (such as location name, country, geographic coordinates, type of subterranean habitat) and reference information for each record. All variables are coded using the Darwin Core Standard, ensuring interoperability with the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) and other biodiversity databases. Spatial Location and Grain: The collected data are distributed across 42 countries within the European continent, with varying spatial uncertainty. Most coordinates of localities are taken at the cave entrance (uncertainty of ca. 10 m), or at the nearest hamlet when precise coordinates are not available (uncertainty of ca. 1 km). Time Period and Grain: The data represent information made available between 1881 and 2026. Major Taxa and Level of Measurement: 637 species (including morphospecies under description) of subterranean spiders across 28 families. These species span a gradient of ecological dependence on subterranean habitats, ranging from species still able to exploit surface habitats to obligate subterranean dwellers. Software Format: The dataset is available in .csv format in Figshare data repository (available at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.30696173 ) and in GBIF ( https://doi.org/10.15468/f4xjdb ).

The article presents the results of the study on invertebrate fauna inhabiting caves in the Prokletije Mountains. This mountain range is located on the border of Montenegro, Albania, and Kosovo. During the expeditions to Albania in 2021 and to Montenegro in 2022–2023, 17 caves and one bauxite mine were visited altogether. All the studied caves are located very high, above 1,700 m a.s.l., where the temperature inside is low, and several are filled with ice or snow. During the Albanian expedition 102 arthropods have been collected altogether. Among these were 19 beetles (Coleoptera), 44 flies (Diptera), three crickets (Orthoptera), five millipedes (Diplopoda), 16 Opiliones, six spiders (Araneae), two springtails (Collembola), and one tick (Ixodida). During the Montenegrin expeditions 226 specimens belonging to ten groups have been collected: 119 flies (Diptera), 32 beetles (Coleoptera), 20 caddisflies (Trichoptera), 21 spiders (Araneae), 20 Opiliones, six millipedes (Diplopoda), four bristletails (Archeognatha), two crickets (Orthoptera), one pseudoscorpion (Pseudoscorpionida), and one isopod (Isopoda). Ten species we recognized as troglobionts, four as eutroglophiles, and 11 as subtroglophiles. Among the collected species, three are new to Albanian fauna and two to Montenegrin fauna.

This paper presents the study’s results on beetles (Insecta: Coleoptera) inhabiting caves in the Częstochowa Upland, southern Poland. During two years of research, 2084 specimens, representing 105 species from 19 beetle families, were collected. The obtained results indicate that many beetle species choose to inhabit caves despite lacking specific adaptations for living in such environments. The cave entrance zone is the most attractive place for surface species to inhabit because its climatic conditions are more stable than outside the cave, some sunlight is present, and the availability of organic matter is high. In the deeper parts of the studied caves, the number of occurring species rapidly decreased. Three species were recognised as troglobionts, four as troglophiles and 32 as subtroglophiles. Speonomus normandi hydrophilus, Choleva lederiana gracilenta and Quedius mesomelinus mesomelinus were identified as the most frequent in the studied caves. Speonomus normandi hydrophilus is endemic to the Arize massif in the Central Pyrenees (France) and was experimentally introduced into the Dzwonnica cave (Poland) in 1982, while Ch. lederiana gracilenta is one of two troglobitic beetles native to Polish caves and Q. imesomelinus mesomelinus is a widespread, very common troglophile.

In September of 2021, a Polish expedition took place in the Valbona Valley in the Albanian Alps (Kocot-Zalewska et al. 2021) During the expedition, a project study of invertebrate cave fauna had begun. The main purpose of this presentation is to show the preliminary results of a study on the invertebrate fauna in the Albanian Alps. Within 14 days, arthropods were collected in subterranean habitats between 1500 and 2300 m a.s.l. The study was led on the left and right sides of the Valley. On the left side of the Valley, we explored bauxite mines and Spella Huxhise Cave; on the right side, the Ice Cave, Spella de Akullt, Spella e Valbones, and Spella Sportive caves were explored. Mainly, the direct searching method was used. However, pitfall traps with baits were used in one cave and one tunnel. Altogether, from five caves and a complex of four tunnels, 102 arthropods belonging to insects (beetles, flies, and crickets), millipedes, spiders, harvestmen, and springtails, have been collected. Flies and beetles are the most numerous groups. The majority of the collected specimens have been determined to the species level. Among these, many are new to Albanian fauna. Particular attention should be paid to the species highly related to the subterranean environment and those found in ice caves. This project will continue in the year 2022. We plan to explore the next caves in the studied area and re-examine the previously visited sites.

This article details the analysed results of the recent study on heleomyzid flies (Diptera: Heleomyzidae) that occurred in the caves of Kraków-Częstochowa Upland. Additionally, all accessible information about those flies from the Polish caves has been compiled. In effect, 23 species from seven genera were identified. Among these determined species, one was considered as troglobiont, eleven as eutroglophiles, nine as subtroglophiles, and two as trogloxenes. Dominant species were Scoliocentra brachypterna, Heleomyza captiosa and Eccoptomera pallescens. The highest number of species has currently been found in the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland.

The paper gives the results of the first studies on the molecular divergence between native and non-native populations of Speonomus normandi hydrophilus (Jeannel, 1907). This species is endemic to Massif Arize in the Central Pyrenees (France), and represents highly specialised organisms that live underground. In 1982, one hundred specimens of S. normandi hydrophilus had been experimentally introduced into the Dzwonnica Cave (Poland). Since then, a numerous population has developed in the Towarna-Dzwonnica cave system, and the neighbouring Cabanowa Cave. After almost 40 years of isolation between native and non-native populations, the genetic variations were examined using the COI and 28S rDNA genes. Analyses of the haplotypes of 28S showed one common haplogroup, which confirms the origin of the Polish group. The differentiation of haplotypes for the COI marker was high for both the French and Polish populations. Altogether 18 haplotypes of this marker have been detected, 12 in the French population and 9 in the Polish. However, only a portion of the haplotypes is shared between the native and introduced population.

Trichocera maculipennis, an invasive Diptera, was described for the first time in Antarctica in 2006 in a sewage system of one of the scientific stations on King George Island, South Shetland Islands, and started to increase its distribution within the island. To date, only taxonomical description of this species, based on morphological data has been available, as there were no molecular data recorded. In the present study, we present two methods of molecular identification of this species—based on partial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) and 16S ribosomal RNA (16S) genes. An appropriate and easy-to-use assay for proper and fast identification of invasive species is a key requirement for further management decisions, especially in such a fragile environment as found in terrestrial Antarctica.

The research on invertebrates in caves of Poland dates back to the early 20th century (Kocot-Zalewska and Domagała 2020), but there was never a focus on heleomyzid flies (Diptera: Heleomyzidae). The main purpose of this presentation is to compare historical and new data on heleomyzid flies from the Polish caves with remarks on ecological aspects. The first piece of information about heleomyzid flies was given from the caves and mines in the Sudety Mts (Arndt 1921, Arndt 1923). Among four species of the Heleomyzidae family described from this area, one is noteworthy, it’s Oecothea praecox (Loew, 1862) – species considered to be a troglobite (Košel and Woźnica 2019). Unfortunately, there is no specimen in the museum collection as well as no specimen was caught in Polish caves after the Second World War, hence its presence in Polish fauna is questionable (Košel and Woźnica 2019). More information about heleomyzid flies from this area provided Pax and Maschke (1935) and Haduk and Ogorzałek (1970). The next piece on information was given from Tatra Mts (Kowalski 1955, Sobiepanek 1985) and Kraków - Częstochowa Upland (Skalski 1973, Skalski 1981, Papp and Woźnica 1993, Woźnica 2004, Woźnica 2006, Woźnica and Klasa 2009). So far, in the caves of Poland, altogether 17 species were collected, nowadays the list includes 23 species. The new research was conducted on Częstochowa Upland in the years 2014-2017. The six caves were investigated every month. The material of heleomyzid flies is part of the collection from the implementation of the larger project. A total of 179 specimens were collected. Among 16 identified species, 9 were considered as eutroglophiles, 5 species as subtroglophiles and two as trogloxenes. A comparative analysis based on the applied similarities, using on Ward's minimum variance method, in the Heleomyzid fauna of caves from the mountain and other areas showed significant similarities in the species composition in the Tatra and the Sudety mountains and an important difference between the caves in the mountains and Kraków-Częstochowa Upland.

The year 2018 is particularly important in the history of zoological research in Poland. A hundred years ago, Kazimierz Demel published the first work concerning the terrestrial cave fauna of caves in the Ojców area. In this paper we present the extent of research on the terrestrial invertebrate fauna of Polish caves in the last 100 years. All accessible research papers that have been published during this period were analysed. Based on published literature, 593 species of terrestrial invertebrate were recorded in Polish caves. Additionally, detailed list of species of individual taxonomic groups was provided.