S. Mahunka szerk.: Folia Entomologica Hungarica 53. (Budapest, 1992)
tion differed significantly at different needle densities too. The change of habitat structure - needle loss caused by air pollution - is also well indicated by the spiders (Gunnarsson 1988). Under unchanging conditions, on the spruce community of a biotope, a great constancy in the composition of species and in the diversity of guilds and species can be observed (Szinetár 1991). Jennings et al. (1990) found correlation between the parasite of the pine and the abundance of the spiders, at the same time calling the attention to the part spiders living on coniferous trees play in biological pest control. Pines deserve attention from another point of view, namely, that unlike the deciduous trees, they provide an unchanged structure for spiders in winter, too. As a result, the spider fauna on coniferous trees is abundant in winter as well (Hagvar and Hagvar 1975, Balkenhol and Zucchi 1989). Jansson and Brömssen (1981) studied the role of spiders on spruce as winter prédation of birds. A number of studies is devoted to spider fauna of town bio topes (Schaefer 1973, Koslowski et al. 1980, Krzyzanowska et al. 1981, Platen 1984). In main lines, the spider fauna of town green areas is similar to that of the identical biotopes of the environs of the town, plus having its own specialities, too (Klausnitzer 1988). The aim of our studies is to obtain information on spiders living on spruce in towns, namely, how the characteristic species 6omposition of spiders and guild structure are preserved by spruce in urban ecosystem. The present paper deals with the first, mainly faunistic results of the studies. Methods Study areas: Sampling was made in Szombathely, a major town in Western Hungary. Geographical and climatic data: Lat. 47°15' N, Long. 16°6' E, 218 m; mean monthly temperature: 9.4 °C average monthly precipitation 700 mm (Balogh 1992). The closest natural stand of spruce, where indigenous, is 20 km from the town, in the Kőszeg Mountain. Besides, spruce is widespread in the whole of West Hungary, both in forests and in inhabited areas. Sampling was made in 18 biotopes of Szombathely, in locations such as newly established parks, rows of trees along roads with heavy traffic, old cemeteries, and suburban forest-like parks. Samples: Samples were taken June and October of 1991, on both occasions from the same 18 biotopes. Samples were taken with sweeping net, (dimensions: 80 cm diameter, 60 cm length.) From each biotope, spiders from ten net surfaces of foliage in June, five net surfaces in October (1 net surface =0.5 m 2 ) were captured. All spiders were preserved in vials containing 75 % ethanol. Spider indentifications: Sexually mature spiders and a part of juveniles were identified to species, the rest of the juveniles were identified to genus.* One specimen of each species represented by a sexually mature form is sent to the arachnid collection of the Hungarian Natural History Museum, Budapest. •Systematica and taxonomy follow mainly Roberts (1985, 1987).
