Somogyi Múzeumok Közleményei 16. (2004)

Lajos Lilla – Vadkerti Edit: Adatok a Villányi-hegység talajlakó pókfaunájához (Araneae)

302 LILLA LAJOS — EDIT VADKERTI As part of a research project (KAC KO 440322001), we have performed the comparative analysis of spider communities living in open areas of Mecsek and Villányi Hills. Besides gathering further faunal data, our aim has been to extend our research onto new areas not havig studied from arachnofaunal aspect, the spider faunas of Köves-máj, Csukma and Fekete-Hill have not been studied yet. The present paper contains faunal data on the Villányi Hills. Material and methods The investigations were performed in 2002 in Villányi Hills (Fig.1). Villányi Hills is Hungary's southernmost mountain range, streatchig out for 27 kilometres from the east to he west, its highest peak rising to 442 m. Two of its hills, Fekete-Hill and Szársomlyó Hill are strictly protected conservation areas. Its climate has submediterranean character. The sampling areas were plateau loctions or slopes with southern exposure, within natural or semi-natural habitats, at altitudes varying between 200 and 400 metres a.s.l. The studies were performed in 9 different arid locations of Villányi Hills. The various habitats were categorized according to HGHC, the Hungarian General Habitat Classification system (FEKETE et al. 1997) (Table 1). For the purposes of sampling, we used 200 ml plastic glasses as Barber pitfall traps. They had diameter of 8 cm and high of 12 cm and were half filled with 65 % etilen-glykol, 10%-os acetic acid and water mixed in 1:5:1 proportions, and with 1 ml of surface-active detergent added to every 1 liter of solution. A total of 330 (3x110) traps were laid out for three successive sessions (in the first week of April, first week of June, and the third week of September), and were operated for an average of three weeks during each period. In the particular areas traps were positioned in line transects at distances of 10 or 15 m, with varying number of traps (Nagy-Hill: 15; Tenkes: 15; Köves-máj plateau: 10; Köves-máj slope: 10; Csukma: 15; Fekete-Hill: 15; Szársomlyó edge: 10; Szársomlyó rocky grassland: 10; Szársomyó ridge: 10). As concluded from earlier studies (SZINETÁR and LAJOS 2000), in spring such a sampling period was selected that the ground-dwelling spider fauna was still well represented, but the protected Nemesia pannonica population suffered only minimal loss due to trapping. Specimens were separated under laboratory conditions, and were conserved in 70% ethanol. For taxonomic determination the works by LOKSA (1969, 1972); HEIMER and NENTWIG (1991); ROBERTS (1995); SZITA and SAMU (2000); and WUNDERLICH (1991) were used. For naming the species we followed the nomenclature used by PLATNICK (1997, 2004), and our data were collated with the current checklist for Hungary (SAMU and SZINETÁR 1999). Results and discussion Altogether 732 spiders were collected, belonging to 21 families, 44 genera and 65 species (104 females, 382 males, 246 juvenilies) (Table 2.). Certain species were trapped only in small numbers. This can have two explanations. Either the particular ground-dwelling species is rare in the area or it lives on vegetation rather than on the ground and therefore its trappability with pitfall traps is quite incidental. To be able to differentiate between these two possible causes, we also indicated life form types for each species. Based on their life forms the species were classified into 3 categories: ground-dwelling species, grounddwelling and herb layer life forms, herb layer species (JEDLICKOVÁ 1988, ROBERTS 1995, BUCHAR 1992, LOKSA 1969, 1972). Although the category „Synanthropic" is not a type of life form, but the occurrence of such species is again incidental in pitfall traps, therefore we deal with this category also here. Another advantage of indicating categories is that it makes it easier to compare species lists compiled by various authors. Table 1. Habitat types of the studyed areas in the Villányi Hills; codes are according to the Hungarian General Habitat Classification (HGHC). № Localities HGHC code Habitats 1. Nagy Hill H3 Grassy steppe slopes and forest-steppe meadows 2. Tenkes Hill H4 Stabilized meso-xeric clearings and grasslands 3. Köves-máj plateau M1 Bushy woodland of pubescent oak 4. Köves-máj slope H4 Stabilized meso-xeric clearings and grasslands 5. Csukma Hill H3 Grassy steppe slopes and forest-steppe meadows 6. Fekete Hill H1 Closed rocky grassland 7. Szársomlyó edge P2 Forested areas with spontaneous bushy growth 8. Szársomlyó rocky grass H1 Closed rocky grassland 9. Szársomlyó plateau M1 Bushy woodland of pubescent oak