Winter-active wolf spiders (Araneae: Lycosidae) in thermal habitats from western Romania

Abstract

Shores of channels with thermal water provide an adequate microclimate for maintaining wolf spiders in activity during winter. Of the spiders collected after the winter survey of 22 thermal habitats from western Romania, 93.02% were juveniles and subadults, while the remaining individuals belonged to the following seven species: Arctosa leopardus, Pardosa amentata, Pardosa proxima, Pirata piraticus, Piratula latitans, Trochosa robusta and Trochosa ruricola. The reproductive period of some species is altered under the influence of neighbouring hot waters, as revealed by the capture of females with egg sacs and spiderlings, during winter.

Keywords:

• wolf spiders
• reproduction
• winter
• hot springs
• Romania

Acknowledgements

We thank Dr Christian Komposch and the two anonymous reviewers for their helpful and constructive comments on an earlier version of the manuscript, and Professor Emeritus Steven C. Anderson (University of the Pacific Stockton, CA, USA) for improving the English of the paper. We are also grateful to Freies Europa Weltanschauung Foundation for supporting the field work; as the custodian of some protected natural areas from Romania, this foundation promotes research dedicated to the investigation of the biodiversity of Romania.