Tanasevitch A.V., Rybalov L.B. 2015. Fauna and distribution of spiders (Aranei) of the arctic tundra in northern Yamal Peninsula, Russia // Arthropoda Selecta. Vol.24. No.2: 215–230 [in English].
Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky Prospect 33, Moscow 119071, Russia. E-mail: tanasevitch@gmail.com ; lrybalov52@mail.ru
KEY WORDS: Spiders, Arctic, arctic tundra, chorology, Yamal Peninsula.
ABSTRACT. Thirty five spider species are recorded from the arctic tundra of northern Yamal Peninsula, of which eight are new to the Yamal fauna: Arcterigone pilifrons (L. Koch, 1879), Hilaira nivalis Holm, 1937, Mecynargus tundricola Eskov, 1988, Mughiphantes sobrius (Thorell, 1872), Paraglyphesis polaris Eskov, 1991, Perro polaris (Eskov, 1986), Semljicola simplex (Kulczy?ski, 1908) and Silometopoides pampia (Chamberlin, 1948). Of them, the Yamal records of the three latest species represent the westernmost limit of their known distribution. In terms of regional composition, the spider fauna of northern Yamal is indeed Siberian, which sets it apart from the fauna of southern Yamal containing significantly more European elements. In zonal terms, the araneofauna of northern Yamal has an arctic appearance and contains only two polyzonal elements, with the rest of species displaying arctic, arcto-alpine or arcto-boreal distributional patterns. Despite the most pessimal environmental conditions, the zonal tundra communities yield a comparable number of species to that of intrazonal biotopes which are characterized by a significantly smoother gradient of climatic factors. Most species of local, arctic tundra populations are polytopic or eurytopic, i.e. the species inhabiting the entire landscape profile and all/most of the vegetation types, showing no preference to a specific landscape element or a plant community. Only two species could be characterized as typical zonal elements: arctic Halorates spetsbergensis (Thorell, 1872) and Xysticus albidus Grese, 1909; and five species as typical intrazonal elements: Bathyphantes humilis (L. Koch, 1879), Hilaira incondita (L. Koch, 1879), H. proletaria (L. Koch, 1879), Pelecopsis parallela (Wider, 1834) and Silometopoides pampia (Chamberlin, 1948).