The results of a recent collection effort on the island of Seili (located in the Archipelago Sea, off the southwest coast of Finland in the Baltic Sea, Swedish name Själö) are reported herein. Out of 709 specimens collected at two sites using four different collection methods, 173 were adults (26 males, 147 females) and identifiable to species-level, resulting in 33 species from 13 families, including five species newly reported from the island. A male of Cheiracanthium punctorium (Villers, 1789), separately collected at a different place, represents the first record of this species in Finland and its northernmost record across its whole known range. An updated list of spider species reported from Seili (215 species from 25 families) is included as an appendix.
Die Ergebnisse einer kürzlich durchgeführten Sammelaktion auf der Insel Seili (im Schärenmeer südwestlich der finnischen Südostküste in der Ostsee gelegen, schwedischer Name Själö) werden vorgestellt. Von 709 gesammelten Exemplaren von zwei Orten, gesammelt mit verschiedenen Methoden, waren 179 adult (26 Männchen, 147 Weibchen) und auf Artniveau bestimmbar. 33 Arten aus 13 Familien, darunter fünf Erstnachweise für die Insel, wurden erfasst. Ein Männchen von Cheiracanthium punctorium (Villers, 1789), gesondert an einer anderen Stelle gesammelt, stellt den Erstnachweis für Finnland und den nördlichsten Nachweis der Art insgesamt dar. Eine aktualisierte Artenliste der Spinnen von Seili (215 Arten aus 25 Familien) wird in einem Appendix präsentiert.
Saaristomerellä sijaitsevan Seilin (Själö) saarella hiljattain tehdyn hämähäkkikeräyksen tulokset esitetään tässä. Kahdelta tutkimuspaikalta kerättiin neljällä eri menetelmällä 709 hämähäkkiyksilöä, joista 173 aikuista (26 koirasta ja 147 naarasta) voitiin määrittää lajitasolle. Tuloksena oli 33 lajia 13 heimosta; näistä viisi lajia on uusia Seilin saarelle. Erikseen saarelta kerätty lajin Cheiracanthium punctorium (Villers, 1789) koirasyksilö on ensimmäinen havainto lajista Suomesta ja pohjoisin löytö koko leveinneisyysalueelta. Julkaisun liitteenä on Seilin saarelta löydettyjen hämähäkkilajien luettelo (215 lajia 25 heimosta).
The island of Seili (Swedish name Själö) is a small Finnish island (ca. 1.6 km2 in area) situated in the middle zone of the Archipelago Sea (part of the Baltic Sea) and belongs to the hemiboreal (“oak forest”) area of Finland. Since 1964, the Archipelago Research Institute of the University of Turku has been active here. Although its main research theme is long-term monitoring and modelling of the marine environment, it also provides a base for terrestrial research and teaching.
Although the spider fauna of Seili has not been thoroughly investigated, data from scattered studies – of which research on cliff spiders by Häkkilä (1986) is worth mentioning – and from various collecting efforts is accessible from the spider database of the Zoological Museum of the University of Turku. Miettinen (1997) compiled a report on the wildlife and natural properties of the island of Seili in which he provided a list of spider species, mainly on the basis of data from the above-mentioned work by Häkkilä (1986) and museum collections. The known Seili spider fauna includes some rare and relatively interesting species, including the wasp spider Argiope bruennichi (Scopoli, 1772), the rare linyphiid Abiskoa abiskoensis (Holm, 1945) and a few species included in the Red List of Finnish spiders, namely Aulonia albimana (Walckenaer, 1805), Brommella falcigera (Balogh, 1935), Jacksonella falconeri (Jackson, 1908), Micaria formicaria (Sundevall, 1831), Titanoeca spominima (Taczanowski, 1866) and Zelotes exiguus (Müller & Schenkel, 1895) (Pajunen et al. 2019, also see ‘Appendix’).
In this paper, we present the results of a recent collection effort in the island of Seili in 2022, report a species new to the Finnish fauna and provide an updated list of spider species known from Seili, including five species new to the fauna of the island.
Material and methods
Spiders, and other invertebrates, were collected at two locations on the island of Seili during 18.–20. Jul. and 25.–27. Jul. 2022, as a part of the Terrestrial Invertebrate Ecology field course held at the University of Turku. The first location was a one-hectare area in a heath forest (60.2428°N, 21.9592°E; 10–15 m a.s.l.), in which the principal vascular plant species were blueberry (Vaccinium myrtillus), pine (Pinus sylvestris) and spruce (Picea abies). The second location was a one-hectare area in a broadleaf woodland (60.2347°N, 21.9664°E; 10–15 m a.s.l.), in which the principal vascular plant species were common hazel (Corylus avellana), small-leaved linden (Tilia cordata) and wood bluegrass (Poa nemoralis).
Apart from a single hand-collected specimen, the rest of the material was collected using the methods detailed below:
1) Heath forest (18.–20. Jul.): Six sets of ten sweeps of the herbaceous layer with sweeping nets, five sets of shaking ten branches inside the sweeping net, eight sets of sieving detritus, five pitfall traps.
2) Broadleaf woodland (18.–20. Jul.): Six sets of shaking ten branches inside the sweeping net, seven sets of sieving detritus, five pitfall traps.
3) Heath forest (25.–27. Jul.): Six sets of ten sweeps of the herbaceous layer with sweeping nets, six sets of shaking ten branches inside the sweeping net, four sets of sieving detritus, six pitfall traps.
4) Broadleaf woodland (25.–27. Jul.): Six sets of shaking ten branches inside the sweeping net, four sets of sieving detritus, five pitfall traps.
The collecting was systematically randomized within the area to cover it more evenly. Sweeping nets were medium-sized standard nets. One branch was shaken per tree (pine or spruce in the heath forest, common hazel or small-leaved linden in the broadleaf woodland). A square of 0.25 m2 was used for each set of sieving and the detritus was sieved three times through a medium-sized sieve. The pitfall traps were planted on the starting date and removed on ending date; each cup, with an upper diameter of 6.5 cm, was accompanied with a rain cover and filled with 70% denatured alcohol. All of the specimens were preserved in 70% denatured alcohol and deposited in the Zoological Museum of the University of Turku (ZMUT). The specimens were identified by the second author, using the keys and illustrations provided in Nentwig et al. (2022).
The specimen of Cheiracanthium punctorium was photographed using a Canon EOS 7D camera attached to an Olympus SZX16 stereomicroscope. Digital images were montaged using CombineZP and edited using Photoshop.
Results
A total 709 specimens were collected at the two aforementioned sites (Tab. 1), out of which 173 were adults (26 males, 147 females) and identifiable to the species-level, resulting in 33 species from 13 families (Tab. 2).
Additionally, a single specimen was collected separately and at a different location from those listed above, and represents a new record for the Finnish fauna:
Tab. 1:
The total numbers of specimens collected using each method; A = Heath forest (18.–20. Jul. 2022); B = Broadleaf woodland (18.–20. Jul. 2022); C = Heath forest (25.–27. Jul. 2022); D = Broadleaf woodland (25.–27. Jul. 2022)
![img-z2-9_29.gif](ContentImages/Journals/argl/64/1/aramit6404/graphic/WebImages/img-z2-9_29.gif)
Cheiracanthiidae
Cheiracanthium punctorium (Villers, 1789) (Fig. 1a-d)
Material examined. FINLAND, Varsinais-Suomi: 1 ♂(ZMUT), Parainen, Seili, 60.2393°N, 21.9608°E, 10–15 m a.s.l., 16.–17. Jul. 2022 (leg. K. Ruohomäki, det. E. M. Österman, conf. A. Zamani).
Description. See Almquist (2006).
Collection method. This specimen was collected as a by-catch from one of several light traps for moths that had been set up for approximately 24 h. The light traps were located within one hectare in which all but one were located in a grassy heath forest, with the remaining light trap located on a nearby rocky meadow.
Distribution. Western Palaearctic (World Spider Catalog 2022). In northern Europe it has been recorded from Sweden (the island of Öland) and the Baltic states (Almquist 2006, Biteniekytie & Relys 2011, Cera 2018). The current material is the first record of the species from Finland, and its northernmost record across its known range.
Medical significance. Although C. punctorium is capable of causing very painful human envenomations, often resulting in an immediate burning sensation that may last for a few hours, reports of such cases are rare and often written in local languages, for local people and local practitioners (e.g. Krumpálová 1997, Chalupský 2011), despite the widespread and expanding distribution of this species in Europe (Nentwig et al. 2013, Varl et al. 2017). In most cases only local symptoms (pain, swelling, redness) have been reported, with a mild dermonecrosis developing on very rare occasions (Vetter et al. 2006).
Tab. 2:
List of species recorded at the two collection sites (heath forest and broadleaf woodland) on the island of Seili. Species new to the fauna of the island are marked with an asterisk
![img-z2-21_29.gif](ContentImages/Journals/argl/64/1/aramit6404/graphic/WebImages/img-z2-21_29.gif)
Conclusions
The material collected during this field course contained mainly common species. Besides C. punctorium, which is a new record for Finland, only the record of the crab spider Diaea dorsata is somewhat interesting, as it is a southern, rarely collected and apparently spreading species in Finland that was recently removed from the Red List of Finnish spiders (Koponen et al. 2013, Pajunen et al. 2019). However, apart from these two species, Cyclosa conica, Panamomops mengei, Philodromus collinus and Tetragnatha obtusa are also new for the list of Seili spiders, which now comprises 215 species from 25 families (Appendix). This, as well as the large number of common species absent from the list, shows the need for further arachnological research in Seili. The number of reported species is about a third of what is currently known for the whole of Finland (Koponen et al. 2016).
Acknowledgments
We thank Kai Ruohomäki (Turku, Finland) for providing the data presented in Tab. 1, participants of the field course for their active efforts in collecting, identifying and sorting the specimens, and Petr Dolejš (Prague, Czech Republic), Jan Dolanský (Pardubice, Czech Republic), Varpu Vahtera (Turku, Finland) and an anonymous reviewer for their constructive comments and suggestions on the manuscript.
References
Appendices
Appendix.
List of spider species known from the island of Seili, compiled from the spider database of the Zoological Museum of the University of Turku, Kronestedt (1990), Miettinen (1997) and the results of the present paper.
Agelenidae
Tegenaria domestica (Clerck, 1757)
Amaurobiidae
Amaurobius fenestralis (Ström, 1768)
Anyphaenidae
Anyphaena accentuata (Walckenaer, 1802)
Araneidae
Araneus diadematus Clerck, 1757
Araneus marmoreus Clerck, 1757
Araneus quadratus Clerck, 1757
Araneus sturmi (Hahn, 1831)
Araniella cucurbitina (Clerck, 1757)
Argiope bruennichi (Scopoli, 1772)
Cercidia prominens (Westring, 1851)
Cyclosa conica (Pallas, 1772)
Gibbaranea omoeda (Thorell, 1870)
Larinioides cornutus (Clerck, 1757)
Larinioides patagiatus (Clerck, 1757)
Leviellus stroemi (Thorell, 1870)
Cheiracanthiidae
Cheiracanthium punctorium (Villers, 1789)
Clubionidae
Clubiona comta C. L. Koch, 1839
Clubiona frutetorum L. Koch, 1867
Clubiona lutescens Westring, 1851
Clubiona neglecta O. P.-Cambridge, 1862
Clubiona pallidula (Clerck, 1757)
Clubiona stagnatilis Kulczyński, 1897
Clubiona subsultans Thorell, 1875
Cybaeidae
Cryphoeca silvicola (C. L. Koch, 1834)
Dictynidae
Brommella falcigera (Balogh, 1935)
Dictyna arundinacea (Linnaeus, 1758)
Dictyna pusilla Thorell, 1856
Lathys heterophthalma Kulczyński, 1891
Gnaphosidae
Callilepis nocturna (Linnaeus, 1758)
Drassodes cupreus (Blackwall, 1834)
Drassodes pubescens (Thorell, 1856)
Drassodes villosus (Thorell, 1856)
Drassyllus praeficus (L. Koch, 1866)
Drassyllus pumilus (C. L. Koch, 1839)
Gnaphosa bicolor (Hahn, 1833)
Gnaphosa montana (L. Koch, 1866)
Gnaphosa muscorum (L. Koch, 1866)
Haplodrassus signifer (C. L. Koch, 1839)
Haplodrassus soerenseni (Strand, 1900)
Haplodrassus umbratilis (L. Koch, 1866)
Micaria formicaria (Sundevall, 1831)
Micaria nivosa L. Koch, 1866
Micaria pulicaria s.str. (Sundevall, 1831)
Micaria silesiaca L. Koch, 1875
Zelotes clivicola (L. Koch, 1870)
Zelotes exiguus (Müller & Schenkel, 1895)
Zelotes latreillei (Simon, 1878)
Zelotes longipes (L. Koch, 1866)
Zelotes petrensis (C. L. Koch, 1839)
Zelotes subterraneus (C. L. Koch, 1833)
Hahniidae
Hahnia nava (Blackwall, 1841)
Hahnia ononidum Simon, 1875
Hahnia pusilla C. L. Koch, 1841
Linyphiidae
Abacoproeces saltuum (L. Koch, 1872)
Abiskoa abiskoensis (Holm, 1945)
Agyneta conigera (O. P.-Cambridge, 1863)
Agyneta ramosa Jackson, 1912
Agyneta rurestris (C. L. Koch, 1836)
Agyneta subtilis (O. P.-Cambridge, 1863)
Anguliphantes angulipalpis (Westring, 1851)
Bathyphantes nigrinus (Westring, 1851)
Bathyphantes parvulus (Westring, 1851)
Bolyphantes alticeps (Sundevall, 1833)
Centromerus arcanus (O. P.-Cambridge, 1873)
Centromerus incilium (L. Koch, 1881)
Centromerus sylvaticus (Blackwall, 1841)
Ceratinella brevis (Wider, 1834)
Dicymbium nigrum (Blackwall, 1834)
Diplocentria bidentata (Emerton, 1882)
Diplocephalus picinus (Blackwall, 1841)
Diplostyla concolor (Wider, 1834)
Dismodicus elevatus (C. L. Koch, 1838)
Drapetisca socialis (Sundevall, 1833)
Entelecara acuminata (Wider, 1834)
Entelecara congenera (O. P.-Cambridge, 1879)
Erigone dentigera O. P.-Cambridge, 1874
Erigonella hiemalis (Blackwall, 1841)
Evansia merens O. P.-Cambridge, 1901
Gongylidium rufipes (Linnaeus, 1758)
Helophora insignis (Blackwall, 1841)
Improphantes decolor (Westring, 1861)
Incestophantes crucifer (Menge, 1866)
Jacksonella falconeri (Jackson, 1908)
Kaestneria dorsalis (Wider, 1834)
Lepthyphantes leprosus (Ohlert, 1865)
Lepthyphantes minutus (Blackwall, 1833)
Linyphia tenuipalpis Simon, 1884
Linyphia triangularis (Clerck, 1757)
Macrargus carpenteri (O. P.-Cambridge, 1895)
Macrargus rufus (Wider, 1834)
Maro minutus O. P.-Cambridge, 1907
Maso sundevalli (Westring, 1851)
Metopobactrus prominulus (O. P.-Cambridge, 1873)
Micrargus apertus (O. P.-Cambridge, 1871)
Micrargus herbigradus (Blackwall, 1854)
Microlinyphia pusilla (Sundevall, 1830)
Microneta viaria (Blackwall, 1841)
Minyriolus pusillus (Wider, 1834)
Moebelia penicillata (Westring, 1851)
Neriene clathrata (Sundevall, 1830)
Neriene montana (Clerck, 1757)
Obscuriphantes obscurus (Blackwall, 1841)
Oedothorax agrestis (Blackwall, 1853)
Oedothorax apicatus (Blackwall, 1850)
Oedothorax gibbosus (Blackwall, 1841)
Palliduphantes pallidus (O. P.-Cambridge, 1871)
Panamomops mengei Simon, 1926
Pelecopsis elongata (Wider, 1834)
Pityohyphantes phrygianus (C. L. Koch, 1836)
Poeciloneta variegata (Blackwall, 1841)
Porrhomma pallidum Jackson, 1913
Porrhomma pygmaeum (Blackwall, 1834)
Silometopus ambiguus (O. P.-Cambridge, 1906)
Silometopus incurvatus (O. P.-Cambridge, 1873)
Stemonyphantes lineatus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Tapinocyba pallens (O. P.-Cambridge, 1873)
Tapinocyboides pygmaeus (Menge, 1869)
Tapinopa longidens (Wider, 1834)
Tenuiphantes alacris (Blackwall, 1853)
Tenuiphantes cristatus (Menge, 1866)
Tenuiphantes mengei (Kulczyński, 1887)
Tenuiphantes tenebricola (Wider, 1834)
Thyreosthenius parasiticus (Westring, 1851)
Trichoncus hackmani Millidge, 1955
Trichopterna cito (O. P.-Cambridge, 1873)
Troxochrota scabra Kulczyński, 1894
Troxochrus scabriculus (Westring, 1851)
Typhochrestus digitatus (O. P.-Cambridge, 1873)
Walckenaeria antica (Wider, 1834)
Walckenaeria atrotibialis (O. P.-Cambridge, 1878)
Walckenaeria capito (Westring, 1861)
Walckenaeria cucullata (C. L. Koch, 1836)
Walckenaeria cuspidata Blackwall, 1833
Walckenaeria dysderoides (Wider, 1834)
Walckenaeria nudipalpis (Westring, 1851)
Liocranidae
Agroeca cuprea Menge, 1873
Agroeca proxima (O. P.-Cambridge, 1871)
Scotina gracilipes (Blackwall, 1859)
Lycosidae
Acantholycosa lignaria (Clerck, 1757)
Alopecosa aculeata (Clerck, 1757)
Alopecosa fabrilis (Clerck, 1757)
Alopecosa pinetorum (Thorell, 1856)
Alopecosa taeniata (C. L. Koch, 1835)
Arctosa leopardus (Sundevall, 1833)
Aulonia albimana (Walckenaer, 1805)
Pardosa amentata (Clerck, 1757)
Pardosa lugubris s. str. (Walckenaer, 1802)
Pardosa monticola (Clerck, 1757)
Pardosa palustris (Linnaeus, 1758)
Pardosa prativaga (L. Koch, 1870)
Pardosa pullata (Clerck, 1757)
Pirata piraticus (Clerck, 1757)
Trochosa ruricola (De Geer, 1778)
Trochosa terricola Thorell, 1856
Xerolycosa miniata (C. L. Koch, 1834)
Xerolycosa nemoralis (Westring, 1861)
Mimetidae
Ero furcata (Villers, 1789)
Miturgidae
Zora armillata Simon, 1878
Zora spinimana (Sundevall, 1833)
Philodromidae
Philodromus aureolus (Clerck, 1757)
Philodromus cespitum (Walckenaer, 1802)
Philodromus collinus C. L. Koch, 1835
Philodromus margaritatus (Clerck, 1757)
Thanatus formicinus (Clerck, 1757)
Thanatus striatus C. L. Koch, 1845
Tibellus maritimus (Menge, 1875)
Tibellus oblongus (Walckenaer, 1802)
Phrurolithidae
Phrurolithus festivus (C. L. Koch, 1835)
Pisauridae
Pisaura mirabilis (Clerck, 1757)
Salticidae
Aelurillus v-insignitus (Clerck, 1757)
Attulus pubescens (Fabricius, 1775)
Attulus terebratus (Clerck, 1757)
Dendryphantes rudis (Sundevall, 1833)
Evarcha falcata (Clerck, 1757)
Heliophanus dubius C. L. Koch, 1835
Myrmarachne formicaria (De Geer, 1778)
Neon reticulatus (Blackwall, 1853)
Pseudeuophrys erratica (Walckenaer, 1826)
Salticus cingulatus (Panzer, 1797)
Salticus scenicus (Clerck, 1757)
Talavera petrensis (C. L. Koch, 1837)
Segestriidae
Segestria senoculata (Linnaeus, 1758)
Sparassidae
Micrommata virescens (Clerck, 1757)
Tetragnathidae
Metellina mengei (Blackwall, 1869)
Metellina merianae (Scopoli, 1763)
Metellina segmentata (Clerck, 1757)
Pachygnatha clercki Sundevall, 1823
Pachygnatha degeeri Sundevall, 1830
Pachygnatha listeri Sundevall, 1830
Tetragnatha dearmata Thorell, 1873
Tetragnatha extensa (Linnaeus, 1758)
Tetragnatha obtusa C. L. Koch, 1837
Theridiidae
Crustulina guttata (Wider, 1834)
Cryptachaea riparia (Blackwall, 1834)
Enoplognatha ovata (Clerck, 1757)
Episinus angulatus (Blackwall, 1836)
Euryopis flavomaculata (C. L. Koch, 1836)
Neottiura bimaculata (Linnaeus, 1767)
Parasteatoda lunata (Clerck, 1757)
Pholcomma gibbum (Westring, 1851)
Phylloneta impressa (L. Koch, 1881)
Phylloneta sisyphia (Clerck, 1757)
Platnickina tincta (Walckenaer, 1802)
Robertus arundineti (O. P.-Cambridge, 1871)
Robertus lividus (Blackwall, 1836)
Robertus scoticus Jackson, 1914
Steatoda bipunctata (Linnaeus, 1758)
Theridion varians Hahn, 1833
Thymoites bellissimus (L. Koch, 1879)
Thomisidae
Diaea dorsata (Fabricius, 1777)
Misumena vatia (Clerck, 1757)
Ozyptila atomaria (Panzer, 1801)
Ozyptila praticola (C. L. Koch, 1837)
Ozyptila trux (Blackwall, 1846)
Xysticus audax (Schrank, 1803)
Xysticus cristatus (Clerck, 1757)
Xysticus ulmi (Hahn, 1831)
Titanoecidae
Titanoeca spominima (Taczanowski, 1866)