Spiders of the Skäralid Gorge, southernmost Sweden

The spider fauna of the Skäralid Gorge, in southernmost Sweden, was investigated in 1994 and 1995. Nine stations in partially different biotopes were sampled with pitfall traps. Trees, bushes and cliffs were also investigated by various methods. The slopes and screes are sparsely populated. However, in most biotopes diversity is rather high. On the northern slopes and in the bottom of the gorge some cold-adapted northern species are found. In the rather dark, shaded and, moist bottom of the gorge live typical forest species, including some rare spiders such as Robertus neglectus, Lepthyphantes angulatus, Diplocentria bidentata and Coelotes atropos. The sunny slopes have the most interesting spider fauna, with rich populations of Atypus affinis, Pardosa alacris, Liocranum rupicola, Zelotes subterraneus, Scotina celans, and Sitticus pubescens. Three species of Pardosa lugubris s.l. live in Skäralid: P. lugubris s.s. in the shaded, forested parts, P. saltans on partially shaded slopes and P. alacris in sunnier and stonier parts of the southern slopes. On trees and bushes on the slopes some thermophilous species can be found, such as Araniella inconspicua.