Two spider species new to Czechia found in South Moravia

Scientists in South Moravia have found two spider species previously unknown in Czechia. The finds were made in the Trkmanec–Rybníčky area near Rakvice, a wetland with high salinity where rare salt-loving plants grow.

A jumping spider from neighbouring Austria

The first newcomer is the jumping spider Attulus inexpectus. It was recognised as a separate species back in 1997, when it was distinguished from the very similar Attulus rupicola. While its relative lives mainly on rocks and under stones in the subalpine zone, Attulus inexpectus prefers lowlands near water, coastal habitats and inland salt marshes. Researchers observed two females of this species at Trkmanec.

The nearest known site lies by Lake Neusiedl in Austria, more than 120 kilometres away. According to arachnologist Eva Líznarová of the Institute of Botany and Zoology at the Faculty of Science of Masaryk University, it is a medium-sized spider, so it is unlikely to have simply gone unnoticed until now.

Another rare species in the same samples

The second species new to the country is Crustulina sticta, a rare spider associated with wetlands and peat bogs. Its presence has been confirmed in all neighbouring countries, but it had not yet been documented in Czechia. Líznarová noted that the species could have been expected here, but it is still remarkable that a single monitoring effort added two spider species to the Czech fauna at once.

In the same samples, the scientists also confirmed the presence of the critically endangered spider Entelecara omissa. It had previously been known in Czechia only from the Lednice ponds, where it was recorded in 1999. This underlines the importance of the Trkmanec–Rybníčky area.

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Around Prague, based on reporting by ekolist.cz