Diversity of hypogean spiders in the Canary Islands

Abstract

The inhabitable terrestrial subterranean environment in the Canary Islands covers a high proportion of the total area, including several habitats such as lava tubes and other types of volcanic caves, the deep network of cracks and voids, the mesovoid shallow substratum and pyroclast deposits. Their extension and their frequently interconnected spaces allow the presence of a diversity of adapted species (troglobionts). All these species are Canarian endemics, and each island except Lanzarote have their own exclusive ones. After beetles, spiders are the richest arthropod group in troglobionts within the archipelago: 39 species belonging to 9 different families. A list of the troglobiont spiders from the archipelago is provided herein, some relevant features on the different families occurring underground are commented, and a comparison of this fauna with that of other oceanic archipelagos is made. Finally, the current threats affecting these species as well as their conservation status in the Canary Islands are discussed.