Crimean scientists have found previously unknown species of spiders for the fauna of the region

Species of spiders previously unknown for the Crimean peninsula were found by scientists who have been studying the fauna of Cape Kazantip in the eastern part of Crimea for more than 10 years. Ivan Valyukh, assistant at the Department of Zoology and Aquaculture at the Crimean Federal University named after V.I. Vernadsky, reported this to TASS.

These are five new species of spiders that were discovered during expeditions and were not previously recorded on the territory of Kazantip, and two of them — Euryopis laeta and Phycosoma inornatum — are completely new to the fauna of Crimeasaid Valyukh.

Spiders are small in size, slightly more than 2-2.5 mm, and do not pose a particular danger to humans, since due to their small size, they cannot bite through the skin. Research at Cape Kazantip in eastern Crimea has been carried out for more than 10 years. Previously, these were fragmentary studies, but now they have become more regular under the leadership of Associate Professor of the Department Nikolai Kovblyuk, author of the first catalog of spiders of Crimea.

Now there are 160 species of spiders known in Kazantip, and 605 in Crimea. The most dangerous spider for humans on the peninsula is the karakurt (“black widow”), its active period is mainly in the summer and the first half of September. It is relatively small in size (females are larger than males, the body length of females excluding limbs is about 1.5 cm, males are about 7 mm), and can inflict a fatal bite to humans. It is more common in the steppe part of Crimea, less often in the foothills, and is not found in mountain forests and on the southern coast of the peninsula.

source: TASS