Arachnologische Mitteilungen 57

Arachnologische Mitteilungen / Arachnology Letters 57: 26-30 Karlsruhe, April 2019 Assisted by human activities, e.g., global trade and tourism, an increasing number of species are able to reach and colonize areas outside their native distribution. Many spider species are known to be successful alien colonizers (Kobelt & Nent- wig 2008, Levi 1967, Nentwig 2015) and today a large num- ber of non-native spider species have become established in Central Europe, several of them with Mediterranean origins (Blick et al. 2016). Their number is constantly rising (Bauer et al. 2016, Hänggi & Straub 2016, Huber et al. 2017) and although their impact to date seems limited (Nentwig 2015, Blick et al. 2016) a close monitoring of non-native species in general should be pursued (e.g., Toft 2018a). Also, non- native species often behave in unpredictable and surprising ways, and sometimes become invasive decades after their in- troduction (Aikio et al. 2010, Allendorf & Lundquist 2003, Wittenberg & Cock 2001). However, the biology and natural history of the majority of spider species is less known, even often for synanthropic species with possible medical relevan- ce (e.g., Dolejš & Hanko 2018). Life history traits and es- pecially ontogenetic development can significantly contribute to the understanding of mechanisms underlying an invasion (Sakai et al. 2001) or natural extension of their distribution (Krehenwinkel &Tautz 2013). Also, life history traits are fre- quently used in cladistic analyses (e.g., Polotow et al. 2015) or can corroborate a proposed classification (Bauer et al. 2018). Life history traits can also inform about the structure of com- munities beyond classical species diversity measures (e.g., Schirmel et al. 2012). Paratrachelas maculatus (Thorell, 1875) was originally de- scribed from the Crimean Peninsula in Eastern Europe (Tho- rell 1875) and was first recorded from Austria and Germany in 2010 and 2011 respectively (Bauer & Grabolle 2012). Two additional records from more recent years were published in Bauer & Höfer (2017). Recently, new records of this species from Austria and Germany became known, including a gra- vid female that produced three egg sacs in captivity. Based on these results, the species has to be considered as established in Central Europe. The aim of this work is to present the, as yet unknown, egg sac and clutch of P. maculatus together with some new records from Germany and Austria. Material and methods Specimens of P. maculatus were encountered by chance and collected in residential buildings. In one case, a female spe- cimen was transferred to a small plastic tube (10×5 cm) with black sand as a substrate and a dry leaf for hiding. It was fed ad libitum with feeder crickets [ Acheta domestica (Linnaeus, 1758)] of 2–4 mm length and kept at room temperature. Pro- duced egg sacs were removed about a week after deposition. After the third egg sac the female stopped hunting for crickets and was subsequently transferred to 75% ethanol for conserva- tion to avoid loss or damage to the specimen by feeder insects or dehydration following a possibly unnoticed natural death. All material is deposited in the arachnological collection of the State Museum of Natural History Karlsruhe (SMNK-ARA). The record map was created with SimpleMappr (Shorthouse 2010). Photographs of the eggs and egg sac were made with Software “Automontage” (Syncroscopy, Cambridge, UK) and a Leica DFC 495 Digital camera, connected to a Leica Z6 APO (Leica Microsystems, Wetzlar, Germany). Coordinates (WGS 84) are given in decimal degrees. Results Family Trachelidae Paratrachelas maculatus (Thorell, 1875) (Fig. 1) Material examined. AUSTRIA: 1 ♀ (SMNK-ARA 15992), 29.X.2018, Vienna (48.1611°N, 16.3127°E), in a house, leg. E. Derschmidt, det. T. Bauer. GERMANY: 1 ♀ + opened egg sac (SMNK-ARA 15997), 16.XI.2018, Baden-Württemberg, Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen, Marbacher Straße 5 (48.8307°N, 9.1757°E), in a bathroom, leg. & det. T. Bauer; 1 ♀ (SMNK-ARA 15021), 13.IX.2017, Baden-Württemberg, Stutensee-Blankenloch (49.0622°N, 8.4731°E), cellar of a house, leg. & det. S. Bayer. Determination. Mikhailov (1987), Kovblyuk & Nadolny (2009), Bosselaers et al. (2009). Description of the egg sac of Paratrachelas maculatus, with notes on its establishment in urban regions of Germany and Austria (Araneae: Trachelidae) Tobias Bauer, Steffen Bayer, Eckhart Derschmidt & Hubert Höfer doi: 10.30963/aramit5705 Abstract. The as yet unknown egg sac and clutch of Paratrachelas maculatus (Thorell, 1875) is described together with new records of the species from Germany and Austria. The flat, lens-like egg sacs contained 5 to 7 eggs, each approximately 0.75 mm in diameter, and were camouflaged with substrate by the female. Based on known records and locations, the species is most probably established in urban regions of Central Europe. Keywords: alien, Central Europe, distribution, natural history, reproduction Zusammenfassung . Beschreibung des Eikokons von Paratrachelas maculatus (Araneae: Trachelidae) mit Anmerkungen zur Eta- blierung der Art in urbanen Gebieten Deutschlands und Österreichs. Der bisher unbekannte Eikokon und das Gelege von Paratra- chelas maculatus (Thorell, 1875) werden zusammen mit neuen Nachweisen der Art aus Deutschland und Österreich beschrieben. Die flachen, linsenförmigen Eikokons enthielten 5 bis 7 Eier mit jeweils etwa 0,75 mm Durchmesser und wurde vomWeibchen mit Substrat getarnt. Basierend auf der bekannten Verbreitung und den Fundorten ist die Art sehr wahrscheinlich in urbanen Regionen Mitteleuropas etabliert. Tobias Bauer, Steffen Bayer, Hubert Höfer, Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde Karlsruhe, Erbprinzenstr. 13, 76133 Karlsruhe, Germany; E-mail: tobias.bauer@smnk.de , steffen.bayer@smnk.de , hubert.hoefer@smnk.de Eckhart Derschmidt, Stammgasse 6/5, 1030 Vienna, Austria submitted 6.11.2018, accepted 12.1.2019, online 20.2.2019