Spiders ( Araneae ) from the Panský diel ( Starohorské vrchy Mts , Slovakia )

Spiders were collected at the massif 'Panský diel' near the city of Banská Bystrica (Central Slovakia). We recorded 252 spider species for the territory and one new species for Slovakia. Although the summit reaches an altitude of 1.100 m a.s.l., more or less thermophilous species apparently prevail here, especially at lower moderate sites. On the other hand, only several typical oreophilous species were documented. Many recorded species are scarce or even very rare. This indicates the very high value of this territory from both a genetic and an environmental perspective.

Banská Bystrica is a regional capital situated directly in the centre of Slovakia among mountainous terrain.Detailed research on spiders of this region was carried out by Svatoň in the 1970s, especially on the Urpín hill situated adjacent to the suburban area (SVATOŇ 1985).The author mentioned many rare, largely thermophilous spider species, including several new records for the Slovakian fauna.The spider fauna of the rest of this territory including the Panský diel Mt is, however, almost unknown.Our major study area belongs to the network of protected sites of the European Union member states -NATURA 2000 (Council Directive 92/43/EEC) and is noted in the 'List of sites of Community Importance' (Regulation of Ministry of environment SR No. 3/2004-5.1).The final NATURA 2000 network of sites covers the most valuable areas and investigation of their spider faunas should be included in future ecological assessments.Therefore we aimed to fill this gap in the data and to improve our knowledge of spiders within this heterogeneous and remarkable territory.
The limestone massif of Panský diel is more or less horseshoe-shaped.The left, western branch is a ridge of the Baranovo Mt, while the right, eastern branch is a prominent peak of the Panský diel Mt itself.A south ridge is of the Hrádok Mt.The Sásovská valley is enclosed between these two branches.Research was carried out almost in the whole area, but focussed on the following five main sites (abbreviations are also used in the text and in Tab.1): JSS -Jakub Study Site: xerothermic grasslands, pastures and shrubby slopes with altitudes between 400-500 m a.s.l.This study site include the protected site 'Jakub' belonging to a large protected area of Low Tatras National Park (48° 45' 51" N, 19 °08' 40" E).B -Baranovo, a steep prevailingly wooded area of older to ancient deciduous forests (beech, oak, hornbeam; maple and lime trees on the rocky places) with altitudes between 500-700 m a.s.l.The nature reserve 'Baranovo' was established in 1993 in the rocky branch valley approximately in the middle of the SW slope (48° 46' 48" N, 19 °08' 15" E).Unfortunately, the greater part of this area is outside the protected territory.A remarkable habitat of forest stream and a marsh with moss pillows occurs locally between JSS and the Baranovo Nature Reserve.Pd -Panský diel, the highest part of the examined territory with an altitude of 1,100 m a.s.l.(48° 47' 55" N, 19 °08' 55" E).Habitats: mountain beech and mixed forests with spruce and fir, mesophilous and semi-xerophilous meadows.Sv -Sásovská valley with an altitudes between 400-950 m a. s. l.Habitats: shady deciduous forests, littoral zone of a brook, xerothermic grasslands and pastures in the lower altitudes and suburban environments (48° 46' 50" N, 19 °09' 24" E).ŠD -Špania Dolina with an altitude of 710 m a.s.l.An old mountain mining village on the NW slopes of the Panský diel Mt.Habitats: mountain beech and mixed forests and meadows.The vegetation along the forest roads and ski tracks are locally ruderalised.A very remarkable habitat of forest marsh is situated close to the tourist path below the Šachtička saddle (48° 48' 12" N, 19 °08' 39" E).This site is only small and currently threatened by eutrophic succession.

Results
There were 252 spider species collected in the studied territory and one species, Sibianor tantulus was recorded for the first time from Slovakia.Although it is a mountain area, predominantly covered by forest and reaching 1,100 m a.s.l., thermophilous species made up nearly 35%, while oreophilous species were represented by less than 10% (Fig. 1).Mesophilous species from temperate environments were quite prevelant (more than 55%

Conclusions
The study area includes several xerothermic sites with a high number of thermophilous species (e.g.E. aphana, E. tuberculata, E. moravicus, D. coracina, E. quinqueguttata, L. prona, P. inornatum, T. nigrovariegatum), many of them rare and only sporadically collected in the past.Altogether 11 % of the collected species are included in the Slovak spider Red List (GAJDOŠ & SVATOŇ 2001).Thermophilous species in study area represented 35 % of the collected spider fauna (Fig. 1.), which is notably high compared to the spider fauna collected in the valleys, Gaderská and Blatnická Dolina, of the Veľká Fatra Mts.This orographic unit is situated near the Starohorské vrchy Mts where SVATOŇ & GAJDOŠ (2005) reported only 16 % thermophilous species in the spider community.
From the arachnological point of view the most valuable and rare spiders in the study sites were P. orbiculatum -with its vulneability status 'critically endangered ' -C. oncognathum, D. helleri, P. inornatum and P. variana (all 'endangered') and E. tuberculata, L. prona, E. quinqueguttata, E. merens, G. vivum, H. excisa, N. sanguinolentus and M. subopaca ('vulnerable') (GAJDOŠ & SVATOŇ 2001).One species S. tantulus was collected for the first time from Slovakia.According to the originality of the habitat 55 % of the spider species are considered climax species (BUCHAR & RŮŽIČKA 2002) (Fig. 2.).The most vulnerable spiders belong to climax species of both a thermophyticum (e.g.P. inornatum, E. quinqueguttata) and oreophyticum (e.g.D. helleri, H. excisa).These indicate both types of habitats are well-preserved, and classify this area among the most interesting 'spider sites' in the Slovakia forming a valuable pool of genetic diversity.
Effective nature conservation of this territory will be neither easy nor conflict-free, because it will be necessary to deal seriously with the following problems: -progressive forest succession in many xerothermic sites (extensive sheep grazing would be the best solution); -development of intensive forestry in less-extreme slopes with all expected consequences, mainly clear-cutting and conversion of natural forests towards monocultures in the whole area; -burning the vegetation of xerothermic grasslands (fortunately, it is not so frequent here as in South Slovakia); -expansion of both cottage and suburban 'garden colonies' in the border suburban area; -conversion of meadows and woodlands into an urban environment; -expansion of ski tracks, especially in the highest part of the area (central massive of the Panský diel Mt).
(GAJDOŠ et al. 1999) occurs in warmer habitats of lower altitudes (often xerothermic), while Formica lemani occurs in mountain regions(BONDROIT 1917).u13Gongylidiellumvivum-ŠD, in the wet leaf litter on a little forest marsh below the Šachtička saddle September 3, 2005,  (Rev.J. Svatoň).A very rare species, known only from a few scattered records: MILLER (1974) mentioned the Vysoké Tatry Mts, in the wet moss of mountain forests; the further records are from the Západné Tatry Mts -Jalovecká valley(GAJDOŠ 1994); unpublished records are available from the Kysucká vrchovina Mts and the 'Považské podolie' river basin(GAJDOŠ et al. 1999).The most recent records are from Danubian alluvial forests (GAJDOŠ 1995), from the surroundings of Trenčín city in alluvial forest (GAJDOŠ 2005a) and wood spring in the eastern part of the Kozie chrbty Mts (KORENKO 2007).Oedothorax gibbifer -Pd, in the wet moss and leaf litter on a little forest marsh September 3, 2005, .A relatively rare species of wet habitats.u19 Peponocranium orbiculatum -B, same habitat as O. gibbifer, May 4, 2004,  (det.J. Svatoň); third record for Slovakia.Cyclosa oculata -JSS, swept from the xerothermic vegetation June 21, 2005,  and May 1, 2005, juvenile .A quite rare species of warmer habitats.It seems its population is slightly increasing in recent years.u25 Acantholycosa lignaria -Pd, on the log along the forest road July 3, 2005, .It occurs sporadically, but sometimes often in open older forests of higher altitudes.In several Red Lists it is ranked among the currently threatened species.whole examined territory.It contrasts markedly with the note of MILLER (1971) "occurs very rarely in mountain and submountain forests under stones and timber".Its population has apparently been increasing during the last two decades.u28 on the forest edge June 14, 2005, .A rare species, known from approximately 20 records mainly from higher altitudes.u38 Xysticus ninnii -B, July 7, 2005,  and JSS, July 4, 2005,  + 3 .A relatively rare species of warmer habitats.Spiders of the Panský diel massif.Sites: JSS -Jakub Study Site, B -Baranovo hill, Pd -Panský diel hill, Sd -Sásovská valley, ŠD -Špania Dolina village and surroundings; 1/2 -one male and two females were collected, -/1j -one juvenile female, 1/: -one male was collected, but more individuals were registered and left, u -detailed data are supplemented in the text.Originality of habitat: cl -climax, sn -semi-natural, di -disturbed, ar -artificial.Thermo-preference: Tthermophyticum, M -mesophyticum, O -oreophyticum; bold printing marks the preference, brackets mark exceptional records.V (Vulnerability): Sk -Slovak Republic, Cz -Czech Republic; CR -critically endangered, EN -endangered, VU -vulnerable, DD -data deficiency, LR -lower risk, LC -(lower risk) least concern, NT -(lower risk) near threatened.