Standardised inventories of spiders (Arachnida, Araneae) of Macaronesia III: dry habitats of Cabo Verde Archipelago (São Vicente and Santo Antão)

• Main Author: Crespo, Luís
• Publication Date: 2024
• Other Authors: Cardoso, Pedro, Malumbres-Olarte, Jagoba, Pereira, Fernando, Romeiras, Maria M., Ros Prieto, Alejandra, Rigal, François, Borges, Paulo A. V.
• Format: Article
• Language: eng
• Source: Repositórios Científicos de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (RCAAP)
• Download full: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.3/7239
• topic: Arthropoda; Atlantic Ocean; Shrubland Habitat; Island Endemics; Introduced Species; COBRA Protocol

Background With this publication, we contribute to the knowledge of the arachnofauna of Cabo Verde, focusing specifically on the Islands of Santo Antão and São Vicente. Data were obtained from samples collected as part of the project "Macaronesian Islands as a testing ground to assess biodiversity drivers at multiple scales" (FCT - MACDIV, 2015-2018). This project aimed to identify the factors influencing community assembly in Macaronesian islands. For the Cabo Verde Islands, we focused on dry habitats with the additional aim to revise the aracnofauna of this poorly-known fauna. We applied the COBRA (Conservation Oriented Biodiversity Rapid Assessment) sampling protocol in ten 50 m x 50 m dry shrub plots, with five on each of the two islands, using pitfall traps, sweep-netting and active search. Additional ad-hoc samples were also collected and reported. New information Our sampling of spiders from Cabo Verde (Santo Antão and São Vicente) yielded a total of 3,368 specimens, of which 1300 (39%) were adults. T