THE ADVENTITIOUS SPIDER SPECIES AGELENOPSIS POTTERI (BLACKWALL, 1846) IN UKRAINE

doi.org/10.17721/1728.2748.2025.100.56-65

Abstract

Background. Due to the increasing mobility of the population, trade, fragmentation and anthropogenic transformation of natural ecosystems, adventitious species can spread to new areas quickly. It is currently possible to monitor the dynamics of distribution and monitor finds, in particular, adventitious species, using such specialized Internet resources as iNaturalist, GBIF, and UkrBin. Among the spiders of the fauna of Ukraine, Agelenopsis potteri (Blackwall, 1846) belongs to the adventitious species. It has structural features by which it can be easily identified. Based on this, the data obtained from the iNaturalist network and other similar resources are considered quite reliable, and on their basis, it is possible to create distribution maps that will reflect the current state of the species' range with fairly high accuracy. Based on information from specialized biodiversity databases, which are constantly being updated, it is possible to reliably track new locations of A. potteri findings both within a specific region and across Ukraine as a whole.

Methods. Data on the distribution of the adventitious species in Ukraine were obtained from the online biodiversity resources iNaturalist (inaturalist.org), GBIF (gbif.org), and UkrBIN (ukrbin.com) and faunal material from the collection of the Department of Ecology and Zoology was also analyzed. Data from GBIF and UkrBIN were checked by experts to prevent erroneous identification of species. In the case of iNaturalist, only research-grade records were used. In total, about 250 observations were analyzed. The initial data were collected using a standardized protocol through the management interface of the above resources. The initial data indicated the date, time, and place of collection, the username, and geographical coordinates of the finds, according to which original maps were created in the online service Google My Maps (www.google.com/maps), which were saved in PNG format. The available geographical coordinates of the finds and observations were converted to decimal degrees.

Results. As of January 2025, 250 observations of the adventitious species A. potteri have been identified in Ukraine: 128 in iNaturalist, 67 in GBIF, and 55 in UkrBIN, and corresponding maps have been created based on them. Most of the data on A. potteri in GBIF are duplicated with those from the iNaturalist network: 59 out of 67 findings coincide, which is about 88 %, the rest are data provided according to the geographical labels of faunal material indicated in scientific publications. Analysis of online biodiversity resources shows that the adventive North American species is mainly observed in urban environments, in large cities, districts and regional centers and towns, and outside urban agglomerations in non-urban settlements. The largest number of observations was found in Kyiv – 44, Rivne – 38, and Kharkiv regions, where 34 observations were recorded. In terms of geography of observations of the adventive species, the UkrBIN network demonstrates a somewhat narrower coverage of the territory of Ukraine, compared to the iNaturalist and GBIF resources. Currently, UkrBIN has no hope of registering the species in the Volyn, Zakarpattia, Zaporizhia, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kirovohrad, Lviv, Rivne, Sumy, Cherkasy and Chernihiv regions. Analysis of collection samples showed that adults occur from June to October, and peaks in numbers are recorded in August and September. When comparing phenological data from the iNaturalist network, a similar scenario of activity of sexually mature individuals is observed, the maximum values occur at the end of summer and at the beginning of autumn, and the last observations of single female specimens are dated November.

Conclusions. According to the data of iNaturalist, GBIF, UkrBIN, and literature sources, A. potteri has spread over a significant territory of Ukraine. It has been detected in 19 out of 25 administrative units of Ukraine. Currently, there is no data on its presence in a several of southern regions (Mykolaiv, Odesa, and Kherson and in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea) in Vinnytsia and Khmelnytsky regions. The probable reason for its absence in the southern regions of Ukraine may be the sensitivity of juvenile individuals to low humidity values. Since representatives of the genus Agelenopsis are not able to settle in air currents using a web, the main factor in the spread of the adventitious species across the territory of Ukraine is probably the increasing volumes of goods transportation and the extensiveness of the transport network. The species is mainly observed in urban environments, in large cities, district and regional centers and villages, and outside the urban agglomeration in nonurban settlements. In eastern Ukraine, it is a part of spider communities in nature reserves and lives in biotopes of various types. According to the iNaturalist resource, in the city of Zdolbuniv (Rivne region), in the villages of Shkarivka (Bila Tserkva district) and Prydniprovske (Zolotonosha district), local stable populations of the adventive species are registered, which successfully reproduce for at least 3–4 years. According to the features of phenology, A. potteri is a typical summer-autumn species with a peak of activity of adults in August and September.