The cave spider Meta menardi (Araneae, Tetragnathidae) – occurrence in Finland and notes on its biology

Authors

• Niclas R. Fritzén
• Seppo Koponen University of Turku

Abstract

Fifteen years ago the cave spider Meta menardi (Latreille, 1804) was known in Finland in two locations only. Partly due to extensive search it is to date known from 20 sites, all however located in the south-westernmost parts of the country. M. menardi is known to prefer stable and relatively warm subterranean habitats. Our temperature data from a cave on the Åland Islands in Finland indicates that the populations of M. menardi on the northern limit of its distribution could be more cold tolerant than the previously studied populations in Central Europe. In this paper all known locations in Finland are mapped and presented in a table with habitat data. A note on the strategy for catching mosquitoes with the orb web is given and the possible importance of the prey-catching function of the orb web is briefly discussed.