Spiders from Macaronesia_Madeira

Abstract

The data presented here comes from samples collected as part of one recent research project (MACDIV), which aimed to understand the drivers of community assembly in Macaronesian islands. We applied the sampling protocol COBRA (Conservation Oriented Biodiversity Rapid Assessment, Cardoso 2009) in twelve 50 m x 50 m native forest plots in the Madeira Island, five dry plots in Madeira Island and five dry plots in Porto Santo Island to assess the diversity of spiders species. Through this publication we contribute to the knowledge of the arachnofauna of the Madeira archipelago, and more specifically, to that of the islands of Madeira and Porto Santo. Of the 87 species and 18 morphospecies (undescribed) collected, 34 were endemic, 26 native non-endemic, 22 introduced and 23 species of unknown origin. Although most of the species had been previously recorded on both islands, 21 species are new records for Madeira island and 32 new for Porto Santo (33 for the whole archipelago).