Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.20302/NC.2026.35.39
New Croatian records of alien Mermessus trilobatus (Emerton, 1882) (Araneae: Linyphiidae) suggest expansion towards south-eastern Europe
Lea Ružanović
; University of Zagreb Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, Rooseveltov trg 6, Zagreb, Croatia
Luka Katušić
; Institute for Environment and Nature, Ministry of Environmental Protection and Green Transition, Radnička cesta 80, Zagreb, Croatia
Sebastian Kolb
; iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, RPTU University Kaiserslautern-Landau, Fortstraße 7, D-76829 Landau, Germany
Marina Vilenica
; Faculty of Teacher Education, University of Zagreb, Trg Matice hrvatske 12, Petrinja, Croatia
Andreja Brigić
; University of Zagreb Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, Rooseveltov trg 6, Zagreb, Croatia
*
* Corresponding author.
Abstract
Mermessus trilobatus (Emerton, 1882) is a small linyphiid spider native to North America and one of the most widespread alien spiders in Europe, yet records from south-eastern Europe remain scarce. In this study, we document its first records from Croatia, and review its spread across Europe. We conducted literature and database review by compiling and mapping the first records of M. trilobatus for each European country, as well as all records from countries bordering Croatia. We also carried out field sampling using pitfall traps in 2007, 2010 and 2021 across the Continental and Mediterranean biogeographical regions in Croatia. A total of 20 male individuals were recorded in Croatia mostly in July, in various open habitat types, such as meadows, pastures, and dry riverbeds of an intermittent river. In the Continental region, the species occurred mostly in intensively managed meadows, while in the Mediterranean region, it was found in a dry riverbed of an intermittent river. Our results indicate that M. trilobatus tolerates a broad range of elevations, climates, and habitat types, and can be found in disturbed habitats. The earliest records in the Continental region predate those in the Mediterranean by over a decade, suggesting a gradual spread towards the south. At present, Croatia marks the most south-eastern record of this species in Europe, which is expected to spread further across the Balkan Peninsula.
Keywords
range expansion; Balkan peninsula; species distribution; spider
Hrčak ID:
352900
URI
Publication date:
31.12.2026.
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