Arachnid Fauna (Araneae and Opiliones) from the Castro Verde Special Protection Area, southern Portugal.

Background: With the increasing recognition of the significance of arachnid conservation, it is crucial to allocate greater efforts towards implementing targeted monitoring programmes. Despite recent studies, our understanding of arachnid populations in Portugal remains limited. This study serves as the initial inventory of arachnids (Araneae and Opiliones) within the Castro Verde Special Protection Area (SPA) located in Beja, southern Portugal. The surveys were conducted during the spring of 2012 across 80 open grasslands that were grazed by cattle and sheep. New information: A total of 71 species of Araneae and two species of Opiliones have been identified. Notably, three spider species, namely Argennasubnigra, Civizelotesibericus and Walckenaeriacucullata, are documented for the first time in Portugal. Additionally, two harvestmen species (Dasylobusibericus and Homalenotusbuchneri) and 14 spider species (Cheiracanthiumpennatum, Haplodrassusrhodanicus, Marinarozelotesminutus, Tapinocybaalgirica, Agraecinalineata, Tibellusmacellus, Talaverapetrensis, Tetragnathaintermedia, Dipoenaumbratilis, Enoplognathadiversa, Neottiurauncinata, Ruborridionmusivum, Theridionpinastri and Xysticusgrallator) are recorded for the first time in the Beja District. The occurrence of each documented species within the SPA, including family and species details, is presented, underscoring the significance of the Castro Verde SPA for arachnid conservation. These findings contribute novel insights into the biodiversity of the Castro Verde SPA, emphasising the necessity of incorporating this area into arachnid diversity conservation efforts.

Sphodromantisviridis (Forskal, 1775): New for Portugal and new records of the rare and small mantids Apteromantisaptera (Fuente, 1894) and Perlamantisallibertii Guérin-Méneville, 1843 in the country (Mantodea: Mantidae and Amorphoscelidae).

Several new records are presented on some of the least known mantis species in the Iberian Peninsula. From data collected in Portugal, their analysis has proven to represent an important advancement in the knowledge of this group of insects for the country and the Western Mediterranean area. Twenty new citations provide a better understanding on the distribution of the crepuscular species Perlamantisallibertii, the IUCN red listed Apteromantisaptera and the first Portuguese records of Sphodromantisviridis, extending their western limits of occurrence in Europe. The data thus gathered emphasizes the need to invest in biodiversity assessment for increased knowledge on species distribution and phenology but also for monitoring over time, essential to better ascertaining ecosystem services, the effects of climate change and habitat conservation.