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P. 2
Fig. 1. Female
Araneus angula-
tus from Ħalfa
Islet, Maltese
Archipelago.
2a-c. Epigyne
of the specimen
(Photos M.
Freudenschuss,
Leg.A.Sciberras)
.
is quite unusual that such a conspicuous species has been overlooked CARDOSO, P. & E. MORANO 2010. The Iberian spider checklist
in Sicily where the arachnid fauna is quite well studied. The distribu- (Araneae). Zootaxa, 2495: 1-52.
tion in the Maltese islands is of particular interest as it was until now
only noted on an islet (Ħalfa Islet) with a distance of 70 meters away DANDRIA, D., V. FALZON & J. HENWOOD 2005. The current knowledge
from the main island of Gozo with an area of about 4750 m2 (AS of the spider fauna of the Maltese Islands, with the addition of
unpublished record). The species on this small, species-poor islet is some new records (Arachnida: Araneae). The Central Mediterra-
accompanied by at least seven other arachnids species (authors’ nean Naturalist, 4(2): 121-130.
unpublished data): Euscorpius sicanus (Koch, 1837), Dysdera
crocata (C.L. Koch, 1838), Crytophora citricola (Forsskåal, 1775), LE PERU, B. 2007. Catalogue et réparation des araignées de France.
Argiope lobata (Pallas, 1772), Steatoda paykulliana (Sundevall, Revue Arachnologique, 16. 468 pp.
1833) and 2 Salticidae spp.
Acknowledgements NENTWIG, W., T. BLICK, D. GLOOR, A. HÄNGGI & C. KROPF 2013.
Spiders of Europe. Version 12.2013. – University of Bern.
The authors wish to thank Esther Sciberras and Romario http://www.araneae.unibe.ch/
Sciberras for continuous assistance in field visits. They are also
indebted to Pietro Lo Casio for his useful comments and assistance PANTINI, P. & M. ISAIA 2008. New records for the Italian spider fauna
in literature search. Anna Šestáková must be acknowledged for her (Arachnida, Araneae). Arthropoda Selecta, 17: 133-144.
much needed assistance through the spiders's forum (http://spinnen-
forum.de ) .The authors would also like to thank Alan Deidun for PANTINI, P, A. SASSU & G. SERRA 2013. Catalogue of the spiders
making such trips possible. (Arachnida Araneae) of Sardinia. Biodiversity Journal, 4(1): 3-
104.
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