Rediscovery of the enigmatic solifuges (Arachnida: Solifugae) at Lampedusa Island (Italy)

Abstract

Solifuges were recorded in Italy for the first time in 1956, on the island of Lampedusa (Strait of Sicily), and classified as Biton ehrenbergi Karsch, 1880 and Biton velox Simon, 1885. More than 60 years later, we carried out the first targeted investigation of these little-known animals. A survey conducted during both spring and autumn 2017 confirmed the presence of solifuges on Lampedusa Island. We identified all specimens as B. velox and not B. ehrenbergi. We concluded that B. ehrenbergi is absent from the island, on the basis of both newly collected data and a re-evaluation of the past records. Morphology and taxonomic position of the examined specimens are discussed in light of the unresolved state within the family Daesiidae Kraepelin 1899. Fifteen potentially suitable habitats were investigated across the entire island during 240 transects with standardised time-constrained searches (TCSs) of 30 minutes each. The survey documented a current habitat specificity of the solifuge population, as they were recorded only in the south-eastern coasts, where the local phrygana association, rich in endemic plant species, is still intact.