Plantarius dolomedes
Dolomedes plantarius (Clerck, 1757)
Order Araneae
Family Pisauridae
Conservation status: in Bulgaria: Extinct EX.
General distribution. The Scandinavian peninsula, Western, Central, Eastern and Southern Europe, England. In Southern Europe known from Spain, France and Bulgaria.
Distribution and abundance in Bulgaria. The species has been found only in water basins in the region of Belovo and the Lagera quarter, Sofia [1, 2, 3, 4]. These water basins were destroyed as a result of the urbanization of the regions.
Habitats. It inhabits the water vegetation in bogs and marshes with a permanent water area.
Biology. A predator feeding on water insects, tadpoles and small fish. It assumes a hunting pose on a leaf of the vegetation, the front legs lying on the water surface. Its hunting skills do not rule out persectution of the victim on the surface of the water. The breeding period includes July-August. After the copulation, the female makes a cocoon that it carries for about 3 weeks. After the third month it makes a "child's net" on which the young ones hatch. After the second moulting the young ones leave the shelter and settle on the surrounding vegetation. They become adult in 2 years, and breed from the third year. The female dies at the end of the summer and the male earlier.
Similar species. Dolomedes fimbriatus (Clerck, 1757). The two species differ only according to their sexual organs.
Negative factors. Loss and degradation of the major habitats as a result of infrastructure development, industry, water transport, tourism, etc.
Conservation measures taken. None.
References. 1. Drensky, 1913; 2. Drensky, 1915; 3. Drensky, 1936; 4. Deltshev & Blagoev, 2001.
Author: Christo Deltshev
