Fróðskaparrit - 01.07.2004, Page 58

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SPIDERS (ARANEAE) IN THE FAROE ISLANDS: A REVISED CHECKLIST
AND AN UPDATE ON INTER-ISLAND DISTRIBUTIONS
in most cases only during the summer sea-
son (i.e. June-August), but at some locali-
ties the traps were operated through the
year and in some cases for several years. In
the latter localities more than one series of
traps (in the following referred to as sta-
tions) were employed. The traps were
placed ca. 5 m apart and consisted of glass
jars (depth 12 cm, diameter 6 cm) filled
with alcohol with some formalin, and a
dash of fluid soap. A metal roof covered
each trap. For collections limited to the
summer season the traps were usually left
for the entire period before they were emp-
tied, whereas at the localities studied for
longer periods the traps were emptied at ir-
regular intervals of occasionally 2 weeks
but usually 1 -3 months. In some localities,
for instance on Lítla Dímun, where we had
to rely on helicopter support, the traps were
emptied once a year, or twice at the most.
In summer 1988 (approx. between the
fírst week of July and early August) pitfall
trapping was carried out on 8 islands and in
32 localities (see Fig. 1) that had previous-
ly been investigated in 1978. The locality
numbers used in 1978 are adopted in pre-
sent study, and details on location and habi-
tat are given by Bengtson and Hauge (1979:
Fig. 2 and App. I): The following islands
and locations were studied: Suðuroy (locs
52,53,55,59-63), Sandoy (locs 33-36,38),
Streymoy (locs 2, 3,5,27,29-31,42), Vág-
ar (locs 10, 13), Eysturoy (locs 9, 16, 17,
20), Borðoy (locs 48, 106), Viðoy (locs 45,
47), and Fugloy (loc. 71). Pitfall traps were
also employed for about 2 months (July-
August) in 4 localities, not previously in-
vestigated, viz. in lush grass around re-
mains of and old building outside Sandvík
(Suðuroy) in 1988, on a grass heath slope
on the outskirts of the settlement Víkarbyr-
gi (Suðuroy) in 1989, on a grass
heath/meadow at Leynarvatn (Streymoy) in
1989, and on a grass heath/meadow at
Skarðsvík (Fugloy) in 1988 and also in
1991 (Fig. 1 and Enckell and Rundgren,
1988; with reference to the locality at
SkarðsvíL see also Matras et al. 2004). Fig.
1 shows the geographical position of the
above-mentioned localities.
For the rest of the localities trapping was
conducted throughout the year. From Lítla
Dímun, material from two stations on top
of the 0.8 km2 and 414 m high island for
1982-85 is included in present study. The
habitat can be described as a sheep grazed,
damp grass healh. The material from Koltur
(2.8 km2) included here was collected in
1991-95 at 6 stations: one around the old
and no longer inhabited farm buildings, one
at the southern end of the island (Fjallið,
101 m a.s.l.) and 4 at the northern end along
a south-facing, very steep, grassy mountain
slope, from the bottom to the top (with a
moist grass heath/meadow) of Kolturham-
ar, the highest point on the island (478 m
a.s.l.).
On the northern islands, two abandoned,
small settlements were studied over several
years viz. Skarð on Kunoy and Skálatoftir
on Borðoy which were abandoned in 1919
and 1914, respectively (see Enckell and
Rundgren, 1988), and traps were placed
among and in close vicinity of the remains
of farm buildings. Many of the samples are
yet to be processed, but the present paper
includes data from 6 stations at Skarð (3 in