The Role of the Southeastern European Mountains as Cradles and Corridors of European Biodiversity: Insights From Agelenid Spiders

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  The Role of the Southeastern European Mountains as Cradles and Corridors of European Biodiversity: Insights From Agelenid Spiders ABSTRACT Aim The Southeastern European Mountain System (SEEMS) is a well-known glacial refugium for European fauna. Bridging the Mediterranean and Caucasus biodiversity hotspots, it is a melting point for diverse faunal elements, but also a center of origin and subsequent dispersal of a unique component of European biodiversity. Here, we tested the hypothesis of the Southeastern European origin of the agelenid spider genera Inermocoelotes and Urocoras by investigating their phylogeny and biogeography. Location Southeastern Europe (the Balkans, Carpathians, Dinarides), Central/Western Europe, and the Mediterranean basin. Taxon Funnel-web spiders, the genera Inermocoelotes and Urocoras (Araneae: Agelenidae: Coelotinae). Methods We performed molecular phylogenetic analyses, divergence time estimation, and ancestral area reconstruction. To investigate ...

Editorial: Horizons in arachnid science

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Editorial: Horizons in arachnid science

Editorial on the Research Topic Horizons in arachnid science

Frontiers in Arachnid Science, a community-rooted journal, aims to engage researchers across a full spectrum of disciplines, including early-career scientists and established researchers. We are pleased to introduce the inaugural “Horizons in Arachnid Science” collection, featuring invited, high-impact, and accessible reviews synthesizing transformational arachnology research. Contributors were selected by the Chief Editors in recognition of their scientific contributions and impact.

Among arachnids, spiders (order Araneae) represent the second most diverse order, with 53,967 currently described species (). Despite this remarkable diversity, the natural history, ecology, and evolutionary relationships of many spider lineages remain poorly understood. Two reviews in this Research Topic address these gaps from complementary perspectives by focusing on both a widespread ecological strategy and a charismatic focal lineage.

Herzig, V., Schausberger, P., Bond, J. E., Cabezas-Cruz, A., & Kuntner, M. (2026). Editorial: Horizons in arachnid science. Frontiers in Arachnid Science, 5, 1890569. https://doi.org/10.3389/frchs.2026.1890569