Spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) from the western part of the Verkhovyna Watershed Ridge (the Ukrainian Carpathians)

The Verkhovyna Watershed Ridge is one of the least-studied regions of the Ukrainian Carpathians in terms of invertebrate fauna, particularly spiders. Therefore, this study aimed to inventory the regional araneofauna, identify typical, rare, and endemic species, and assess species richness in different habitat types. The checklist is based on published data and unpublished materials obtained during field studies conducted from 2023 to 2025 in Zakarpattia and Lviv regions. A total of 264 spider species from 28 families were recorded in the western part of the Verkhovyna Watershed Ridge. Fifteen of them are new to the Ukrainian Carpathians. Forest habitats received the most attention and were home to 106 spider species, accounting for 40.2% of the total species and 77.7% of all recorded individuals. Considerable diversity was also observed in the mesophytic meadows and pastures (115 species) and along forest edges and glades (106 species). The spider fauna includes 37 species (14.0% of the total) with a regional conservation status (categories VU, NT, LC, DD), seven of these (Araniella proxima, Bathyphantes similis, Centromerus silvicola, Mansuphantes arciger, Palliduphantes milleri, Peponocranium praeceps, and Zora armillata) are listed as vulnerable (VU). Two species (Palliduphantes milleri and Kaestneria torrentum) are Carpathian endemics. The annotated checklist substantially expands current knowledge of the regional spider fauna and provides a basis for further ecological and faunistic studies. Future research should focus on spider communities of subalpine meadows, which represent important biodiversity centers of the Carpathian region.