Diversity of spider families parasitized by fungal pathogens: a global review

Abstract

In this paper the findings of a global literature and social media survey of spider mycoses are presented. Our survey revealed that spider mycoses occur in the geographic belt between latitude 78° N and 52° S, and that more than 40 out of the known 132 spider families (>30%) are attacked by fungal pathogens. Jumping spiders (Salticidae), cellar spiders (Pholcidae), and sheet web spiders (Linyphiidae) are the families most frequently reported to be attacked by fungal pathogens (combined >40% of all reported cases). Ninety-two percent of the infections of spiders can be attributed to pathogens in the order Hypocreales / phylum Ascomycota (i.e., almost exclusively families Cordycipitaceae and Ophiocordycipitaceae). Within the Hypocreales, the anamorph genusGibellulais an historically species-rich and widespread genus of specific spider-pathogenic fungi. For ≈70 species of spider-pathogenic fungi their hosts could be identified at least to family level. The data presented here reaffirms the findings of previous studies that spider-pathogenic fungi are most common and widespread in tropical and subtropical forested areas, with free-living cursorial hunters (especially Salticidae) being most frequently infected. Free-living cursorial hunters (especially Salticidae) and subterranean cellar spiders (Pholcidae) are the most frequently fungus-infected spiders in North America, whereas web-weavers (especially Linyphiidae and Pholcidae) are the most common spider hosts in Europe. Our survey implies that spider- pathogenic fungi are an important mortality factor of spiders which has hitherto been underestimated.