Rapid Distribution Updates for Arachnids of Conservation Concern through Citizen Collaboration: the Case of the Spider Macrothele calpeiana (Walckenaer, 1805) (Mygalomorphae: Macrothelidae)
In the digital age, "photo-identification" has become a revolutionary tool for precisely enhancing the chorology of some arthropod species. Here, the author tests its effectiveness for Macrothele calpeiana, a protected spider species in the EU. The distribution of this species has been rapidly updated, largely thanks to citizen science, along with records from publications and our own surveys. With over 408 georeferenced records from 1849-2022, covering 156 UTM 10 × 10 grid cells in Spain, citizen data contributed 66 UTM cells, 25 of which were new to science, 17 in the last ten years. This collaboration provided 36% of the total dataset, with an impressive 89.64% photo-identification accuracy, making the species reliable for using this auxiliary tool to support fast follow-up monitoring together with classical methodologies. Additionally, M. calpeiana has been reported as non-native in eight countries, with increasingly frequent reports from France and Italy.
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