Spilaio Kerateas

Higher Geography
Region: Attiki,
Sub-Region: Anatoliki Attiki,
Municipality: Lavreotiki,
Closest Settlement: Keratea
Cave Synonyms
Spilaio Lordou Vyrona (Lord's Byron cave), Spilia Nymphis, Spilaio Nymfon, Spilaio Panos
Cave type
Natural
Description / Comments

The cave is situated on the southern slopes of the Keratovouni Mt. (Paneio Mt.) at 600m a.s.l. (Keratea). In a length of 60m, there are 4 main chambers with a total area of 950 sq. m. The cave is decorated with various well-developed speleothems. A rimstone pool is filled with water all year round.

Fauna
  • Acanthopetalum blanci (Brölemann, 1932), Brölemann 1932, Wolf 1937b, Wolf 1938, Strasser 1974, Stoev et al. 2008
    Phylum: Arthropoda / Class: Diplopoda / Order: Callipodida / Family: Schizopetalidae
  • Actaeoniscus petrochilosi Vandel, 1955, Vandel 1955, Vandel 1959, Schmölzer 1965, Schmalfuss 1979, Schmidt & Leistikow 2004, Alexiou & Sfenthourakis 2013, Beron 2016
    Phylum: Arthropoda / Class: Malacostraca / Order: Isopoda / Family: Trichoniscidae
  • Aporcelaimellus obtusicaudatus (Bastian, 1865), Schuurmans Stekhoven & Mawson 1954, Lindberg 1955d, Beron 2016, Du Preez 2017
    Phylum: Nematoda / Class: Enoplea / Order: Dorylaimida / Family: Aporcelaimidae
  • Chaetophiloscia cellaria (Dollfus, 1884), Vandel 1955, Vandel 1959, Schmalfuss 1979, Beron 2016
    Phylum: Arthropoda / Class: Malacostraca / Order: Isopoda / Family: Philosciidae
  • Chthonius petrochilosi Heurtault, 1972, Heurtault 1972, Mahnert 1975, Mahnert 1978, Mahnert 1979, Beron 2016
    Phylum: Arthropoda / Class: Arachnida / Order: Pseudoscorpionida / Family: Chthoniidae
  • Cordioniscus graecus Vandel, 1959, Vandel 1959, Schmölzer 1965, Vandel 1968, Dalens 1970, Schmalfuss 1979, Schmalfuss & Erhard 1998, Alexiou & Sfenthourakis 2013, Beron 2016
    Phylum: Arthropoda / Class: Malacostraca / Order: Isopoda / Family: Styloniscidae
  • Eukoenenia juberthiei Condé, 1974, Condé 1975, Condé 1979b, Condé 1996, Harvey 2003, Beron 2016, Mammola et al. 2021
    Phylum: Arthropoda / Class: Arachnida / Order: Palpigradi / Family: Eukoeneniidae
  • Lasiochernes graecus Beier, 1963, Mahnert 1975, Mahnert 1978, Beron 2016
    Phylum: Arthropoda / Class: Arachnida / Order: Pseudoscorpionida / Family: Chernetidae
  • Leptonetela strinatii (Brignoli, 1976), Brignoli 1974c, Brignoli 1976, Brignoli 1979a, Bosmans & Chatzaki 2005, Beron 2016, Ballarin et al. 2020
    Phylum: Arthropoda / Class: Arachnida / Order: Araneae / Family: Leptonetidae
  • Lindbergia spiliaenymphis A. Riedel, 1959, Riedel 1959, Riedel 1960, Riedel 1968, Riedel 1977, Pinter & Riedel 1983, Riedel 1992, Riedel 1996, Beron 2016, Karakasi et al. 2024
    Phylum: Mollusca / Class: Gastropoda / Order: Stylommatophora / Family: Pristilomatidae
  • Metajapyx athenarum (Cook, 1899), Pagés 1978, Beron 2016
    Phylum: Arthropoda / Class: Entognatha / Order: Diplura / Family: Japygidae
  • Pholcus phalangioides (Fuesslin, 1775), Naumova et al. 2016
    Phylum: Arthropoda / Class: Arachnida / Order: Araneae / Family: Pholcidae
  • Prolysiopetalum scabratum (L. Koch, 1867), Strasser 1974, Beron 2016
    Phylum: Arthropoda / Class: Diplopoda / Order: Callipodida / Family: Schizopetalidae
  • Tegenaria domestica (Clerck, 1757), Brignoli 1976, Brignoli 1979a, Brignoli 1979b, Bosmans & Chatzaki 2005, Bolzern 2010, Bolzern et al. 2013, Beron 2016, Mammola et al. 2019
    Phylum: Arthropoda / Class: Arachnida / Order: Araneae / Family: Agelenidae
  • Tegenaria parietina (Fourcroy, 1785), Brignoli 1976, Mammola et al. 2019
    Phylum: Arthropoda / Class: Arachnida / Order: Araneae / Family: Agelenidae
  • Tegenaria sp., Brignoli 1974c
    Phylum: Arthropoda / Class: Arachnida / Order: Araneae / Family: Agelenidae
  • Trachysphaera coiffaiti Strasser, 1974, Strasser 1974, Strasser 1976, Beron 2016
    Phylum: Arthropoda / Class: Diplopoda / Order: Glomerida / Family: Trachysphaeridae
Cave references
  • Leloudas, N. 2005. Exploring Underground Greece: The Caves - Myths and Reality. Caves of Attiki, Sterea Ellada, Thessaly, Epirus, Macedonia and Thrace.. Eleftheri Skepsis, Athens, 224p. [in Greek]
  • Lindberg ,K. 1955. Notes sur le grottes de la Grèce. Acta Mus. Macedonici Sci. Nat. 3(2):41-69.
  • Petrocheilos, I. 1956. The cave of Keratea. Bull. Soc. Speleol. Grèce 3:143–153.
  • Petrocheilos, I. 1952. Speleological researches at Attiki. Bull. Soc. Speleol. Grèce 1:149–185.
  • Petrocheilou, A. 1984. The Greek Caves. Ekdotiki Athinon 160pp.
Species references
  • Alexiou, S. & Sfenthourakis, S. 2013. The terrestrial isopods (Isopoda: Oniscidea) of Greece. Parnassiana Archives, 1: 3-50.
  • Ballarin F., Salmaso R. & Latella L. 2020. The arachnological collections of the Museo Civico di Storia Naturale of Verona (Italy): an overview. Arachnologische Mitteilungen, 60:23-26
  • Beron, P. 2016. Faune cavernicole de la Grèce. Maison d'édition Est-West., Sofia. pp. 229.
  • Bolzern, A. 2010. Taxonomy and phylogeny of the Tegenaria- Malthonica -complex (Araneae, Agelenidae), using morphological and molecular data.. PHD Thesis. Faculty of Science, University of Basel, Switzerland, 292pp
  • Bolzern, A., Burckhardt, D. & Hänggi, A. 2013. Phylogeny and taxonomy of European funnel-web spiders of the Tegenaria-Malthonica complex (Araneae: Agelenidae) based upon morphological and molecular data. Zool. J. Linn. Soc., 168 (4): 723-848.
  • Bosmans, R. & Chatzaki, M. 2005. A catalogue of the spiders of Greece. A critical review of all spider species cited from Greece with their localities. Newsletter Belg. Arachn. Soc., 20 (2): 1-124.
  • Brignoli, P. M. 1974. Ragni di Grecia VI. Specie nuove o interessanti dele isole Ionie a della Morea. Rev. suisse Zool., 81 (1): 155-175.
  • Brignoli, P. M. 1976. Ragni di Grecia IX. Specie nuove o interessanti delle famiglie Leptonetidae, Dysderidae, Pholcidae ed Agelenidae (Araneae). Rev. suisse Zool., 83 (3): 539-578.
  • Brignoli, P. M. 1979. Ragni di Grecia XI. Specie nuove o interessanti, cavernicole ed epigee. Rev. suisse Zool., 86 (1): 181-202.
  • Brignoli, P. M. 1979. Considérations zoogéographiques sur les Araignées cavernicoles de Grèce. Biol. gallo-hellen., 8: 223-236.
  • Brölemann, H. W. 1932. Lysiopetalidae (Myriapode - Diplopode) cavernicole nouveau recueilli en Grèce par M. le Dr Georges Blanc, directeur de l΄ Institut Pasteur du Maroc. Bull. Soc. zool. France, 57: 45-53.
  • Condé, B. 1975. Les Palpigrades du Muséum d΄ Histoire naturelle de Genève. Rev. suisse Zool., 82 (3): 507-513.
  • Condé, B. 1979. Palpigrades de Grèce, de Guyane et du Kenya. Rev. suisse Zool., 86 (1): 167-179.
  • Condé, B. 1996. Les Palpigrades, 1885-1995: acquisitions et lacunes. Proceedings of thé XlIIth International Congress of Arachnology. Rev. suisse Zool.. pp. 87-106.
  • Dalens, H. 1970. Un nouveau représentant du genre Cordioniscus (Isopoda, Oniscoidea, Styloniscidae) récolté en Grèce du Nord. Biol. gallo-hellen., 3 (1): 105-108.
  • Du Preez, G., Majdi, N., Swart, A., Traunspurger, W., Fourie, H. 2017. Nematodes in caves: a historical perspective on their occurrence, distribution and ecological relevance. Nematology, 00: 1-18.
  • Harvey, M. S. 2003. Catalogue of the Smaller Arachnid Orders of the World. Amblypygi, Uropygi, Schizomida, Palpigradi, Ricinulei and Solifugae. CSIRO Publishing. pp. 398.
  • Heurtault, J. 1972. Chthonius C. petrochilosi (Arachnide, Pseudoscorpion, Chthonidae), nouvelle espèce cavernicole de Grèce. Biol. gallo-hellen., 4: 19-25.
  • Karakasi D, Paragamian K, Mylonas M, Vardinoyannis K 2024. What`s crawling in the dark? An annotated list of gastropods in Greek caves.. Subterranean Biology 48: 73-116. https://doi.org/10.3897/subtbiol.48.113383
  • Lindberg, K. 1955. Notes sur le grottes de la Grèce. Acta Mus. Maced. Sci. Natur. Skopje 3: 41–69
  • Mahnert, V. 1975. Griechische Höhlenpseudoskorpione. Rev. suisse Zool., 82 (1): 169-184.
  • Mahnert, V. 1978. Weitere Pseudoskorpione (Arachnida Pseudoscorpiones) aus griechische Höhlen. Ann. Mus. Goulandris, 4: 273-298.
  • Mahnert, V. 1979. Pseudoskorpione (Arachnida) aus Höhlen Griechenlands, insbesondere Kretas. Arch. Sci. Genève, 32 (3): 213-233.
  • Mammola S, Cardoso P, Angyal D, Balázs G, Blick T, Carter J, Danflous S, Dányi L, Déjean S, Elverici M, Fernández J, Gasparo F, Komnenov M, Ková L, Bo K, Mock A, Moldovan O, Pavlek M, Prieto C E, Ribera C, Rozwa R, Vargovitsh R S, Zaenker S, Isaia M. 2019. Continental data on cave-dwelling spider communities across Europe (Arachnida : Araneae). Biodiversity Data Journal 7: e38492:1–15.
  • Mammola S, Fernanda M, Rezende V, Marco S, Ferreira RL. 2021. Global distribution of microwhip scorpions (Arachnida: Palpigradi). Journal of Biogeography, 00:1–13.
  • Naumova, M., Lazarov, S., Petrov, B. & Deltshev, C. 2016. New faunistic data on the cave-dwelling spiders in the Balkan Peninsula (Araneae). Ecologica Montenegrina, 7: 425-438.
  • Pagés, J. 1978. Dicellurata Genavensia V. Espèces d΄ Europe et du bassin méditerranéen No 1. Rev. suisse Zool., 85 (1): 31-46.
  • Pinter, L. & Riedel, A. 1983. Über eine neue Lindbergia - Art vοn Kerkyra, Griechenland (Gastropoda: Zonitidae). Zool. Meded., Leiden, 57 (11): 101-103.
  • Riedel, A. 1959. Die von Dr. K. Lindberg in Griechenland gesammelten Zonitidae (Gastropoda). Ann. Zool. (Wars.), 18 (6): 89-117.
  • Riedel, A. 1960. Die Gattung Lindbergia Riedel (Gastropoda Zonitidae) nebst Angaben über Vitrea illyrica (A. J. Wagner). Ann. Zool. (Wars.), 18: 333-346.
  • Riedel, A. 1968. Zonitidae (Gastropoda) Kretas. Ann. Zool. (Wars.), 25: 473-537.
  • Riedel, A. 1977. Materialien zur Kenntnis der Zonitidae (Gastropoda). IX-XI. Ann. Zool. (Wars.), 33 (24): 495-515.
  • Riedel, A. 1992. The Zonitidae (sensu lato) (Gastropoda, Pulmonata) of Greece. Fauna Graeciae V. Hellenic Zoological Society. pp. 194.
  • Riedel, A. 1996. Die in West-Paläarktis unterirdisch lebenden Zonitidae sensu lato (Gastropoda, Stylommatophora). Fragm. faun., 39 (24): 363-390.
  • Schmalfuss, H. & Erhard, F. 1998. Die Landisopoden (Oniscidea) Griechenlands. 19. Beitrag: Gattung Cordioniscus (Styloniscidae). Stuttgart. Beitr. Naturk. Ser. A. (Biol.), 582: 1-20.
  • Schmalfuss, H. 1979. Revidierte Check-List der Landisopoden (Oniscoidea) Griechenlands. Stuttgart. Beitr. Naturk. Ser. A. (Biol.), 331: 1-42.
  • Schmidt, C. & Leistikow, A. 2004. Catalogue of genera of the terrestrial Isopoda (Crustacea: Isopoda: Oniscidea). Steenstrupia, 28: 1-118.
  • Schmölzer, K. 1965. Bestimmungsbücher zur Bodenfauna Europas. Lieferung 4+5, Ordung Isopoda (Landasseln). Akademie Verlag, Berlin. pp. 468.
  • Schuurmans Stekhoven Jr. J. H., S. J. J. H. & Mawson, P. M. 1954. Free living nematodes, mostly from Asia. Ark. Zool., 7: 273-279.
  • Stoev, P., Sierwald, P. & Billey, A. 2008. An annotated world catalogue of the millipede order Callipodida (Arthropoda: Diplopoda).. Zootaxa, 1706:1–50.
  • Strasser, K. 1974. Über Diplopoda-Chilognatha Griechenlands. Rev. suisse Zool., 81 (1): 219-300.
  • Strasser, K. 1976. Über Diplopoda-Chilognatha Griechenlands II. Rev. suisse Zool., 83 (3): 579-645.
  • Vandel, A. 1955. Isopodes terrestres récoltés dans les grottes de l΄ Attique par M. Pierre Strinati. Notes biospeol., 10 (1): 51-61.
  • Vandel, A. 1959. La faune isopodique cavernicole de la Grèce continentale (Récoltes du Dr. K. Lindberg, Lund). Notes biospeol., 13 (2): 131-139.
  • Vandel, A. 1968. Description d΄ un nouveau représentant de genre Cordioniscus (Crustacés, Isopoda, Oniscoidea, Styloniscidae) suivie de considérations sur les voies de migration de certains lignées d΄ Isopodes terrestres. Ann. Speleol., 23 (3): 621-632.
  • Wolf, B. 1937. Animalium Cavernarum Catalogus. II. - Cavernarum Catalogus. Junk Verl., Wien (1934-1937). pp. 616.
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Citation
Paragamian, K. 2026. Fauna of the cave Spilaio Kerateas, Keratea, Lavreotiki, Attiki. In Paragamian, K., M. Poulinakis, S. Paragamian and I. Nikoloudakis. Cave fauna of Greece database - Hellenic Institute of Speleological Research. Cave data updated 27.09.2023, Accessed 19.04.2026