Spilaio Vromoneras

Higher Geography
Region: Ipeiros,
Sub-Region: Ioannina,
Municipality: Konitsa,
Closest Settlement: Kavasila
Cave Synonyms
Spilaio Gefyras Skordili, Sulfur cave
Cave type
Natural
Description / Comments

A hypogenic cave with sulfidic pools (Audy et al. 2022). It is located very close to the border between Greece and Albania, on the north bank of the Sarantaporos River. Its entrance is located in Greece, but after 65m the cave continues into Albanian territory.

Fauna
  • Acheroxenylla sp., Sarbu et al. 2024
    Phylum: Arthropoda / Class: Entognatha / Order: Poduromorpha / Family: Hypogastruridae
  • Alburnoides sp., Sarbu et al. 2024
    Phylum: Chordata / Class: Actinopterygii / Order: Cypriniformes / Family: Cyprinidae
  • Alpioniscus sp., Sarbu et al. 2024
    Phylum: Arthropoda / Class: Malacostraca / Order: Isopoda / Family: Trichoniscidae
  • Anguilla sp., Sarbu et al. 2024
    Phylum: Chordata / Class: Actinopterygii / Order: Anguilliformes / Family: Anguillidae
  • Cataleptoneta sp., Sarbu et al. 2024
    Phylum: Arthropoda / Class: Arachnida / Order: Araneae / Family: Leptonetidae
  • Ceratophysella denticulata Bagnall, 1941, Sarbu et al. 2024
    Phylum: Arthropoda / Class: Entognatha / Order: Poduromorpha / Family: Hypogastruridae
  • Chironomus riparius Meigen, 1804, Urák et al. 2025
    Phylum: Arthropoda / Class: Insecta / Order: Diptera / Family: Chironomidae
  • Chironomus sp., Sarbu et al. 2024
    Phylum: Arthropoda / Class: Insecta / Order: Diptera / Family: Chironomidae
  • Chthonius sp., Sarbu et al. 2024
    Phylum: Arthropoda / Class: Arachnida / Order: Pseudoscorpionida / Family: Chthoniidae
  • Coelostoma hispanicum (Küster, 1848), Sarbu et al. 2024
    Phylum: Arthropoda / Class: Insecta / Order: Coleoptera / Family: Hydrophylidae
  • Contacyphon palustris (C. G. Thomson, 1855), Sarbu et al. 2024
    Phylum: Arthropoda / Class: Insecta / Order: Coleoptera / Family: Scirtidae
  • Cryptops hortensis (Donovan, 1810), Sarbu et al. 2024
    Phylum: Arthropoda / Class: Chilopoda / Order: Scolopendromorpha / Family: Cryptopidae
  • Deuteraphorura sp., Sarbu et al. 2024
    Phylum: Arthropoda / Class: Entognatha / Order: Poduromorpha / Family: Hypogastruridae
  • Disparrhopalites patrizii (Cassagnau & Delamare, 1953), Sarbu et al. 2024
    Phylum: Arthropoda / Class: Entognatha / Order: Symphypleona / Family: Sminthuridae
  • Eunicolina nova Sellnick, 1931, Sarbu et al. 2024
    Phylum: Arthropoda / Class: Arachnida / Order: Trombidiformes / Family: Labidostommatidae
  • Euscorpius sulfur Kovarik, Audy, Sarbu & Fet, 2023, Kovařík et al. 2023, Blasco-Aróstegui & Prendini 2024, Sarbu et al. 2024
    Phylum: Arthropoda / Class: Arachnida / Order: Scorpiones / Family: Euscorpiidae
  • Graeconiscus sp., Urák et al. 2025
    Phylum: Arthropoda / Class: Malacostraca / Order: Isopoda / Family: Trichoniscidae
  • Grossuana euxina (A. J. Wagner, 1928), Sarbu et al. 2024
    Phylum: Mollusca / Class: Gastropoda / Order: Littorinimorpha / Family: Hydrobiidae
  • Heteromurus nitidus (Tempelton, 1836), Sarbu et al. 2024
    Phylum: Arthropoda / Class: Entognatha / Order: Entomobryomorpha / Family: Entomobryidae
  • Kryptonesticus eremita (Simon, 1879), Sarbu et al. 2024, Urák et al. 2025
    Phylum: Arthropoda / Class: Arachnida / Order: Araneae / Family: Nesticidae
  • Lepthyphantes magnesiae Brignoli, 1979, Sarbu et al. 2024, Urák et al. 2025
    Phylum: Arthropoda / Class: Arachnida / Order: Araneae / Family: Linyphiidae
  • Lithobius viriatus Sseliwanoff, 1880, Sarbu et al. 2024
    Phylum: Arthropoda / Class: Chilopoda / Order: Lithobiomorpha / Family: Lithobiidae
  • Metellina merianae (Scopoli, 1763), Sarbu et al. 2024, Urák et al. 2025
    Phylum: Arthropoda / Class: Arachnida / Order: Araneae / Family: Tetragnathidae
  • Miniopterus schreibersii (Kuhl, 1817), Sarbu et al. 2024
    Phylum: Chordata / Class: Mammalia / Order: Chiroptera / Family: Miniopteridae
  • Myotis bechsteinii (Kuhl, 1817), Sarbu et al. 2024
    Phylum: Chordata / Class: Mammalia / Order: Chiroptera / Family: Vespertilionidae
  • Myotis emarginatus (Geoffroy, 1806), Sarbu et al. 2024
    Phylum: Chordata / Class: Mammalia / Order: Chiroptera / Family: Vespertilionidae
  • Neelus sp., Sarbu et al. 2024
    Phylum: Arthropoda / Class: Entognatha / Order: Neelipleona / Family: Neelidae
  • Neobisium sp., Sarbu et al. 2024, Urák et al. 2025
    Phylum: Arthropoda / Class: Arachnida / Order: Pseudoscorpionida / Family: Neobisiidae
  • Niphargus lourensis Fišer, Trontelj & Sket, 2006, Sarbu et al. 2024
    Phylum: Arthropoda / Class: Malacostraca / Order: Amphipoda / Family: Niphargidae
  • Peregriana labiata (Rossmässler, 1835), Sarbu et al. 2024
    Phylum: Mollusca / Class: Gastropoda / Order: Basommatophora / Family: Lymnaeidae
  • Prinerigone vagans (Audouin, 1826), Sarbu et al. 2024, Urák et al. 2025
    Phylum: Arthropoda / Class: Arachnida / Order: Araneae / Family: Linyphiidae
  • Pseudosinella sexoculata Schött, 1902, Sarbu et al. 2024
    Phylum: Arthropoda / Class: Entognatha / Order: Entomobryomorpha / Family: Entomobryidae
  • Rhinolophus blasii Peters, 1866, Sarbu et al. 2024
    Phylum: Chordata / Class: Mammalia / Order: Chiroptera / Family: Rhinolophidae
  • Rhinolophus euryale Blasius, 1853, Sarbu et al. 2024
    Phylum: Chordata / Class: Mammalia / Order: Chiroptera / Family: Rhinolophidae
  • Rhinolophus ferrumequinum (Schreber, 1774), Sarbu et al. 2024
    Phylum: Chordata / Class: Mammalia / Order: Chiroptera / Family: Rhinolophidae
  • Rhinolophus hipposideros (André, 1797), Sarbu et al. 2024
    Phylum: Chordata / Class: Mammalia / Order: Chiroptera / Family: Rhinolophidae
  • Scolopocryptops sp., Sarbu et al. 2024
    Phylum: Arthropoda / Class: Chilopoda / Order: Scolopendromorpha / Family: Cryptopidae
  • Tanytarsus triangularis Goetghebuer, 1928, Sarbu et al. 2024, Urák et al. 2025
    Phylum: Arthropoda / Class: Insecta / Order: Diptera / Family: Chironomidae
  • Tegenaria domestica (Clerck, 1757), Sarbu et al. 2024, Urák et al. 2025
    Phylum: Arthropoda / Class: Arachnida / Order: Araneae / Family: Agelenidae
  • Troglopedetes sp., Sarbu et al. 2024
    Phylum: Arthropoda / Class: Entognatha / Order: Entomobryomorpha / Family: Paronellidae
  • Tubifex tubifex (O. F. Müller, 1774), Sarbu et al. 2024
    Phylum: Annelida / Class: Clitellata / Order: Tubificida / Family: Naididae
  • Tychobythinus sp., Sarbu et al. 2024
    Phylum: Arthropoda / Class: Insecta / Order: Coleoptera / Family: Staphylinidae
Cave references
  • Audy M, Bouda R, Bruthans J & Ružička V 2022. Albanian hypogene caves in the area of Vromoner thermal springs on the Sarandoporo River. Speleoforum, 41: 41–51
Species references
  • Blasco-Aróstegui J, Prendini L. 2024. Redescription of Euscorpius studentium Based on Adult Specimens; Updated Classification of Cavernicolous Euscorpiidae; and Review of Cavernicolous Scorpions in the Balkans. Diversity, 2024; 16(12):737. https://doi.org/10.3390/d16120737
  • Kovařík F, Audy M, Sarbu SM & Fet V 2023. Euscorpius sulfur sp. n. (Scorpiones: Euscorpiidae), a new cave scorpion from Albania and northwestern Greece. Euscorpius 379, 1–14
  • Sarbu SM, Brad T, Băncilă RI, Ştefan A 2024. Exploring Biodiversity and Food Webs in Sulfur Cave in the Vromoner Canyon on the Greek–Albanian Border. Diversity. 2024; 16(8):477. https://doi.org/10.3390/d16080477
  • Urák I, Vrenozi B, Głąbiak Z, Lecoquierre N, Eiberger C, Maraun M, Ştefan A, Flot J-F, Brad T, Dainelli L, Sarbu SM, Băncilă RI 2025. An extraordinary colonial spider community in Sulfur Cave (Albania/Greece) sustained by chemoautotrophy. Subterranean Biology 53: 155-177. https://doi.org/10.3897/subtbiol.53.162344
Citation
Paragamian, K. 2026. Fauna of the cave Spilaio Vromoneras, Kavasila, Konitsa, Ipeiros. In Paragamian, K., M. Poulinakis, S. Paragamian and I. Nikoloudakis. Cave fauna of Greece database - Hellenic Institute of Speleological Research. Cave data updated 19.10.2025, Accessed 09.03.2026