Spilaio Tzani Spilios

Higher Geography

Region: Kriti,
Sub-Region: Chania,
Municipality: Platanias,
Closest Settlement: Lakkoi

Cave Synonyms

Tzani Trypa

Cave type

Natural

Protection status

• GR4340008 - Lefka Ori and Paraktia Zoni (Special Area of Conservation): Law 3937/2011 (OGG/Α 60/31.03.2011), Joint Ministerial Decision 50743/2017 (OGG 4432/B/15.12.17). Check site’s Standard Data Form

Fauna

• Anemadus creticus (Heyden, 1883), Giachino & Vailati 1993, Beron 2016
  Phylum: Arthropoda / Class: Insecta / Order: Coleoptera / Family: Leiodidae
• Bryocamptus zschokkei (Schmeil, 1893), Chappuis 1929, Lindberg 1953a
  Phylum: Arthropoda / Class: Hexanauplia / Order: Harpacticoida / Family: Canthocamptidae
• Camponotus candiotes Emery, 1894, Emery 1894, Seifert 2019
  Phylum: Arthropoda / Class: Insecta / Order: Hymenoptera / Family: Formicidae
• Canthocamptus staphylinus (Jurine, 1820), Chappuis 1929, Lindberg 1953a, Beron 2016
  Phylum: Arthropoda / Class: Hexanauplia / Order: Harpacticoida / Family: Canthocamptidae
• Cypria ophtalmica (Jurine, 1820), Klie 1941, Beron 2016
  Phylum: Arthropoda / Class: Ostracoda / Order: Podocopida / Family: Candonidae
• Daudebardia rufa (Draparnaud, 1805), Karakasi et al. 2024
  Phylum: Mollusca / Class: Gastropoda / Order: Stylommatophora / Family: Oxychilidae
• Diacyclops bicuspidatus (Claus, 1857), Lindberg 1953a, Franke 1989
  Phylum: Arthropoda / Class: Hexanauplia / Order: Cyclopoida / Family: Cyclopidae
• Diacyclops crassicaudis (Sars G.O., 1863), Kiefer 1928, Lindberg 1953a, Franke 1989, Cerasoli et al. 2025
  Phylum: Arthropoda / Class: Hexanauplia / Order: Cyclopoida / Family: Cyclopidae
• Duvalius sbordonii Vigna Taglianti, Genest & Sciaky, 1980, Jeannel 1929, Vigna Taglianti 1980, Casale et al. 1993, Daffner 1993, Lebenbauer 2005, Hlaváč et al. 2017, Casale et al. 2020
  Phylum: Arthropoda / Class: Insecta / Order: Coleoptera / Family: Carabidae
• Exniphargus tzanisi Karaman G.S., 2016, Sket 1990, Karaman 2016, Zettler & Zettler 2017, Ntakis et al. 2020
  Phylum: Arthropoda / Class: Malacostraca / Order: Amphipoda / Family: Niphargidae
• Hoplopholcus labyrinthi (Kulczynski, 1903), Huber 2020
  Phylum: Arthropoda / Class: Arachnida / Order: Araneae / Family: Pholcidae
• Hypsugo savii (Bonaparte, 1837), Hanak et al. 2001, Benda et al. 2009, Georgiakakis et al. 2023
  Phylum: Chordata / Class: Mammalia / Order: Chiroptera / Family: Vespertilionidae
• Lepthyphantes beshkovi Deltshev, 1979, Brignoli 1971b, Deltshev 1979, Bosmans & Chatzaki 2005, Beron 2016
  Phylum: Arthropoda / Class: Arachnida / Order: Araneae / Family: Linyphiidae
• Lindbergia orbicularis (A. Riedel, 1962), Riedel 1992, Riedel 1996, Beron 2016, Karakasi et al. 2024
  Phylum: Mollusca / Class: Gastropoda / Order: Stylommatophora / Family: Pristilomatidae
• Lindbergia pseudoillyrica A. Riedel, 1960, Riedel 1992, Riedel 1996, Beron 2016, Karakasi et al. 2024
  Phylum: Mollusca / Class: Gastropoda / Order: Stylommatophora / Family: Pristilomatidae
• Lindholmiola barbata (A. Férussac, 1821), Mylonas et al. 2024
  Phylum: Mollusca / Class: Gastropoda / Order: Stylommatophora / Family: Helicodontidae
• Macrothele cretica Kulczyński, 1903, Chatzaki & Komnenov 2019
  Phylum: Arthropoda / Class: Arachnida / Order: Araneae / Family: Macrothelidae
• Mediterranea hydatina (Rossmässler, 1838), Riedel 1992, Riedel 1996, Beron 2016, Karakasi et al. 2024
  Phylum: Mollusca / Class: Gastropoda / Order: Stylommatophora / Family: Oxychilidae
• Miniopterus schreibersii (Kuhl, 1817), Hanak et al. 2001, Benda et al. 2019, Georgiakakis et al. 2023
  Phylum: Chordata / Class: Mammalia / Order: Chiroptera / Family: Miniopteridae
• Monomorium creticum Emery, 1895, Emery 1895
  Phylum: Arthropoda / Class: Insecta / Order: Hymenoptera / Family: Formicidae
• Myotis blythii (Tomes, 1857), Hanak et al. 2001, Benda et al. 2009, Georgiakakis et al. 2023
  Phylum: Chordata / Class: Mammalia / Order: Chiroptera / Family: Vespertilionidae
• Myotis capaccinii (Bonaparte, 1837), Benda et al. 2009, Georgiakakis et al. 2023
  Phylum: Chordata / Class: Mammalia / Order: Chiroptera / Family: Vespertilionidae
• Myotis davidii Peters, 1869, Benda et al. 2009, Georgiakakis et al. 2023
  Phylum: Chordata / Class: Mammalia / Order: Chiroptera / Family: Vespertilionidae
• Penicillidia conspicua Speiser, 1901, Ševčík et al. 2013
  Phylum: Arthropoda / Class: Insecta / Order: Diptera / Family: Nycteribiidae
• Phthiridium biarticulatum Hermann, 1804, Ševčík et al. 2013
  Phylum: Arthropoda / Class: Insecta / Order: Diptera / Family: Nycteribiidae
• Pipistrellus hanaki Hulva & Benda, 2004, Benda et al. 2009, Mlíkovský et al. 2011, Benda et al. 2019, Georgiakakis et al. 2023
  Phylum: Chordata / Class: Mammalia / Order: Chiroptera / Family: Vespertilionidae
• Plecotus kolombatovici Dulic, 1980, Benda et al. 2009, Benda et al. 2019, Georgiakakis et al. 2023
  Phylum: Chordata / Class: Mammalia / Order: Chiroptera / Family: Vespertilionidae
• Plecotus macrobullaris Kuzjakin, 1965, Benda et al. 2009, Benda et al. 2019, Georgiakakis et al. 2023
  Phylum: Chordata / Class: Mammalia / Order: Chiroptera / Family: Vespertilionidae
• Pseudobankesia hauseriella Henderickx, 1998, Henderickx 1998b, Beron 2016
  Phylum: Arthropoda / Class: Insecta / Order: Lepidoptera / Family: Psychidae
• Pseudocandona pratensis (Hartwig, 1901), Klie 1941, Beron 2016
  Phylum: Arthropoda / Class: Ostracoda / Order: Podocopida / Family: Candonidae
• Rhinolophus blasii Peters, 1866, Benda et al. 2009, Benda et al. 2019, Georgiakakis et al. 2023
  Phylum: Chordata / Class: Mammalia / Order: Chiroptera / Family: Rhinolophidae
• Rhinolophus ferrumequinum (Schreber, 1774), Martens 1967, Benda et al. 2009, Benda et al. 2019, Georgiakakis et al. 2023
  Phylum: Chordata / Class: Mammalia / Order: Chiroptera / Family: Rhinolophidae
• Rhinolophus hipposideros (André, 1797), Martens 1967, Hanak et al. 2001, Benda et al. 2009, Beron 2016, Georgiakakis et al. 2023
  Phylum: Chordata / Class: Mammalia / Order: Chiroptera / Family: Rhinolophidae
• Schistophallus spratti (Westerlund, 1892), Riedel 1992, Riedel 1996, Beron 2016, Karakasi et al. 2024
  Phylum: Mollusca / Class: Gastropoda / Order: Stylommatophora / Family: Oxychilidae
• Tadarida teniotis (Rafinesque, 1814), Georgiakakis et al. 2023
  Phylum: Chordata / Class: Mammalia / Order: Chiroptera / Family: Molossidae
• Tegenaria pagana C.L. Koch, 1840, Bosmans et al. 2013
  Phylum: Arthropoda / Class: Arachnida / Order: Araneae / Family: Agelenidae
• Trichoniscus lindbergi Vandel, 1958, Schmalfuss 1975, Schmalfuss 1979, Andreev 1986, Schmalfuss et al. 2004
  Phylum: Arthropoda / Class: Malacostraca / Order: Isopoda / Family: Trichoniscidae
• Troglophilus spinulosus Chopard, 1921, Boudou-Saltet 1973a, Kollaros et al. 1991, Beron 2016
  Phylum: Arthropoda / Class: Insecta / Order: Orthoptera / Family: Rhaphidophoridae
• Tropocyclops prasinus (Fischer, 1860), Lindberg 1953a, Franke 1989, Beron 2016
  Phylum: Arthropoda / Class: Hexanauplia / Order: Cyclopoida / Family: Cyclopidae

Cave references

• Anonymous. 1965. Speleological news. To Vouno Greek Mountaineering Club. 1-2:73-74.
• Nikolopoulos, I. 1961. The cave Tzani or Chonos. To Vouno Greek Mountaineering Club. 6:169–172.
• Petrocheilou, A., Michaut, B., Ioannou, I. 1976. Expeditions at Kriti island. Bull. Soc. Speleol. Grèce 13:222–236.

Species references

• Andreev, S. 1986. Contribution a l΄ étude des isopodes terrestres de la Grèce 3. Sur trois nouvelles donnes sur les Isopodes des Genres Cordioniscus, Alpioniscus et Trichoniscus et nouvelles donnes sur les Isopodes terr. (Oniscoidea). Biol. gallo-hellen., 11 (2): 153-164.
• Benda, P., Georgiakakis, P., Dietz, C., Hanak, V., Galanaki, K., Markantonatou, V., Chudarkova, A., Hulva, P. & Horacek, I. 2009. Bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) of the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East. Part 7. The bat fauna of Crete, Greece. Acta Societatis Zoologicae Bohemicae, 72 (3-4): 105-190.
• Benda, P., Ševčík, M., Bego, F., Sachanowicz, K., Spitzenberger, F., Tájek, P., Tájková, P., Uhrin, M. 2019. Bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) of the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East. Part 15. The fauna of bats and bat ectoparasites of Albania with a catalogue of bats from the western Balkans in the collection of the National Museum, Prague. Acta Soc. Zool. Bohem. 83: 1–238
• Beron, P. 2016. Faune cavernicole de la Grèce. Maison d'édition Est-West., Sofia. pp. 229.
• 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.
• Bosmans, R., Van Keer, J., Russell-Smith, A., Kronestedt, T., Alderweireldt, M., Bosselaers, J. & De Koninck, H. 2013. Spiders of Crete (Araneae). A catalogue of all currently known species from the Greek Island of Crete. Newsletter Belg. Arachn. Soc., 28 (1): 1-147.
• Boudou-Saltet, P. 1973. Les Dolichopodes (Orth. Rhaph.) de Grèce VIII. Nouvelles espèces de Crète. Biol. gallo-hellen., 5 (1): 57-63.
• Brignoli, P. M. 1971. Su alcuni Lepthyphantes di Creta (Araneae, Linyphiidae). Fragm. Entomol., 7 (4): 231-241.
• Casale, A., Giachino, P. M., Vailati, D. & Rampini, M. 1993. Il genere Duvalius in Grecia: stato attuale delle conoscenze, interesse biogeografico e descrizione di una nuova specie (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Trechinae). Boll. Mus. civ. St. nat. Verona, 20 (1): 303-335.
• Casale A, Giachino PM, Vailati D. 2020. Il genere Duvalius nell’ isola di Creta, con descrizione di Duvalius (Duvalius) augusti specie nuova (Coleoptera Carabidae Trechinae). Memorie della Società Entomologica Italiana 97(1/2):191–201
• Cerasoli F, Fiasca B, Di Cicco M, Galmarini E, Vaccarelli I, Mammola S, Malard F, Stoch F, Galassi DMP 2025. EGCop: An Expert-Curated Occurrence Dataset of European Groundwater-Dwelling Copepods (Crustacea: Copepoda). Global Ecology and Biogeography, 34: e13953. https://doi.org/10.1111/geb.13953
• Chappuis, P. A. 1929. Notes sur les Copépodes. 1. Une nouvelle Attheyella du Japon. 2. Moraria poppei Mrazek et Moraria brevipes Sars. 3. Copépodes de Grèce. Bull. Soc. Sci. Cluj, 4 (2): 97-106.
• Chatzaki M, Komnenov M. 2019. Description of a new Chaetopelma (Araneae, Theraphosidae) species from Crete and a re-description of Macrothele cretica Kulczyński, 1903 (Araneae, Macrothelidae). Zootaxa 4544 (2): 269–284
• Daffner, H. 1993. Duvalius mixanigi sp. n. von der Insel Kreta (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Trechinae). Nachrbl. bayer. Ent., 42 (1): 26-29.
• Deltshev, C. 1979. A contribution to the study of Cave Spiders (Araneae) in Greece. Four new species (Aaraneae, Nesticidae, Linyphiidae) from the Islands of Crete and Thera. Acta Zool. Bulg., 13: 53-63.
• Emery, C. 1894. Alcune formiche dell'isola di Creta. Bull. Soc. Entomol. Ital. Resoc. Adun. 26: 7-10
• Emery C. 1895. Sopra alcune formiche della fauna Mediterranea. Memorie della R. Accademia delle Scienze dell'Istituto di Bologna, (5)5: 59–75
• Franke U. 1989. Katalog zur Sammlung limnischer COPEPODEN von Prof. Dr. Friedrich Kiefer (mit einem Gesamtverzeichnis seiner Publikationen). Carolinea - Beiträge zur naturkundlichen Forschung in Südwestdeutschland Beihefte 5:1–433
• Georgiakakis P, Kafkaletou Diez A, Salvarina I, Benda P, Billington G, Dietz C, Billington J, Cove D, Davison S, Cooke M, Papadatou E. 2023. The Bats of Greece: An Updated Review of Their Distribution, Ecology and Conservation. Animals. 2023; 13(15):2529. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13152529
• Giachino, P. M. & Vailati, D. 1993. Revisione degli Anemadinae Hatch, 1928 (Coleoptera Cholevidae). Mus. Civ. di Storia naturale di Brescia, Mon. di «Natura Bresciana», 18: 1-313.
• Hanak, V., Benda, P., Ruedi, M., Homcek, I. & Sofianidou, T. 2001. Bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) of the Eastern Mediterranean. Part 2. New records and review of distribution of bats in Greece. Acta Societatis Zoologicae Bohemicae, 65: 279-346.
• Henderickx, H. 1998. A new Pseudobankesia species from Crete (Lepidoptera Psychidae). Phegea, 26 (1): 1-8.
• Hlaváč, P., Perreau, M. & Čeplík D. 2017. The Subterranean Beetles of the Balkan Peninsula: Carabidae, Leiodidae, Staphylinidae, Scarabaeidae, Bothrideridae, Zopheridae, Salpingidae, Brachyceridae, Curculionidae.. Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Praha, Chez Republic. 267 pp.
• Huber B.A. 2020. Revision of the spider genus Hoplopholcus Kulczyński (Araneae, Pholcidae). Zootaxa 4726:1–94.
• Jeannel, R. 1929. Le sillon transegéen et description de Coléoptères cavernicoles nouveaux de la Grèce. Bull. Soc. Sci. Cluj, 2 (4): 59-84.
• 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
• Karaman, G. S. 2016. Two New Genera of the Family Niphargidae from Greece (Contribution to the Knowledge of the Amphipoda 287). Agriculture and Forestry, 62 (1): 7-27.
• Kiefer, F. 1928. 3. Beiträge zur Copepodenkunde (XI). Zool. Anz., 79: 244-250.
• Klie, W. 1941. Suesswasserostracoden aus Südosteuropa. Zool. Anz., 133 (11-12): 233-244.
• Kollaros, D., Paragamian, K. & Legakis, A. 1991. Revision of the genus Troglophilus (Orthoptera, Raphidophoridae) in Crete, Greece. Int. J. Speleol., 20: 37-45.
• Lebenbauer, T. 2005. Eine neue Duvalius-Art von der griechischen Insel Kreta (Coleoptera: Carabidae, Trechinae). Zeitschrift der Arbeitsgemeinschaft der österreichischen Entomologen, 57: 97-104.
• Lindberg, K. 1953. Cyclopides (Crustacés Copépodes) de la Grèce. Prak. hellen. hydrobiol. Inst., 6 (2): 19-40.
• Martens, J. 1967. Plecotus austriacus (Fischer) auf Kreta; mit Bemerkungen zu weiteren Arten (Mammalia, Chiroptera). Bonn. Zool. Beitr., 18 (3-4): 253-362.
• Mlíkovský J., Benda P., Moravec J., Šanda R. 2011. Type specimens of recent vertebrates in the collections of the National Museum, Prague, Czech Republic. Journal of the National Museum (Prague), Natural History Series, 180(10): 133-164
• Mylonas M, Maroulis L, Vardinoyannis K 2024. New taxonomical, distributional, and ecological data on the Helicodontidae (Gastropoda, Eupulmonata) of Crete (Greece). Journal of Conchology 45(2): 254-268. 10.61733/jconch/4526
• Ntakis A, Karaouzas I, Fišer C & Stoch F. 2020. An annotated checklist of the Niphargidae (Crustacea: Amphipoda) of Greece. . Zootaxa, 4772(3), 517–544. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4772.3.5
• 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. 1975. Neues Isopoden-Material aus Griechenland. Sber. Akad. Wiss. Wien, Math.-naturw. Kl. Abt. I, 184: 27-66.
• Schmalfuss, H. 1979. Revidierte Check-List der Landisopoden (Oniscoidea) Griechenlands. Stuttgart. Beitr. Naturk. Ser. A. (Biol.), 331: 1-42.
• Schmalfuss, H., Paragamian, K. & Sfenthourakis, S. 2004. The terrestrial isopods (Isopoda: Oniscidea) of Crete and the surrounding islands. Stuttgart. Beitr. Naturk. Ser. A. (Biol.), 662: 1-74.
• Seifert, B. 2019. A taxonomic revision of the members of the Camponotus lateralis species group (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Europe, Asia Minor and Caucasia. SOIL ORGANISMS, 91(1): 7–32. https://doi.org/10.25674/so-91-1-02
• Ševčík, M., Benda, P. & Lučan, R. K. 2013. Diptera Pupipara from bats of two large eastern Mediterranean islands, Crete and Cyprus. Turkish Journal of Zoology, 37: 31-37.
• Sket, B. 1990. Is Niphargobates lefkodemonaki sp. n. (Crustacea: Amphipoda) from Kriti (Greece) a Zoogeographical Enigma?. Zool. Jb. Syst., 117: 1-10.
• Vigna Taglianti, A. 1980. Nouvelles données sur la systématique et la répartition géographique des Coléoptères Carabiques cavernicoles et endogés du Proche-Orient (Coleoptera, Carabidae). Mem. Biospeol., 7: 163-172.
• Zettler, M., Zettler, A. 2017. A new species of Niphargus (Amphipoda, Niphargidae) from Crete (Greece). Crustaceana 90:1415–1426.

Citation

Paragamian, K. 2026. Fauna of the cave Spilaio Tzani Spilios, Lakkoi, Platanias, Kriti. In Paragamian, K., M. Poulinakis, S. Paragamian and I. Nikoloudakis. Cave fauna of Greece database - Hellenic Institute of Speleological Research. Cave data updated 25.10.2024, Accessed 09.03.2026