Sulcia cretica Fage, 1945

Higher Taxonomy
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Family: Leptonetidae
Genus: Sulcia
Characterisation
Troglophile
Distribution
Endemic to Greece
Locus Typicus
Spilaio Katholikou
Region: Kriti / Regional unit: Chania / Municipality: Chania / Closest settlement: Chordaki
Distribution in caves of Greece
  • Spilaio Limnon, Brignoli 1976, Bosmans & Chatzaki 2005, Beron 2016
    Region: Dytiki Ellada / Regional unit: Achaia / Municipality: Kalavryta / Closest settlement: Kastria
  • Spilaio Nymfon, Brignoli 1974a, Brignoli 1979a, Bosmans & Chatzaki 2005, Beron 2016
    Region: Ionioi Nisoi / Regional unit: Ithaki / Municipality: Ithaki / Closest settlement: Vathy
  • Spilaio Drogkaratis, Gasparo 2004b, Beron 2016, Ledford et al. 2021, Ramirez et al. 2021
    Region: Ionioi Nisoi / Regional unit: Kefalonia / Municipality: Kefalonia / Closest settlement: Chaliotata
  • Spilaio Katsouri, Brignoli 1976, Brignoli 1977, Brignoli 1979a, Bosmans & Chatzaki 2005, Beron 2016
    Region: Ionioi Nisoi / Regional unit: Kerkyra / Municipality: Kerkyra / Closest settlement: Apolysoi
  • Spilaio Grava tou Fossa, Brignoli 1977, Brignoli 1979a, Bosmans & Chatzaki 2005, Beron 2016
    Region: Ionioi Nisoi / Regional unit: Kerkyra / Municipality: Kerkyra / Closest settlement: Pandokratoras
  • Spilaio Gravolithia, Brignoli 1976, Brignoli 1979a, Bosmans & Chatzaki 2005, Beron 2016
    Region: Ionioi Nisoi / Regional unit: Kerkyra / Municipality: Kerkyra / Closest settlement: Spartyla
  • Spilaio Peramatos, Dresco 1962, Brignoli 1968, Brignoli 1976, Brignoli 1979a, Brignoli 1979b, Brignoli 1984, Bosmans & Chatzaki 2005, Beron 2016, Naumova et al. 2016, Mammola et al. 2019, Déjean 2022
    Region: Ipeiros / Regional unit: Ioannina / Municipality: Ioannina / Closest settlement: Perama
  • Spilaio Katholikou, Fage 1945, Roewer 1959, Brignoli 1968, Brignoli 1979a, Brignoli 1984, Bosmans & Chatzaki 2005, Bosmans et al. 2013, Beron 2016, Naumova et al. 2016, Mammola et al. 2019
    Region: Kriti / Regional unit: Chania / Municipality: Chania / Closest settlement: Chordaki
  • Spilaio Koumarospilios, Fage 1945, Brignoli 1968, Brignoli 1979a, Bosmans & Chatzaki 2005, Bosmans et al. 2013
    Region: Kriti / Regional unit: Chania / Municipality: Chania / Closest settlement: Chordaki
  • Spilaio Panagias Arkoudiotisas, Naumova et al. 2016, Mammola et al. 2019
    Region: Kriti / Regional unit: Chania / Municipality: Chania / Closest settlement: Chordaki
  • Spilaio Lera, Bosmans et al. 2013
    Region: Kriti / Regional unit: Chania / Municipality: Chania / Closest settlement: Stavros
  • Spilaio Zoure, Brignoli 1979a, Bosmans & Chatzaki 2005, Bosmans et al. 2013, Beron 2016
    Region: Kriti / Regional unit: Chania / Municipality: Kantanos - Selino / Closest settlement: Azogyres
  • Spilaio Agias Sofias, Fage 1945, Brignoli 1974b, Brignoli 1979a, Beron 2016
    Region: Kriti / Regional unit: Chania / Municipality: Kissamos / Closest settlement: Topolia
  • Spilaio Doxa, Gasparo 2003, Gasparo 2006, Bosmans et al. 2013
    Region: Kriti / Regional unit: Irakleio / Municipality: Malevizi / Closest settlement: Marathos
  • Spilaio Milatou, Gasparo 2003, Gasparo 2006, Bosmans et al. 2013, Beron 2016, Ledford et al. 2021
    Region: Kriti / Regional unit: Lasithi / Municipality: Agios Nikolaos / Closest settlement: Milatos
  • Spilaio Korykeio Antro, Alexiou et al. 2014
    Region: Sterea Ellada / Regional unit: Fokida / Municipality: Delfoi / Closest settlement: Delfoi
  • Spilaio Zoodochou Pigis, Alexiou et al. 2014
    Region: Sterea Ellada / Regional unit: Fokida / Municipality: Doridas / Closest settlement: Sykia
  • Spilaio Profiti Ilia, Brignoli 1979a, Brignoli 1979b, Brignoli 1984, Bosmans & Chatzaki 2005, Beron 2016
    Region: Thessalia / Regional unit: Larisa / Municipality: Tempi / Closest settlement: Ampelakia
Comments

Sulcia cretica is endemic to Greece. Three sub-species have been described: S. cretica cretica Fage, 1945 (Crete Island), S. cretica lindbergi Dresco, 1962 (known only from the cave of Perama, Ipeiros but propably also occures in Albania (Deltshev et al. 2011)) and S. cretica violacea Brignoli, 1974 (Ionian islands, continental Greece)

IUCN Red List
VU - Vulnerable
Greece's Red Data Book
VU - Vulnerable
Protection status
  • There is no species-specific legal framework for protection.
Check Databases
Fauna Europea
GBIF
IUCN Red List
PESI
Species references
  • Alexiou, S., Bakolitsas, K., Di Russo, C. & Latella, L. 2014. Biospeleolocal notes on the caves of the Parnassos, Giona and Vardousia of mountains (Central Greece). Parnassiana Archives, 2: 71-81.
  • 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.
  • Brignoli, P. M. 1968. Über griechische Leptonetidae (Arachnida: Araneae). Senckenbergiana biol., 49 (3-4): 259-264.
  • Brignoli, P. M. 1974. Ragni di Grecia VII. Recolte in grotte dell΄ Attica del Dr. P. Strinati.Specie nuove o interessanti dele isole Ionie a della Morea. Rev. suisse Zool., 81 (2): 493-499.
  • Brignoli, P. M. 1974. Araignées de Grèce VIII. Quelques Leptonetidae de la Laconie et de l΄ île de Crète (Arachnida, Araneae). Ann. Speleol., 29 (1): 63-70.
  • 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. 1977. Ragni di Grecia X. Nuovi dati sulla Grecia continentale ed insulare. Rev. suisse Zool., 84 (4): 937-954.
  • 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.
  • Brignoli, P. M. 1984. Ragni di Grecia XII. Nuovi dati su varie famiglie (Araneae). Rev. suisse Zool., 91 (2): 281-321.
  • Déjean S. 2022 2022. Sur quelques araignées récoltées entre 1956 et 1969 par Henry Coiffait, retrouvées dans les collections Denis et Dresco (Araneae). Bulletin de l’Association Française d’Arachnologie, 7, 4–41
  • Dresco, E. 1962. Description d΄ une Araignée cavernicole nouvelle de Grèce (Leptonetidae, Sulica lindbergi sp. nov.). Ann. Speleol., 17 (1): 171-176.
  • Fage, L. 1945. A propos de quelques Araignées cavernicoles de Crète. Bull. Mus. Hist. nat., Paris, 17 (2): 109-114.
  • Gasparo, F. 2003. Tre campagne biospeleologiche a Creta. Progressione, 48 (1): 59-62.
  • Gasparo, F. 2004. Ricerche biospeleologiche nelle isole Ionie meridionali. Progressione, 51 (2): 82-84.
  • Gasparo, F. 2006. Indagini faunistiche nelle grotte delle isole di Creta e Lesbos (Grecia). Progressione, 52 (1/2): 58-60.
  • Ledford J, Derkarabetian S, Ribera C, Starrett J, Bond J, Griswold C, Hedin M. 2021. Phylogenomics and biogeography of leptonetid spiders (Araneae: Leptonetidae).. Invertebrate Systematics, 35: 332–349
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Ramirez M, Magalhaes ILF, Derkarabetian S, Ledford J, Charles E, Wood HM, Hedin M. 2021. Sequence-capture phylogenomics of true spiders reveals convergent evolution of respiratory systems. Systematic Biology 70:14–20.
  • Roewer, C. F. 1959. Die Araneae, Solifuga und Opiliones der Sammlungen des Herrn Dr. K. Lindberg aus Griechenland, Creta, Anatolien, Iran und Indien. Göteborgs kungl. vet. vitterh. Samh. Handl., 8 (4): 3-47.
Citation
Paragamian, K. 2026. Sulcia cretica Fage, 1945. In Paragamian, K., M. Poulinakis, S. Paragamian and I. Nikoloudakis. Cave fauna of Greece database - Hellenic Institute of Speleological Research. Species data updated 17.11.2025, Accessed 09.03.2026