BACKGROUND: Spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) are widespread in subterranean ecosystems worldwide and represent an important component of subterranean trophic webs. Yet, global-scale diversity patterns of subterranean spiders are still mostly unknown. In the frame of the CAWEB project, a European joint network of cave arachnologists, we collected data on cave-dwelling spider communities across Europe in order to explore their continental diversity patterns. Two main datasets were compiled: one listing all subterranean spider species recorded in numerous subterranean localities across Europe and another with high resolution data about the subterranean habitat in which they were collected. From these two datasets, we further generated a third dataset with individual geo-referenced occurrence records for all these species. NEW INFORMATION: Data from 475 geo-referenced subterranean localities (caves, mines and other artificial subterranean sites, interstitial habitats) are herein made available. For each subterranean locality, information about the composition of the spider community is provided, along with local geomorphological and habitat features. Altogether, these communities account for > 300 unique taxonomic entities and 2,091 unique geo-referenced occurrence records, that are made available via the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) (Mammola and Cardoso 2019). This dataset is unique in that it covers both a large geographic extent (from 35° south to 67° north) and contains high-resolution local data on geomorphological and habitat features. Given that this kind of high-resolution data are rarely associated with broad-scale datasets used in macroecology, this dataset has high potential for helping researchers in tackling a range of biogeographical and macroecological questions, not necessarily uniquely related to arachnology or subterranean biology.

Amgueddfa Cymru National Museum Wales Cardiff United Kingdom Amgueddfa Cymru National Museum Wales Cardiff United Kingdom

Biology Centre Institute of Entomology České Budějovice Czech Republic Biology Centre Institute of Entomology České Budějovice Czech Republic

Commissione Grotte E Boegan Società Alpina delle Giulie C A 1 Trieste Italy Commissione Grotte E Boegan Società Alpina delle Giulie C A 1 Trieste Italy

Conservatoire d'Espaces Naturels de Midi Pyrénées Tolouse France Conservatoire d'Espaces Naturels de Midi Pyrénées Tolouse France

Conservatoire d'Espaces Naturels de Midi Pyrénées Toulouse France Conservatoire d'Espaces Naturels de Midi Pyrénées Toulouse France

Croatian Biospeleological Society Zagreb Croatia Croatian Biospeleological Society Zagreb Croatia

Department of Biology Faculty of Science and Arts Erzincan Binali Yıldırım University Erzincan Turkey Department of Biology Faculty of Science and Arts Erzincan Binali Yıldırım University Erzincan Turkey

Department of Biology Faculty of Science Eskişehir Technical University Eskişehir Turkey Department of Biology Faculty of Science Eskişehir Technical University Eskişehir Turkey

Department of Evolutionary Biology Ecology and Environmental Sciences and Biodiversity Research Institute University of Barcelona Barcelona Spain Department of Evolutionary Biology Ecology and Environmental Sciences and Biodiversity Research Institute University of Barcelona Barcelona Spain

Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology University of Turin Turin Italy Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology University of Turin Turin Italy

Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology Eötvös Loránd University Budapest Hungary Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology Eötvös Loránd University Budapest Hungary

Department of Zoology and Animal Cell Biology Faculty of Science and Technology University of the Basque Country Bilbao Spain Department of Zoology and Animal Cell Biology Faculty of Science and Technology University of the Basque Country Bilbao Spain

Department of Zoology Hungarian Natural History Museum Budapest Hungary Department of Zoology Hungarian Natural History Museum Budapest Hungary

Ecole d'Ingénieur de Purpan Toulouse France Ecole d'Ingénieur de Purpan Toulouse France

Emil Racovitza Institute of Speleology Cluj Napoca Romania Emil Racovitza Institute of Speleology Cluj Napoca Romania

Faculty of Biology and Environmental Sciences Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University Warsaw Poland Faculty of Biology and Environmental Sciences Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University Warsaw Poland

Faculty of Biology Institute of Zoology University of Belgrade Belgrade Serbia Faculty of Biology Institute of Zoology University of Belgrade Belgrade Serbia

Independent researcher Basque Country Spain Independent researcher Basque Country Spain

Independent Researcher Blwd Kuzman Josifovski Pitu Skopje Macedonia Independent Researcher Blwd Kuzman Josifovski Pitu Skopje Macedonia

Independent Researcher Hummeltal Germany Independent Researcher Hummeltal Germany

Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Sofia Bulgaria Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Sofia Bulgaria

Institute of Biology and Ecology Faculty of Science Pavol Jozef Šafárik University Košice Slovakia Institute of Biology and Ecology Faculty of Science Pavol Jozef Šafárik University Košice Slovakia

Laboratory for Integrative Biodiversity Research Finnish Museum of Natural History University of Helsinki Helsinki Finland

National Museum of Natural History Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Sofia Bulgaria National Museum of Natural History Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Sofia Bulgaria

OEKOTEAM Institute for Animal Ecology and Landscape Planning Graz Austria OEKOTEAM Institute for Animal Ecology and Landscape Planning Graz Austria

Ruđer Bošković Institute Zagreb Croatia Ruđer Bošković Institute Zagreb Croatia

Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine Kiev Ukraine Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine Kiev Ukraine

UMDI Faculty of Sciences UNAM National Autonomous University of Mexico Sisal Mexico UMDI Faculty of Sciences UNAM National Autonomous University of Mexico Sisal Mexico

Verband der deutschen Höhlen und Karstforscher e 5 Fulda Germany Verband der deutschen Höhlen und Karstforscher e 5 Fulda Germany

Zoological Collection of Cyprus Wildlife Research Institute Kyrenia Cyprus Zoological Collection of Cyprus Wildlife Research Institute Kyrenia Cyprus

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Local- versus broad-scale environmental drivers of continental β-diversity patterns in subterranean spider communities across Europe

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