Les Araignées (Araneae) de la Réserve naturelle nationale de la tourbière de Machais (France, Grand Est, Vosges)

Extended abstract - This study presents new data on the spider fauna (Araneae) of the 'tourbière de Machais' National Nature Reserve (Vosges, north-eastern France). The natural reserve is nationally recognized for its characteristic peat bog ecosystems. Despite this ecological importance, knowledge of its spider fauna has remained fragmentary, with only 73 species previously reported from 14 families.
In 2020, 897 spider specimens were collected using nine Malaise traps installed in both bog and montane forest habitats. Of these, 377 adults (184 males, 193 females and 1 juvenile) were identified to species, representing 68 species in 17 families. Juveniles were determined to family level only, except for one specimen of Synema globosum identifiable through its diagnostic habitus. Two species of conservation concern, listed in the French Red List, were detected: Araeoncus crassiceps (Westring, 1861), assessed as Near Threatened, and Heliophanus dampfi Schenkel, 1923, classified as Endangered. Araeoncus crassiceps was found in floating bog vegetation (tremblants), while H. dampfi was more abundant, with 15 specimens collected in molinia meadows and raised bog habitats. The latter had already been reported from the site in 2002, confirming its long-term presence in Machais. The assemblage also included typical peatland and wetland taxa such as Clubiona reclusa, C. trivialis, Piratula hygrophila, Evarcha arcuata, Sibianor larae and Robertus scoticus. Forest-associated species were also present, reflecting the mosaic of wooded habitats within the reserve (e.g. Drapetisca socialis, Amaurobius fenestralis, Cryphoeca silvicola).
This work expands the known spider fauna of the reserve by 52 species, raising its total inventory to 125 species. At the departmental scale, 26 species are new for the Vosges, increasing the checklist from 246 to 273 species, belonging to 30 families. Comparison with recent intensive surveys in the Rossely bog (Ballons comtois National Nature Reserve), which yielded 182 species from 22 families through multiple sampling techniques, highlights both the complementarity of methods and the potential for further discoveries at Machais. The presence of habitat specialists of conservation concern in both sites underscores the importance of peat bogs in maintaining regional arachnological diversity. Future work should aim at synthesizing ecological and distributional information for all recorded species, comparing sampling methods across sites, and implementing standardized monitoring protocols. Such efforts would refine conservation priorities for peat bog habitats in the Vosges and help track population trends of threatened species.

Langlade J. 2025. Les Araignées (Araneae) de la Réserve naturelle nationale de la tourbière de Machais (France, Grand Est, Vosges). Bulletin de la Société d'Histoire naturelle et d'Ethnographie de Colmar, 82 (13) : 93-96. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17104269