Annotated checklist of the spiders (Arachnida, Araneae) of the Site of Community Importance and Special Area of Conservation “Alpi Marittime” (NW Italy)

We present an annotated checklist of the spiders (Arachnida Cuvier, 1812; Araneae Clerck, 1757) of the Site of Community Importance and Special Area of Conservation IT1160056 “Alpi Marittime” (NW Italy). The checklist is based on literature records and unpublished material collected from 2007 to 2013 within the first European All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory coordinated by the European Distributed Institute of Taxonomy (EDIT). The examination of the literature provided a list of 113 species recorded for the study area between 1890 and 2013, scattered in 35 publications. The new data provided here raise the total number of species known for the study area to 295, grouped in 147 genera and 31 families. We recorded a remarkable percentage (9%) of endemic species, including rare endemic elements poorly known in literature, such as Vesubia jugorum (Simon, 1881); Troglohyphantes konradi Brignoli, 1975; Nesticus morisii Brignoli, 1975 and Turinyphia clairi (Simon, 1884). For each species we report detailed information about sampling localities, previous citations for the study area (if any), distribution and preferred habitat. 38 species are new records for the regional fauna and four species are recorded for the first time in Italy.