The project resulted in five published papers. I described four spider species, new to science: Dysdera zonsteini, Tegenaria euxinica, Maimuna anatolica, and Brachythele rhodopensis. Together with the collaborators, I investigated the phylogenetic relationships of a group of morphologically similar Tegenaria species from the Black Sea region and Anatolia. We clarified the species boundaries of the Tegenaria percuriosa complex, delimited the species distribution ranges, characterized the climatic and geological events that drove their diversification, and proposed an evolutionary hypothesis. The species Tegenaria boitanii was revalidated. We also removed T. boitanii and Tegenaria bithyniae from the synonymy of Tegenaria percuriosa. T. bithyniae was then placed as a junior synonym of T. boitanii. The distribution patterns of the taxa strongly support a preference of the group for humid and secluded habitats, which in combination with the narrow distributional ranges of the species may point to the key role of climatic changes in shaping present-day diversity and distribution patterns. The humid forest habitats around the southeastern Black Sea shores provide shelter for the only two epigean species of the group – T. boitanii and the newly described T. euxinica. All the others, distributed in the more dry inland Anatolia and the eastern Mediterranean were forced to inhabit the caves after the extinction of the epigean populations. This clearly illustrates the role of the Black Sea humid environment as a cradle and refuge of biodiversity and the sensitivity of these taxa to climatic changes, especially to global warming and the loss of humidity. Similarly, I examined the representatives of the genus Maimuna in Turkey. Apart from the described new species, I fixed some misidentifications in the literature records and clarified the distribution ranges of the taxa. I also discussed the complexity of the Black Sea, and how it facilitates Mediterranean species (in this case Maimuna vestita) to inhabit the Balkan Peninsula and Eastern Europe. Additionally, I described two more species, new to science from adjacent territories, the unknown male sex of another one, and recorded many faunistic novelties. Another two studies about the phylogeny and evolution of the genera Inermocoelotes (Agelenidae) and Harpactea (Dysderidae) are at a very advanced stage and will be submitted for publication within the next couple of months. Although the dissemination was strongly affected by the covid restrictions last 2 years, the results of my research were presented at two international congresses and generated significant interest among the scientific community.
