New records of Larinia elegans (Araneae: Araneidae) from Czechia and North Macedonia with remarks on its ecology

Larinia elegans Spassky, 1939 is an orb-weaver (Araneidae) inhabiting reeds growing from shallow water bodies from central Europe to China. In Europe, it was previously only found in Austria, Hungary, Czechia, Ukraine and southern part of European Russia. In this study, we present the first record of this species for North Macedonia as well as further records from Czechia. We also provide a synthesis of the ecological data, supported by our observations. Additionally, we highlight its cryptic way of life and prompt arachnologists in surrounding countries to search for this species, which may have been overlooked in the past.