Dataset.xlsx

Climate change, driven by the increasing concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, is intensifying globally, altering habitats and impacting numerous species. Although caves are buffered by their subterranean nature, they are not immune to external climatic shifts, which can influence both the subterranean environment and its associated faunal communities. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of epigean (surface) and hypogean (subterranean) variables on the distribution of the troglobitic spider <i>Tisentnops mineiro</i> and to characterize and quantify its spontaneous behaviors. Distribution data were obtained from 491 caves in the Quadrilátero Ferrífero (Iron Quadrangle) speleological unit, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Thirteen predictor variables were analyzed, comprising three physical attributes of the caves and ten climatic variables from the surrounding epigean environment. For the behavioral analysis, individuals of <i>T. mineiro</i> were collected from a cave and transferred to the Laboratory of the Center for Studies in Subterranean Biology (CEBS) at the Federal University of Lavras. Specimens were maintained under permanent darkness, with controlled temperature and humidity. The key predictors of <i>T. mineiro</i> occurrence were cave area, minimum precipitation in the surrounding external environment, and total incident solar radiation in the region. Seventeen distinct behavioral acts were documented, the most frequent being immobility, followed by self-cleaning and environmental exploration. Activity increased with greater thermal amplitude, showing a marked escalation when temperature fluctuations exceeded 2.4 °C. The findings suggest that climate change–driven increases in temperature may influence not only the species’ distribution but eventually its behavioral repertoire.