Journal of Entomology and Zoology Studies 2016; 4(1): 245-256 E-ISSN: 2320-7078 P-ISSN: 2349-6800 Check list of spider (Araneae) fauna of Pakistan: JEZS 2016; 4(1): 245-256 © 2016 JEZS A review Received: 13-11-2015 Accepted: 16-12-2015 Mobeen Ghazanfar, Mubashar Hussain, Muhammad Hashim, Ata Ul Mobeen Ghazanfar Mustafa fahid Reseacher, Department of Zoology, University of Gujrat, Hafiz Hayat Campus, Gujrat, Abstract Pakistan. The current study was conducted at the University of Gujrat during 2015. The data concerning “check list of spider (Araneae) fauna of Pakistan” reviewed and compiled as a review paper from published articles Mubashar Hussain of international regarded journals, Annual/Environmental Reports of documented organization. Spiders Department of Zoology, are diverse group of invertebrates that play vital role in the ecosystem; there is co-evolutionary University of Gujrat, Hafiz relationship between spiders and insect pest. They act as biological control in every agri-ecosystem. For Hayat Campus, Gujrat, efficient sampling of spiders detailed ecological knowledge and information is lacking. This paper Pakistan. highlights the biodiversity of spider fauna in different regions of Pakistan. There is dire need to explore Muhammad Hashim the spider fauna of Pakistan and conservation to save the spiders as they are beneficial creature and play Reseacher, Department of their great role in ecosystem and food chains, insect population regulation. Zoology, University of Gujrat, Hafiz Hayat Campus, Gujrat, Keywords: Spider fauna, Araneae, Arthropods, Biological control agents Pakistan 1. Introduction Ata Ul Mustafa fahid Pakistan is situated between latitude 24 and 37 degrees north and longitude 62 and 75 degrees Reseacher, Department of Zoology, University of Gujrat, east. Pakistan is an agricultural country, occupy strategic place in its economy and topography Hafiz Hayat Campus, Gujrat, of Pakistan extent between subtropical to semi arid climate. Pakistan Spiders are ancient and successful group of invertebrate animals [1] also called poisonous arthropods [2]. Some scientists believed that origin of spider take place in sea. Later spider evolved in two groups, one without and second with extensor leg muscles. 400 million years ago spider originated. Recent spiders have unsegmented abdomen but earliest spider was with segmented body and larger in size. Most ancient type of spiders belonged to the suborder Mesothelae. In New York, USA oldest fossil of Devonian period (410 to 360 million years) was found in rock. The fossil spiders with segmented abdomen were recognized from Carboniferous period (360 to 290 million years). In Mesozoic era (240 to 65 million years) little information about spider is available. Newer spider for catching flying insects developed aerial web in flora and early built web near the ground. Spider evolution correlated to the insect’s evolution [3]. Spiders belong to class Arachnida, order Araneae and Phylum Arthropoda. They vary in size, shape and behavior. Body divided into cephalothorax, abdomen, have pedipalps, eight legs, no antenna, produce silk. They use the silk to wrap the prey, to hang from and to make egg sacs [4, 5] [6]. and nests . A single spider may produce more than a half dozen difference kinds of silk They exploit a wide variety of niches in virtually all the earth’s biomes and highly species rich Arthropoda. Some species of spiders build webs and trap prey in webs whereas some are webless. Spiders are taxonomically diverse, indicators of environmental change and community level diversity. They show variety of ecological niches [7]. Spiders are venomous, 40 species of spiders are potentially deadly to humans. Spiders are voracious predators and [8] carnivorous. The worldwide status of the taxonomy of the spiders has depicted by Platnick . Spiders are the group of arachnids comprises more than thirty thousand species, 60 families distributed over worldwide [6]. Biological control is the most effective control measures against insect pests. Insect pests have Correspondence [9] Mobeen Ghazanfar successfully been controlled by using natural predators like spiders and beetles . Spiders are [10-13] Department of Zoology, natural predators in agro ecosystems . A spider not only preys on adult insects but also University of Gujrat, Hafiz egg, larval etc. stages [29]. Spiders are carnivorous feeding on small arachnids, insects that Hayat Campus, Gujrat, bothers human like mosquitoes and cockroaches etc. During the lifetime of spiders, they may Pakistan. eat hundreds of mosquitoes and reduce their numbers [6]. ~ 245 ~ Journal of Entomology and Zoology Studies Spiders are clearly an integral part of global biodiversity since Salticidae, Araneidae, Sparassidae, Tetragnathidae, they play an important role in ecosystem as predators. They Lycopsidae, Pholcidae [19]. are one of the most common predator group of ecosystem, they are hunters of insects and other small invertebrates and 2.2) Punjab Pakistan reduced pest animals inside and outside our houses. They are Ghafoor. A. and Mahmood, survey the district Gujrawanwala prey for many hunting animals like insectivorous birds and and report the araneid fauna. Total collected fauna were 178 reptiles most spider spend their entire life in one particular which belong to seven families, 10 genera, 22 species habitat because of their ability to produce silk [6]. recorded. Most abundant species belong to the family In Pakistan pesticides are rarely used to control insect pests on Lycosidae [20]. fodder crops due to their harmful effects on livestock and Tahir and coworkers reported 1098 spider fauna from citrus dairy. In this case spiders and other natural enemies used to field in 2006 and 2007. This fauna was represented by nine control pest insects without polluting the environment and families, 22 genus, and 38 species [21]. yield of crop will also be increased [14]. Mukhtar and coworker (2012) collected the spider fauna at District Jhang Punjab, Pakistan during November 2009 to 2) Review of Literature April 2010 form Trifolium and Brassica. During 1996 to 1998, Some arachnologists estimate that only 20% of spider species the survey of ground and foliage spider fauna was reported have been described, meaning that there may be as many as from province of Punjab in 21districts of one federal territory 1,70,000 spider species sharing our planet with us [15]. In the and 43 locations. Total 14743 specimens were collected world, 42751 species, 3859 genera and 10 families of spiders belonging to 157 species, 58 genera and 21 families [22]. Vetter are described [8]. Pakistan is rich in spider fauna and has and his fellows collected spiders belong to 15 families, 26 diverse habitats. Mostly area cultivate different types of crops genera and 16 species in Faisalabad, Punjab Pakistan from and provide habitat for different kind of invertebrates. In March 2011 to April 2013.From central Punjab (Lahore, Skur, community it is dominant member, but in past researcher call Sialkot and Sheikhupura) 27,658 spiders were recorded it less important organism due to this less research was done belonging to 30 genera, 12 families and 44 speicies in basmati on it [16] but in Pakistan, no consolidated account on spiders rice crop [23]. still exists. The pioneer works were done by [17, 18] on the systematics of spider fauna of Pakistan. 2.3) Sindh Pakistan Some of the most diverse spider families include the familiar 132 species belonging to 24 families and 73 genera were hairy, big-eyed “Jumping spiders” (family Salticidae 4,400 reported from 16 districts of Sindh species worldwide); the small “Sheet-web spiders” Pakistan [24] (Linyphiidae, 3,700 species); the “Orb weaving spiders” (Araneidae, 2,600 species); the “Cobweb spiders” (Therididae, 2.4) Cholistan Desert Pakistan 2,200 species); the non-web weaving “Wolf spiders” The climate of Cholistan desert is harsh, hyper arid with (Lycosidae, 2,200 species); and the “Crab Spiders” [15] extremes of temperature, dry spells, low rains, low humidity, The present study was designed to prepare the checklist of high evaporation rates, especially during summer extremely spiders of different region of Pakistan. hot and winds of high velocity blow across the desert [25, 26]. Sial and his coworkers reported 62 species of spider belonged 2.1) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pakistan to 10 families and 32 genera from Cholistan and neighbouring 107 specimens were collected from Peshawar; 23 specimens areas; Fort Derawar, Sallu Wali, Taraway Wala Toba, Chah were identified to species level, 2 specimens to generic level, Suleh Wala, Rasool Sar, Shiekh Wali, Cholistan Institute of and 74 duplicates and young stages of identified ones; Desert Studies site, Dakwali Khuli, Date palm farm during however, they belong to 9 families. The most dominant family January 2001- December 2003 [27]. among the present research was Lycosidae. However, the least numbers of species were recorded from families Clubionidae, 2.5) Karakoram Pakistan Scytodidae and Sparassidae. These 23 species are distributed 130 spider species have been recorded from high mountainous into families Lycosidae (10 spp.), Thomisidae (3 spp.), landscape of Karakoram to date Caporiacco, 1934; Koke et al., Araneidae (2 spp.), Gnaphosidae (2 spp.), Pholicidae (2 spp.), 2004, 2005; Ovtchinnikov and Inayatullah, 2005; Marusik and Salticidae (2 spp.), Clubionidae (1 spp.), Scytodidae (1 spp.) Ballarian, 2011 a,b. Museo Civico di Storia Naturale of Parveen et al., 2012). 2) Ahmad and their fellows reported