OPEN ACCESS Int. Res. J. of Science & Engineering, 2014, Vol. 2(1):26-28 ISSN: 2322-0015 RESEARCH ARTICLE Study of Spiders fauna from Wadali Lake, Amravati of Vidarbha Region Feroz Ahmad Dar Department of Zoology, Govt.Vidharbha Institute of Science & Humanities, Amravati 444604(MS)India ABSTRACT KEYWORDS The study describes the identification of the spiders assemblage with respect to their diversity and Araneae , distribution among different places. Over all 35 mature male and female spiders were collected, belonging to 13 families, and 21 species. It has been observed that abundance of spiders was high in spiders , garden while least recorded from road side vegetation. Male female ratio was found to be 20:15. The diversity, Wadali Lake and Vidarbha Campus is very dense forest area. These areas were surveyed during July conservation 2012- April 2013 for spiders’ diversity. Over all 35 mature male and female spiders were collected, belonging to 13 families and 21 species. Of these collected spiders the most dominant family was Araneidae with 10 species of spiders. © 2013| Published by IRJSE INTRODUCTION Spiders are commonly named according to web pattern, behavior of spiders and resemblance with other animals. Some of the common names are given in table 1. The order Arnaeae is large group of animal, which is commonly known as spiders. Spiders are web producing Table 1: Spiders Family name & common name. and eight legged .They are widespread and are found in all types of habitat and occupy all but a few niches. Sr. Family Name Common Name Spiders are worldwide distributed except Antarctica, sea No. and air. Spiders can be easily found in a small area, 1 Araneidae Orb web spider Spiders are of different sizes, colours with different 2 Clubionidae Sac / leaf rolling spider habitat .The Jurassic and Cretaceous periods provide a 3 Eresidae Social spider large number of fossil spiders, including of many modern 5 Lycosidae Wolf spider families. The evolution of spiders has been going on for at 6 Oxyopidae Lynx spider least 400 million years, since the first true spiders thin- waisted arachnids evolved from crab-like chelicerae 7 Philodromidae Elongated crab spider ancestors. Today, there are 42,473 described spider 8 Pholcidae Daddy-long-leg spider species within the diverse phylum of arthropods 9 Salticidae Jumping spider (Platnick, 2011). The spiders inject venom in prey to kill 10 Tetragnathidae Long jawed orb web weavers or paralyze it. There are near about 200 species in 11 Therididae Comb-footed/cobweb spider particular spider that can cause health problem. 12 Thomisidae Crab / flower spider Morphology 13 Uloboridae Hackled web spider Classification Kingdom – Animalia The attempt has been made through this project Phylum – Arthopoda work to record the fauna of spiders in Wadali Lake, Subphylum – Chelicerata Amravati, Vidarbha. The spiders are the bio indicators, Class - Archanida indicating the richness of biodiversity. As spiders are Order - Araneae insectivorous, helps to keep the population of insect under control, therefore can be used as natural insecticide in agro ecosystem. © 2013|IRJSE. All right reserved 26 Feroz, 2014 Int. Res. J. of Sci. & Engg., Vol. 2 (1):26-28 MATERIALS AND METHODS Table 3: Spiders fauna from Wadali Lake, Amravati Spiders were collected (every weekend) from Family I Aranedae vegetation, on ground, under stones/crevices, near lake Araneus sp. male etc. For collection of Spiders insects nets, pitfall trap Araneus marmoreus female female visual searching, beating, sweeping, and stroking sticks Argiope aemula male were used, the specimens were preserved in 70% alcohol, Cyclosa hexatuberculata Male labelled and identified according to Barrion and Litsinger (1995), Biswas and Biswas (1992), Davies and Zabka Leucage fastigata Male (1989), Gajbe (1987), Tikader (1962, 1970 ,1987) Neoscona sp Male Plantnick (1989, 2004). Neoscona sp Female Neoscona dyali Female Observations Zelotes choubai Male The Wadali Lake Vidarbha Campus is a area Zygiella sp. Female consisting of lake as well as rich flora and fauna. The Family II clubinoidae Vidarbha area is rich in flora and fauna. These areas Clubiona sp. Male comprises big garden also. The survey was done on every weekend so as to collect data of spiders in these Family III Erasidae particular areas. Spiders were collected from ground, tree Stegodyphus raipurensis Male trunks, vegetation, and grasslands under stones and near Family IV Hersiliidae water body. Emphasis was given on collection of mature Hersilia savignyi Male/Female male and female spiders leaving immature to their Family V Lycocidae habitat. Repetition of collection was also avoided. Lycosa sp. Male/Female Over all 35 mature male and female spiders were Hippasa sp. Male collected, belonging to 13 families, and 21 species. It has Family VI Oxyopidae been observed that abundance of spiders was high in garden while least recorded from road side vegetation. Oxyopus chittrae Female Male female ratio was found to be 20:15. Oxyopus sp. Male Family VII Philodromidae Table 2: Total species found in both regions: Philodromus sp. Male Sr. Family Number of species FamilyVIII Pholcidae No Pholcus sp. Male/Female 1 Araneidae 10 Family IX Saticidae 2 Clubinoidae 1 Plexipus insulana Female 3 Erasidae 1 Plexipus paykulii Female Plexippus sp. Female 4 Harsilidae 2 Telamonia dimidiate Female 5 Lycocidae 3 Family X Tetragnathidae 6 Oxyopidae 2 Tetragnatha sp. Male Tetragnatha mandibulata Male 7 Philodromidae 1 Family XI Therididae 8 Pholcidae 2 Leucage sp. male/female 9 Salticidae 4 Leucage fastigata male 10 Tetragnathidae 2 Family XII Thomisidae Thomisus sp. Female 11 Theridiidae 3 Xysticus sp Male 12 Thomisidae 2 Family XIII Uloboridae 13 Uloboridae 2 Uloborus sp. male/Female © 2013|IRJSE www.irjse.in 27 Feroz, 2014. Int. Res. J. of Science & Engineering, Vol. 2 (1): 26-28 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 3. Davies TV and Zabka M. Illustrated keys to the genera of jumping spiders (Araneae: Salticidae) in Diversity and abundance of spiders is high, large Australia. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum, numbers of insects were found trapped in webs of 1989; 27:189–266. spiders indicating their nature, to control insect 4. Gajbe UA. A new haplodrassus spider from india population under control naturally. Spiders can be (Araneae : Gnaphosidae ). Bull. Zool. Surve. India, considered as bioindicator, because diversity, richness 1987, 8(1-3): 277-279. and abundance of spiders is a indicator of rich 5. Platnick NI. The world spider catalog, version 12.0. biodiversity. Therefore it can be concluded that the area American Museum of Natural History, 2011 of Vidarbha campus and Wadali Lake is having rich online at http://research.amnh.org/iz/spiders. biodiversity, so it should be protected from human 6. Platnick NI. The world spider catalog, version 3.0. encroachment. So it is our rights to protect the vegetation American Museum of Natural History, 2004, online and forest so as, to increase the production of different at http:// research. amnh.org/entomology species. /spiders/catalog81-87/index.html 7. Tikader BK. Handbook of Indian Spiders, REFERENCES Zoological Survey of India, Calcutta, India, 1987. 8. Tikader BK. Spider fauna of Sikkim. Records of 1. Barrion AT and Litsinger JA. Riceland spider of the Zoological Survey of India, 1970; 64:1-83. south and southeat Asia, CAB International, 9. Tikader BK. Studies on some spider fauna of Cambridge, UK., 1995. Maharashta and Mysore states-Part I. J. Univ.Poona, 2. Biswas B and Biswas K. Araneae : Spiders state Sci. and Tech., 1962; 24:29-54. Fauna Series 3 : Fauna of West Bengals. Zool. Surv. India, Kolkata,1992; 357-500. catalog.http://dx.doi.org/10.5531/db.iz.0001. © 2013| Published by IRJSE Cite this article as: Feroz Ahmad Dar. Study of Spiders fauna from Wadali Lake, Amravati of Vidarbha Region, Int. Res. J. of Sci. & Engg., 2014; 2(1): 26-28. Source of Support: Nil, Conflict of Interest: None declared © 2013|IRJSE www.irjse.in 28 .