Research Collection Journal Article Spiders in natural pest control: a review Author(s): Nyffeler, Martin; Benz, Georg Publication Date: 1987 Permanent Link: https://doi.org/10.3929/ethz-a-005802284 Originally published in: Journal of Applied Entomology 103(1-5), http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1439-0418.1987.tb00992.x Rights / License: In Copyright - Non-Commercial Use Permitted This page was generated automatically upon download from the ETH Zurich Research Collection. For more information please consult the Terms of use. ETH Library Departrnent of Enton'tology, Szoiss Federal Institute of Technology, ETH-Zentrum, Zaicb, Sntitzerland Spiders in natural pest control: A reviewl By M. Nvnnnrnn and G. BnNz Abstract In spite of the large number of studies about the ecology of spiders carried out in the last two decades in different types of ecosysrems all over the world, the significance of these animals as natural controI agents is still largely unknown. In this paper the literature about that subject is reviewed. Totally 300 scientific papers, published betwein 1920 md 1984, are cited here. Several European and American studies have provided evidence. that in undisturbed grassland ecosystems and forest ecosystems spiders can play an important ecological role as preäators of inseits and other invertebrates. Alsd in orchards, Äo, ,.."äd with pestic"ides, that are'to a certain degree comparable wirh forest ecosystems, spiders can be abundant predators. In contrast to that, the opinion about the predatory importance of spiders inhabiting cultivated fietds is controuersial. The^results of some'Europ."n studies indicatd, that the foliaie-dwelling spid_ers of cultivated fields, because of their low pipulation densities, are of minor importance as predators of insects. Other European studies show,-that the ground-dwelling spiders oT cultivated fields are concerning their abunäance a dominant Dredator-group, those significance as control agents still is largel! unknown up to the p."..nt. In rice lieldi (swamp äcosystems) in Asia, receiving little or no pesticides, as well as in European and American swamp ecosystems, spiders may De an rmportant predator group. In houses in South Africa spideis were used successfully as biological control agents against flies. 1 Introduction Spiders are among the most abundant predarors of insects of terrestrial ecosystems (Trscnrrn 1965; veu Hoor 1971;MovrDER and Pir,rc:r^rn 1972; ScnerrBn 1974; EowrRDs er aI. 1,976). Under favorable conditions they can reach maximal densities of up to 1000 individuals/m2 approximarely (Pnensr 1946; Durruy 1962; \ürrorueNN 1978). It has therefore been supposed for some time that spiders may play an important role as stabilizing agents and/or regulators of . insect populalions in agroecosystems, forest eöosystems, and other terrestrlal ecosystems, Qyri"g the_ last 2(i years,numerous studies on the spider faunas in agricul- tural habitats have been published all over the world. Tables 1-4 give a ieview classified according to cöntinents and countries: table 1 for Euroie (including the U.S.S.R.), table 2 for America, table 3 for Asia, and table 4 for Africa anil the Oceanic-Australian region. Also in forest ecosystems many studies on lThis paper represents a revised portion of a thesis submitted in 1982 by the first author to the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) at Zurich in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Ph.D. degree (Doctor of lrüt"..l Sciences). This iesearch was supported by'the Swiss National Science Foundation, grant 3.0020.76. U.S. Copyright Clearance Center Code Sratement: 0044-2240/87/0304-0321, $ OZ.SOUO J. Appl. Ent. 103 (1987),321-339 @ 1987 Verlag Paul Parey, Hamburg und Berlin ISSN 0044-2240 322 M. Nyffeler and G. Benz Table 1. List of literature on the spider faunas in agroecosystems in Europe, including the U.S.S.R. Country Agroeco- Country Agroeco- Authors system system Austria meadows Luuar (1979) German rape Brvrn (1981) Tnaren et al. (1977, Demo- sugar-beet BrrEn (1981) 1978) cratic kohlrabi Bnvrx (1981) arable Tnerrn and SrrrNpn Republic marrow- Bnvrx (1981) land (1e75) stem kale TruBn et al. (1977) Great pasture Cnrnnrrr (1964) orchards Püxnrxcrn (1982) Britain Dunrrv (1962) meadows Dumnv (1924) Belgium cereals Dr Clencq (1979) cereals Fnasen (1982) CortrNre md Crencq Locrur (1928) (1e77) VrcrpnrrraN and Surorn- diverse BosuaNs and Corrrnrr reuo (1975) crops (1e77) POtato DUNN (1949) sugar-beet Tuonr.rHrn (1983) Bulgaria pasture Drrcssv and KaJar orihards (1956) (re74) CmNr Hungary allalfa Barocn and Loxsa Czecho- pasture Pornltac (1968) (1e56) slovakia alfalta Mrrun (cit. Luczar, Noruay straw- Taxso,r.r (1973) 1979) berry sugar-beet Mnren (1974) Poland pasture Drr-cnrv md K-qer Federal meadows Boress (1953) (1e74) Republic Scnarrpx and Hers meadows BneYl,rEyen (1967, 197 8) of (1e7e) Kalar (1960, 1962, 1971, Gernany clover BoNrss (1958) 1978,1980) alfalfa Bourss (1958) Krler and Jarurczvr cereals Besroov (1973) (1e75) BesBoow md Mrrrrr Kayar et al. (1968,1971) (re77) alfalfa Lvcz* (1975) Bnassr (1975) cereals Lucz K (1974, 1975, asparagus DrNcren (1935) 1976,1979) vineyard Krnll (1978) POtato Czlyra and Kerre (1976) orchards Knauvrcn (1961) G.uecxe (1966) Naror (1976) Lucz^K (197+,1975, diverse Hevoru.rlw (1953) 1976, 1979) crops TrscHren (1958) sugar-beet Cza1x.r. and Goos (1976) Goos (1973) Finland leys Hunra and Sweden straw- Aruqursr (1981) R*rmrwrr (1924) berrY cereals Huxre and Rmrlrarrer (1924) Switzer- meadows Brrz & Nvrnrren (1980) land (1974,1975) Rut:rrunrl and Meunrn Huura (1968) Nvnrnrrn and Br.Nz (1979b,1981b) Frmce alfalfa CHauvrr (1960,1967) cereals Nnrrlen and BENz (1979a, 1980a) Germm meadows Bercn (1981) Nvnnrrrn md Belrz (1981a,1981b) Demo- Mürrrn et al. (1978) cratic grass- Brvrn (1981) Nvnrnrrn md Brrz Republic clover (1982a, r982b) mrxture rape Nyrrrrrn and BBNz alfalfa Gurrn (1963) (1979a) cereals Brrrn (1981) U.S.S.R. meadows Vrnesrr (1965) DrErnrcn and Görzr cereals AsHrnavrv (1923) (1e74) POtato Kovar (1975) spiders have been carried out (review in VIrf 1953; KlncHnnn 1964; Mour- DER and RrrcHn 1972; Nyrnnmx 1982a). Furthermore, spiders have been studied in garden ecosystems (e.g. NvrrnrER 1983). In spite of the large number of existing studies, the significance of the spiders as natural control agents in agroecösystems, forest-ecosystems, and l- Spiders in natural pest control 323 Table 2. List of literature on the spider faunas in agroecosytems in America Country Agroeco- Authors Country Agroeco- Authors system system Brazil sugarcane Bamosa et al. (1979) U.S.A. sweet corn Evrnrv (1938) rice $0ooos and Henn* over- (1966) Canada Tunxnurr (1e76) grazed pasture soybeans Brrcrsrslenrand HucceNs (1962) meadows Doroern (1971,1977) CurrN and Rusr (1980) Doroern and BrNrs al. (1976) 1977 Dnnz et Lrsen and DoNoen et al. lJxzrcrrr (1978a, b) (1970, 1972) TunNrnsrtn (1925) Fox and Donoerr (1972) (1980) wheat DoeNr and Doroerr Vurrcour (1e7e) cole Prunnrrr- (1961) orchards DoNoerr (1956, 1958) guar Rocrns and HonNrn Doroern et al. (1979) (1e77) Puruer (1967) sugarcane HrNsrrv et al. (1961) Purue.N and Hrnnr Nrcu md Hrnsrrv (1e66) (1e6e) cotton Bunrercn et al. (1973) Panama seed reser- Bmvurven (1928) Cram and Grrcr (1961) vation DraN et al. (1982) pasture (1928) Bnrvurvrn Donnrs (1970) banana HARRTSoN (1968) et al. (1976) plants JonNsow KeceN (1943) Peru cultivated Acurran (1965) Lrrcn and Hunllr fields (1e6e) cotton Acurren (1974) Locxrny et al. (1979) U.S.A. pasture Hoveno and Orrven McDeuer and SrrnrrNc (1e78) (te7e) Prcr and \(urcoun Prnruuen (1964) (1e78) Prerrns and Srrnrrrc '\üünrrcoun et al. (1963a) (1e74) Iüolcorr (1937) Snlpenn and SrrnrrNc meadows \Tolcorr (1937) (1e72) Srau et al. (1978) allalla Hovnrr and 'S7Hrrcovg Pronrovsrr (1971) and Bln (le64) Murrepper and Cxme 'rüünrrcoMs (1eZob) and Teorc Scnrrncnn and Dnrnrcr (le63) (1e60) \Tnrrcoun et al. Vurnrn (1923) 1963a, b) Yeancar.r (1975a, b) citrus CARRoLL (1980) Yr.q.nceN and CorHmr Muur (1973, 1975) (1e74) orchards Lpcrqen and OarueN Yrencax and Dotoere (le64) (|e74) McCerrney and cereals HonNrn (1972) HonssuncH (1978,1980) Murr.lppeN and CHme Specsr and Dotoau (t970a) (1e60) grain Beruv and Cseoe diverse BrrsrNc (1920) sorghum (1e68) crops $Tnrlcoun(1974,1975) other terrestrial ecosystems is still largely unknown. This could be attributed to the fact that up to the present most studies were limited either to the investigation of the species composition and the seasonal occurrence of spiders in the field (sweep net and pitfall trap collections) or to measurements of respiration, food consumption tests, and prey preference trials in the labora- tory. However, the results of investigations on the nutrition of spiders in the laboratory cannot readily be extrapolated to field conditions, beCause spiders may behave differently in the laboratory than in the field. In the laborätorv, certain hunting spiders consume considerably more prey than would be 324 M. Nyffeler and G. Benz Table 3. List of literature on the spider faunas in agroecosytems in Asia Country Agroeco- Authors Country Agroeco- Authors svst€m system India naize Snenue and Sanup Japan rice Tovooe and Yossruune (1e7e) (r966) SrncH and Saronu YecrNuue (1965) (1e76) YeueNo (1977) rice Karonr (1976) cabbage KevesHrue (1960) Salrar and Mrsna (1975) Suzurr and Oruue cotton Barru and SrNcn (1915) (1e75) citrus SeoeN.l and Keun (1974) taro Nemsup (1976) grapevines Senere and Salrosu tea KerHorsu (1929) (re77) Temo.r, (1922) Terooe et al. (1978) Israel citrus SHurov (1938) mulberry KevesHru.l (1 9 67, 19 7 2) apple M.qllsoun et al. cltrus Keruorsu (1979) orchards (1980a, b, c) NoHlnl and Yesuuet:su MeNsoun et al. (1981) (1965) orchards Hurusrrlre (1961) Japan rice Hauauum (1969,1971) Hurusrr're and Korcoo HesHruoro (1974) (te62) HrmNo and KrnrleNr Oruu.r, (1923) (1e76) Korea rice CHor et al. (1978) Irö er (1962) et al. (1976) Kxrve.^1. and Krnrtarr Horvo et al. (1978) (1e76) Oruue and Kru (1973) Karc and Krnrterr Pa.rr al. (1974) (1e78) Palr et mulberry Perx et al.