VolumeInternational II Number Journal 2 2011 for [23-28] Envi ronmental Rehabilitation and Conservation Volume IV No. 1 2013 [97 – 98] [ISSN 0975 - 6272] [ISSN 0975 - 6272] Diversity of Spiders in Agro-ecosystems of Barshitakli, District Akola, Maharashtra Amit B. Vairale Received: April 01, 2012 Accepted: Feb 28, 2013 Online: May 15, 2013 Abstract District Akola. During the present study I have Spiders are among the most abundant reported 52 species of Spiders belonging to 14 insectivorous predators of Terrestrial Families and 22 genera. Spiders of Families ecosystem. Spiders play an important role in Araneidae, Clubionidae, Eresidae, insect pest control without any harm to agro- Gnaphosidae, Hersilidae, Lycosidae, ecosystem. Recently in agricultural fields Oxyopidae, Philodromidae, Salticidae, reduced pesticide use and ecological Scytodidae, Tetragnathidae, Theridiidae, sustainability have lead to increased interest in Thomisidae, Uloboridae were recorded during spiders as potential biological pest control the investigation. agents. Spiders act as natural biological control agent in agro-ecosystem. Considerably insect Keywords: Diversity Agro-ecosystems Spiders populations increases when release from predations by spiders. Regularly use of Introduction pesticides in agricultural fields which Recently in agricultural fields reduced decreases the spider populations. pesticide use and ecological sustainability have Spider species abundance in agro-ecosystem lead to increased interest in spiders as potential can be high as undisturbed natural ecosystem. biological pest control agents. Spiders act as Spiders act as pest control creature, which natural biological control agent in agro- feeds on crop destructive insects. Spiders are ecosystem. Considerably insect populations beneficial bio-control agent of insect pest in increases when release from predations by agro-ecosystem. A survey of Spiders was spiders. Regularly use of pesticides in carried out in Agro-ecosystems of Barshitakli, agricultural fields which decreases the spider populations. Spider species abundance in agro-ecosystem For correspondence: Department of Zoology, Ghulam Nabi Azad Arts, can be high as undisturbed natural ecosystem. Commerce and Science College, Barshitakli, District Akola. Spiders act as pest control creature, which (M. S.) Email: [email protected] feeds on crop destructive insects. Spiders are Diversity of Spiders in Agro-ecosystems of Barshitakli, District Akola, Maharashtra 97 Volume IV Number 1 2013 [97 – 98] [ISSN 0975 - 6272] Amit B. Vairale beneficial bio-control agent of insect pest in agro-ecosystem. A survey of Spiders was Sr. No. Family Genera Species carried out in Agro-ecosystems of Barshitakli, 1 Araneidae 04 10 District Akola. 2 Clubionidae 01 02 3 Eresidae 01 01 During the present study 52 species are 4 Gnaphosidae 02 05 reported of Spiders belonging to 14 Families 5 Hersilidae 01 01 and 22 genera. Spiders of Families Araneidae, 6 Lycosidae 02 06 7 Oxyopidae 02 05 Clubionidae, Eresidae, Gnaphosidae, 8 Philodromidae 01 01 Hersilidae, Lycosidae, Oxyopidae, 9 Saltisidae 02 08 Philodromidae, Salticidae, Scytodidae, 10 Scytodidae 01 01 Tetragnathidae, Theridiidae, Thomisidae, 11 Tetragnathidae 01 02 12 Theridiidae 01 02 Uloboridae were recorded during the 13 Thomisidae 02 07 investigation. 14 Uloboridae 01 01 During the investigation the abundance of Five Total 22 52 Family Spiders species were more. The Orb References waver spiders of Family Araneidae and Bhattacharya, G. C. (1941b): The food and Jumping spiders of Family Salticidae are habitates of the horse spider widely distributed. The Orb waver spiders of Heteropoda venatoria. Jour. Bombay Family Araneidae form web and the insect pest nat. Hist. Soc. (42), 821. entangled in web spiders feeds on them. The Platnick, N. I. (2009): The world spider members of Salticidae family i.e. jumping catalog, version 9.5. American Museum Spiders they directly capture the insect pest of Natural History. and feeds on it. Jeyaparvathi, S., Baskaran, S. and Ga. During the study 52 species belonging to 22 Bakavathiappan (2013): Biological genera of 14 Spider Families. On the above control potential of spiders on the result and discussion it is clear that the Spiders selected cotton pests Int. J. of Pharm. & are very much important creature. Spiders are Life Sci. (IJPLS), Vol. 4, Issue 4: April: act as good Pest controller. Avoid the regular 2013, 2568-2572. use of pesticides in agricultural fields which Gajbe, U. A. (1999): Studies on some spiders decreases the spider populations, so species of the family Oxyopidae (Araneae: abundance of spider in agro-ecosystem can be Arachnida) from India. Rec. Zool. Surv. high. Spiders are beneficial bio-control agent India. 97 (3), 31-79. of insect pest in agro-ecosystem. Gajbe, U. A. (2008c): Fauna of India and adjacent Countries spider. (Arachnida: Araneae: Oxyopidae). (III), 1-116. Diversity of Spiders in Agro-ecosystems of Barshitakli, District Akola, Maharashtra 98.