Life Sciences Leaflets FREE DOWNLOAD ISSN 2277-4297(Print)0976–1098(Online) STUDY OF SPIDER DIVERSITY FROM VADNAGAR TALUKA GUJARAT , B.M. PARMAR AND K. B. PATEL ZOOLOGY DEPARTMENT, Universal Impact SHETH M.N.SCIENCE COLLEGE, PATAN, GUJARAT - 384265. Factor 0.9285:2012; Corresponding author’s e-mail: [email protected] 1.2210:2013 Index Copernicus ICV 2011: 5.09 ABSTRACT: ICV 2012: 6.42 The present study is about the Spiders diversity which was carried out in ICV 2013: 15.8 selected areas of Vadnagar Taluka, Gujarat, India. The spiders have collected NAAS Rating and observe during July 2012 to May 2013, using handpicking, ground hand 2012 : 1.3; 2013-2014:2.69 collecting and aerial hand collecting methods. In this study, 75 species belonging to 51 genera spread over 19 families of order Araneae were Received on: 18th March 2015 identified. Among those spiders most individuals were adult female, juvenile and few of adult male observed. Revised on: 16th April 2015 KEY WORDS: Spiders, Diversity, Vadnagar, Gujarat Accepted on: . 19th April 2015 Published on: INTRODUCTION: 1st June 2015 The spider fauna of Gujarat State is rich and highly diverse; total 266 species, Volume No. 89 genera representing 28 families are recorded (Siliwal, 2010).There are few Online & Print 64 (2015) references on the spiders fauna of Gujarat and the few researchers; viz. Patel et. al., 2001, 2003; Manju Saliwal et. al., 2003; Bhatt, 2008; Patel et. al., 2012 Page No. 94 to 101 &Vachhani et. al., 2012 carried out studies. Life Sciences Leaflets is an international The Vadnagar is situated in north Gujarat, Mahesana. This area has own open access print & e ecosystems and it consist 75 species of spider fauna. The collections of species journal, peer reviewed, worldwide abstract were done during July 2012 to May 2013 Vadnagar taluka. listed, published every month with ISSN, RNI STUDY AREA: Free- membership, The Vadnagar lies between 23° 78’71.77’’ to 23°47’06’’N Latitude and downloads and access. 72°64’78.50’’ to 72°38’24’’ E Longitude has 31,223ha area, in Gujarat state http://lifesciencesleaflets.ning.com/ PEER-REVIEWED Page | 94 Life Sciences Leaflets FREE DOWNLOAD ISSN 2277-4297(Print)0976–1098(Online) (India). This area is fall in semi-arid climatic zone. Having temperature 42 to 44°C in summer and lowering down to 15 to 5°C during winter months. Average rainfall becomes 600.5 mm. Moisture condition dry to humid. April and May are hottest months. July and August remains humid while other months remain dry (Patel, 2003). According to Champion and Seth (1968), the Vadnagar falls in to forest type 5/E2 (Boswellia type of forest) of North Gujarat (Patel et. al., 2010). The vegetation of vadnagar cover with Azadirachta indica, Acacia nilotica, Zizyphus mauritiana, Holeptelia integrifolia, Prosopis chilensis, etc. like trees which is dominant trees of the area. Shrub and herb species are also present. Agro-ecosystems exist at the skirt areas of the forest. Crop calendar is fixed as an agro-practice for local (Patel et. al., 2010). METHODOLOGY: The observation of spider was made during July 2012 to May 2013 from Vadnagar taluka. Spiders are found in everywhere like on trees, foliage, in leaf folds, between branches, on flowers, under stones, logs and in rubbish and leaf litter on forest floors (Sebastian, 2009). As spiders exploit a wide variety of niches, sampling was done in order to collect representative samples from all habitats. Sampling required a combination of methods, so three different collection techniques viz., ground hand collection; aerial hand collection (Coddington, 1996) and hand picking were employed. Specimens were identified up to family, genus and species level when possible with help of taxonomic keys. The area was surveyed with majority of specimen are identified on the spot up to genus level. Samples were collected from all types of habitats by sampling methods or directly in to specimen tubes (5.2 x 2.5 cm.) with screw caps with properly labelled date, locality and other notes of importance. For detailed examination of all specimens use stereo zoom microscope (Olympus SZ51) with objective 1to 4 and eyepieces of 8x and 40x magnification were used. The samples were kept in standard glass box of 10 x 10 cm. and 6.25 x 6.25 cm. Standard references, monographs and taxonomic keys (Pocock 1900, Tikader 1980, 1982, 1987, Tikader & Biswas 1981and Platnick 2013) were used in taxonomic identification. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: The diversity of spider fauna resulted in identification of 75 species belonging to 51 genera spread over 19 families of order Araneae which represent 17 % of the total families reported from world. Family diversity: The maximum numbers of species are in Araenidae (14 species) and Salticidae (13 species). Oxyopidae (8 species), Thomisidae (6 species), Sparrasidae (5 species), Lycosidae (5 species) are cover species diversity of the middle order. Pholsidae (3 species), Therididae (3 species), Uloboridae (3 species), Tetragnathidae (2 species), Gnaphosidae (2 species), Agelenidae(1 species), Corinnidae (1 species), http://lifesciencesleaflets.ning.com/ PEER-REVIEWED Page | 95 Life Sciences Leaflets FREE DOWNLOAD ISSN 2277-4297(Print)0976–1098(Online) Eresidae (1 species), Filistatidae (1 species), Miturgidae (1 species), Oecobiidae (1 species), Scytodidae (1 species) are also recorded during the present study. Generic diversity India subcontinent represents 438 genera (Keswani et. al., 2012) and Gujarat represent 89 genera (Siliwal, 2010) from which 51 genera are recorded in Vadnagar taluka. Salticidae represent highest generic diversity with 12 species follow by Araenidae (8) and Thomisidae (5). Species richness In account with Indian spider 1686 species are recorded (Keswani et. al., 2012) and 75 species are recorded from Vadnagar taluka in 312.23 sq.km area. Endemism In this 75 species recorded, Argiope anasuja, Hyllus semicupreus, Stegodyphus sarasinorum are endemic to South Asia. Neoscona mukerjei, Zygiella indica, Lycosa tista, Cheiracanthium nalsaroverense, Oxyopes ratnae, Myrmarachne bengalensis, Myrmarachne bengalensis, Heteropoda bhaikakai, Achaearanea durgae, Thomisus lobosus, Thomisus shivajiensis, Xysticus breviceps, Uloborus krishnae are endemic to India. Affinities The recorded spiders show similarities with pantropical, paleotropical, holarctic, palearctic and cosmotropical regions. Leucauge decorata having affinities with paleotropical region, Heteropoda venatoria, Menemerus bivittatus, Artema atlanta affinities with pantropical region, Holarctic Scytodes thoracica, palearctic Oxyopes lineatus and cosmotropical Neoscona nautica, Argiope pulchella, Larinia phthisica, Parawixia dehaanii, Pardosa birmanica, Oxyopes javanus show affinities with the species of China, Philippines, Sumatra. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: Our sincere thanks are due to Professor A.V.R.L.N. Acharya, Bio-science department, S.P.University for providing lab facilities and also thankful to Dr. B.H.Patel for guidance of spider taxonomy in identification. REFERENCES : B. M. Parasharya, Raju V. Vyas and B. H. Patel,2011. 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