International Journal of Innovative Research and Advanced Studies (IJIRAS) ISSN: 2394-4404 Volume 4 Issue 7, July 2017 Diveresity And Distribution Of Spider Fauna In Different Ecosystems Of Chikmagalur Parts Of Western Ghats, Karnataka Prashanthakumara S.M M. Venkateshwarlu Department of P.G. Studies and Research in Applied Zoology, Jnana Sahyadri, Kuvempu University, Shankaraghatta, Shivamogga, Karnataka, India Abstract: Spider diversity in coffee agro ecosystem was conducted using active searching, visual observation and leaf litter sampling techniques. Survey and sampling was conducted during January 2015 to June 2015. In hitherto study 465 specimens representing 45 species and 13 families. The Araneidae was the most dominant family having the highest number of species recorded (16), followed by the family Salticidae (9), Oxyopidae (4), Lycosidae and Theridiidae (3), Pholcidae, Tetragnathidae (2) and Agelenidae, Clubinoidae, Scytodidae, Sparasidae, Thomsidae and Uloboridae are one species each respectively. The density was the highest in the Muthodi coffee agroecosystem and lowest in the urban ecosystem. Keywords: Diversity, Western Ghats, Habitats, Spiders, Coffee ecosystem I. INTRODUCTION Our knowledge of Indian spider fauna is extremely fragmentary. Indian spiders from all regions have been studied Spiders are ubiquitous predators that are abundant and earlier by several European workers and later by Indian diverse in agricultural ecosystems. Spider assemblages have Arachnologist by Blackwall (1850). He described some newly the ability to limit population growth of arthropod pests and discovered species and characters of a new genus of other natural enemies (Mansour et al., 1980; Oraze and Araneidae. The earliest contribution on Indian spiders was by Grigaric, 1989; Richert and Bishop, 1990; Carter and Rypstra, Stoliczka (1869) and Karsh (1873). Gravely (1921) added 1995). Different studies have shown that spiders influence on considerably to the knowledge of Indian spiders. A major prey populations depends on spider density. Therefore, contribution to Indian arachnology was made by Pocock and relatively high spider abundance has been considered a Tikader, who made other researchers to take interest in requirement for pest control in agricultural systems research on spider. Pocock described 112 new species of (Greenstone, 1999; Richert, 1999; Sunderland and Samu, spider from India. His book published in the year 1990 2000), but the role of spider diversity in prey regulation is less provided the first list of spiders, along with enumeration and understood. new descriptions (Tikader, 1987) also published the first Coffee agroecosystems are particularly useful systems for comprehensive list of Indian spiders, which includes 1067 exploring how vegetation structures affect spider’s diversity species belonging to 249 genera in 43 families. A number of and density. It has a diversified arthropod fauna (Ibarra, 1990; species from Lahore were described by Dyal (1935). Spiders Ibarra and Garci, 1998) and a range of different management of many families were practically unknown from Karnataka systems (Perfecto et al., 1996; Moguel and Toledo, 1999). earlier to Tikader (1980, 1982) who described many species of Coffee plantations commonly include shade trees normally the families (Lycosidae, Aranidae, Thomisidae, Gnaphosidae, used to regulate sun intensity on coffee shrub, but the level of Philodromidae) from all over India. Currently 46,738 species the shade used is variable according to land scape availability. in 4058 genera and 112 families have been described (Platnick, 2017). Updated checklist of Indian spiders includes Page 20 www.ijiras.com | Email: [email protected] International Journal of Innovative Research and Advanced Studies (IJIRAS) ISSN: 2394-4404 Volume 4 Issue 7, July 2017 1,686 species, 438 genera and 60 families (Keswani et al., SAMPLING 2012). We know little about how many species are threatened and which may already have been extinct, what spider play, The field observation and collection of spiders was made what role in ecosystem. The works regarding spider faunal twice in the month from January 2015 to June 2015. The survey were not yet explored in this region. The need is, in spiders are collected from Bushes, tree trunks, ferns, forest fact made more urgent by the spirit of developmental floor, foliage and grass lands by visual searching and hand activities; new settlements also affected the natural habitat for pecking method (Tikader, 1987) and (Sudhikumar et al., spiders. Our work provides list of spiders located in the 2005). The collected spiders were preserved in 70% alcohol manmade ecosystems of Chikkamagalur. and species identification done by the help of World spider catalogue (Platnick, 2017). The collected data was subjected to the statistical analysis namely Dominance, Shannon Index, II. MATERIALS AND METHODS Evenness and Species Richness by using past3 software. STUDY AREA III. RESULT AND DISCUSSION The study was conducted in Muthodi and Chikkolale coffee agro ecosystems and urban ecosystem of Chikkamagalur taluk provides diverse habitat to various Chikkamagalur. It is located in the foothills of Mullayanagiri spider species. A total of 456 individuals were collected range, the highest peak between Himalayas and the Nilagiries, during the study period in the area of Muthodi and Chikkolale in the shadow of the Western Ghats. Chikkamagalur is famous coffee agroecosystem and urban ecosystem. Among these 45 for coffee production and hill stations and is known as Coffee species under 34 genera and 13 families were recorded. This land of Karnataka. It is a place in India where coffee was represents 21.66% of total families and 2.66% of total species cultivated for the first time. reported from India (Keswani et al., 2012). Among them 16 species belonged to family Araneidae, followed by Salticidae HABITATS DESCRIPTION (9), Oxyopidae (4), Lycocidae and Theridiidae (3), Tetragnathidae, Pholcidae (2) and Agelenidae, Clubionidae, In the present study, we were selected two sites in Scytodidae, Sparassidae, Thomsidae and Uloboridae (1) mountain area of coffee agroecosystem and urban ecosystem respectively (Table-1). The distribution of spiders in Muthodi of Chikkamagalur (Fig1). coffee agroecosystem with 35 species followed by Chikolale Muthodi Coffee agroecosystem: It is belonging to Bhadra 24 species and urban ecosystem 13 species was recorded. The Wildlife Sanctuary located in 13°22' N and 75°39' E and Araneidae family is the most dominant it includes 37% of the an elevation of 1204 m. Coffee estate having a lush green total species, followed by the Salticidae 23%, Oxyopidae 7%, vegetation of mostly moist and dry deciduous forests, Tetragnathidae and Theridiidae 6% each, Pholcidae 3% and which is 20 km away from the Chikkamagalur city. The Agelenidae, Clubionidae, Scytodidae, Sparassidae, temperature of the region being 22-32°C. Thomisidae and Uloboridae are 1% each of the total species Chikkolale Coffee agroecosystem: It is a small village in collected (Fig 2). Spider diversity is high in Muthodi it is due Chikkamagalur taluk located in 13°20' N and 75°43' E and to low disturbance and rich diversity of plants and insects. It an elevation 1161m. It is very near to human habitat and can be assumed that rich floral diversity provides diverse having less number of forest plants and 9 km away from microhabitat for the faunal diversity. In terrestrial habitats, the Chikmagalur city. spiders are dominant group of predators that in the role as Urban area of Chikkamagalur: It is in 13°20' N and 75°43' generalist feeders (Nentwing, 1986); (Wolf, 1990). The spider E latitude and an elevation 1037 m. The temperature of diversity was very less in the urban ecosystem and it may be the city ranges between 11-30°C. due to lack of food sources and habitat loss. Figure 2 Figure 1 Page 21 www.ijiras.com | Email: [email protected] International Journal of Innovative Research and Advanced Studies (IJIRAS) ISSN: 2394-4404 Volume 4 Issue 7, July 2017 Sl.No. Species name Muthodi Chikkolale Urban 1899) area Scytodidae Agelenidae 37 Scytodes sp. + - - 1 Tegenaria sp. - - + Sparassidae Araneidae 38 Heteropoda - - + 2 Arachnura sp. + - - venatoria 3 Araneus sp. + - - (Linnaeus, 1767) 4 Argiope anasuja + + - Tetragnathidae (Thorell, 1887) 39 Leucauge sp. + + - 5 Argiope pulchella + - + 40 Tetragnatha sp. + + - (Thorell, 1881) Theridiidae 6 Cyclosa bifida + - - 41 Theridion sp. + + + (Doleschall, 1859) 42 Argyrodes - + - 7 Cyclosa conica + + - flavescens (O. (Pallas, 1772) Pickard-Cambridge, 8 Cyrtophora bidenta - + - 1880) (Tikader, 1970) 43 Theridion manjithar + - - 9 Cyrtophora - + + (Tikader, 1970) citricola (Forsskal, Thomisidae 1775) 44 Thomisus sp. + - - 10 Gasteracantha + + - Uloboridae geminate (Fabricius, 45 Uloborus sp. + - - 1798) ‘+’=Present, ‘-’=Absent 11 Gasteracantha kuhli + - - (C. L. Koch, 1837) Table 1: Distribution of Spider species in different locations 12 Neoscona mukerjei + - - Totally 456 individuals representing the 45 species (Tikader, 1980) belongings to 13 families were recorded in three habitats of 13 Neoscona nautica + + + Chikkamagalur. Their distribution includes 10 from Muthodi (L. Koch, 1875) agroecosystem and 6 from Chikkolale and 7 from urban 14 Parawixia dehaani + + - (Doleschall, 1859) ecosystem respectively. Araneidae, Lycosidae, Salticidae and 15 Nephila pilipes + + - Theridiidae are the most diversified families, the members of (Fabricius, 1793) these families are recorded in