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Abstract:
The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the diversity of species in disturbed and
undisturbed areas, and this report presents the results of this study. The study area was the IIT
Tirupati campus, where equal time was spent for collecting data in both disturbed and
undisturbed regions. The study found that the undisturbed region had a significantly higher
diversity of species, with a greater number of different types of species observed in this area
compared to the disturbed region. The Orbweavers family was the most commonly found
species in both regions, but the undisturbed region had more rare and unique species that
were not frequently seen in the disturbed region.
These findings underscore the importance of preserving undisturbed areas to maintain
biodiversity. Human activities, such as urbanization and agriculture, can disrupt the natural
habitat and lead to a loss of biodiversity. Therefore, it is crucial to conserve undisturbed areas
to ensure the survival of a variety of species. This study contributes to the growing body of
knowledge on the impact of human activities on biodiversity and provides valuable insights
into the importance of preserving natural habitats.
Introduction
Spiders are a primitive group of animals occurring almost everywhere, on or near water,
inside or on the ground; from the seashore to the tops of the high mountains and in various
climates from deserts to snowlands. They are distributed extensively in the fields, thick forest
floors as well as in the human habitations and deserted buildings, under stones and logs and
on tree trunks and flowering shoots.
The objective of this project is to study the diversity of Spiders species in Disturbed and
Undisturbed environment.
Spiders are among the dominant predators of any terrestrial community. When the fauna of
the soil and its plant cover is analysed, they come to light in vast numbers, in such convincing
abundance that it is evident that they play a significant part in the life of every habitat.
Spiders are members of the class Arachnida, of the phylum Arthropoda, animals that possess
jointed appendages and a chitinous exoskeleton, which includes a diverse range of species
such as scorpions, mites, and ticks. The members of this class ·arc air-breathing arthropods
and their head and thorax are usually fused together, forming a cephalothorax, provided with
four pairs of legs and apparently there are no antennae. The Arachnida are viviparous or
oviparous.
In arachnids, the sexes are separate and in some the sexual dimorphism is very much
remarkable. They are either viviparous or oviparous. The young ones are born or hatched
from the egg, in a form substantially resembling their parents without any metamorphosis,
but undergo a series of successive moults. The individuals are generally terrestrial,
carnivorous, either diurnal or nocturnal.
Spiders Insects
2. They already have a combined head 2. Insects have their head, the thorax, and
and thorax. This combined thorax and the abdomen.
head is called a cephalothorax, but
they do still have an abdomen.
3. Use their chelicerae to consume their 3. Use their mandibles to consume food.
food.
While there is no current global list of species of spiders, there are estimated to be over
48,000 species of spiders worldwide, with new species being discovered each year. In India's
Eastern Ghats region alone, there are over 600 recorded species of spiders, making it a
hotspot for arachnid diversity.
Compared to other members of the phylum Arthropoda, spiders are unique in their ability to
produce silk, which they use for a wide range of purposes. While scorpions, mites, and ticks
also have eight legs and a similar body plan, they do not produce silk or use webs to capture
prey.
In terms of spider fauna, there are numerous general series that categorize and describe spider
species, including the World Spider Catalog, which is a comprehensive online database of
spider taxonomy and nomenclature. Understanding the diversity and distribution of spider
species is crucial for the conservation and management of ecosystems, as spiders play
important roles in many ecological processes, such as pollination and pest control.
General Series on fauna published by Gazetteer of India, Eastern Ghats of Southern Andhra
Pradesh, records a total of 90 species of spiders belonging to 14 families (Tikader, 1980)
International Studies:
Since the 18th century, naturalists have been interested in the distribution and diversity of
spiders. There have been many studies on the systematics and taxonomy of spiders, including
Petrunkevitch's inquiry into their natural classification based on internal anatomy, Bonnet's
overview on spider taxonomy, and Lehtinen's comparative and phylogenetic system of
classification. Other researchers have provided illustrated keys and notes to identify different
spider genera in specific regions. The distribution of spiders in certain regions, such as South
Asia, New Zealand, and Australia, has been well documented, while other areas such as Latin
America, Africa, and the Pacific region remain less well known. As of 2011, there were
42,473 documented species of spider belonging to 3,849 genera and 110 families worldwide,
according to The World Spider Catalog by Platnick.
National Studies:
While spiders are found in large numbers across the country, our understanding of Indian
spiders remains incomplete and limited. Two of the earliest contributions on Indian spiders
were made by Stoliczka (1869) and Karsch (1873). Simon (1892) recorded many species
from the Himalayas and Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
The study conducted by Harinath Palem, Suryanarayana Kanike, Venkata Ramana Sri
Purushottam, found 14 families of spiders described by Tirumala from Andhra Pradesh, 18
families was newly reported.
Study site:
The area chosen for this study is IIT Tirupati. The area is divided into two categories:
Disturbed and Undisturbed area, Undisturbed area comprising of the area where there is no
construction or the construction is negligible, whereas the Disturbed area comprises of transit
campus of IIT Tirupati, DB1, DB2, Admin Block and all other sites where the construction
activity is ongoing. The temperature ranges from 22.50C to 31.60C with an average
temperature of 25.80C.
The species was also collected from regions including the Hostels of the IIT Tirupati Campus
as well as mess which is considered as the Ecological disturbed area in our study.
Study Sites Geographical Features Habitat Type
Results:
Note - *indicated the Species was found the that broad category(superfamily and infraorder),
we were not able to identify which family do that species belong accurately.
Day
and
2 Tailed cellar spiders Crossopriza lyoni Disturbed Night 45
Disturbed Day
Larinioides and
9 Grey Cross Spider sclopetarius Night 13
Disturbed Day
Silver Garden and
14 Orbweaver Argiope argentata Night 7
Disturbed Day
and
15 Spotted Orbweaver Neoscona crucifera Night 7
Disturbed Day
Marbled Cellar Holocnemus and
20 Spider pluchei Night 6
Disturbed Day
and
22 Brown Sailor Spider Neoscona nautica Night 6
Undisturbed Day
Hump Back Araneid and
24 Spider Eriovixia excelsa Night 5
Disturbed Day
and
29 Cellar Spider Pholcus manueli Night 5
Disturbed Day
Long-bodied Cellar Pholcus and
30 Spider phalangioides Night 4
Undisturbed Day
and
34 White Lynx Spider Oxyopes shweta Night 4
Undisturbed Day
and
36 Parawixia audax Parawixia audax Night 4
Both Day
Tetragnatha and
39 Tetragnatha elongata elongata Night 3
41 Larinioides Undisturbed 3
Furrow Orbweaver cornutus Night
42 Cricket-bat 3
Orbweaver Mangora acalypha Undisturbed Night
46 Day 2
Tropical Tent-web and
Spider Cyrtophora citricola Disturbed Night
48 Day 2
Tuft-legged and
Orbweaver Mangora placida Undisturbed Night
50 Day 2
and
Wall Spider Oecobius navus Undisturbed Night
51 Day 2
and
Pardosa mercurialis Pardosa mercurialis Undisturbed Night
Day
and
52 Small Cross Spider Argiope minuta Both Night 2
Day
and
55 Noble False Widow Steatoda nobilis Disturbed Night 2
Day
Laglaise's Garden and
56 Spider Eriovixia laglaizei Undisturbed Night 2
Day
and
57 Neoscona vigilans Neoscona vigilans Undisturbed Night 2
Day
Araneus and
59 Cross Orbweaver diadematus Undisturbed Night 1
Day
and
60 Tropical Orbweaver Eriophora ravilla Both Night 1
Day
Goldenrod Crab and
61 Spider Misumena vatia Both Night 1
Day
Silver Long-jawed and
62 Orbweaver Silver Spider Undisturbed Night 1
Day
Steatoda and
63 Triangulate Combfoot triangulosa Both Night 1
Genus Genus
64 Trachelopachys Trachelopachys Undisturbed Day 1
Day
Hawaiian Garden and
65 Spider Argiope appensa Undisturbed Night 1
Day
Arabesque and
66 Orbweaver Neoscona arabesca Undisturbed Night 1
Metepeira
67 Labyrinth Orbweaver labyrinthea Undisturbed Day 1
Day
and
68 Angular Orbweaver Araneus angulatus Both Night 1
Day
and
69 Black House Spider Badumna insignis Both Night 1
Day
Humpbacked and
70 Orbweaver Eustala anastera Both Night 1
Day
African Green Lynx and
72 Spider Peucetia viridis Undisturbed Night 1
Day
Ornamental Tree Herennia and
73 Trunk Spider multipuncta Undisturbed Night 1
Day
Two-striped and
74 Telamonia elamonia dimidiata Both Night 1
Day
and
76 Wulfila saltabundus Wulfila saltabundus Undisturbed Night 1
Day
Tuberculated Crab and
78 Spider Tmarus angulatus Undisturbed Night 1
Day
Common Stretch Tetragnatha and
79 Spider extensa Both Night 1
Common Pirate
80 Spider Mimetus puritanus Both Day 1
Day
Common Hentz and
81 Jumping Spider Hentzia palmarum Undisturbed Night 1
Day
and
82 Carrhotus viduus Carrhotus viduus Undisturbed Night 1
Day
Silver-sided Sector and
83 Spider Zygiella x-notata Both Night 1
Day
Ninja-star Ceiling and
84 Spider Zosis geniculata Both Night 1
Day
and
85 Genus Coleosoma Genus Coleosoma Undisturbed Night 1
Day
Saint Andrew's Cross and
87 Spider Argiope keyserlingi Undisturbed Night 1
Day
Drumming Sword and
89 Wolf Spider Gladicosa gulosa Undisturbed Night 1
Day
Eurasian Running and
90 Crab Spider Philodromus dispar Undisturbed Night 1
Day
and
91 Steatoda castanea Steatoda castanea Disturbed Night 1
Day
Araneus Araneus and
92 detrimentosus detrimentosus Undisturbed Night 1
Day
Short-bodied Cellar Physocyclus and
97 Spider globosus Disturbed Night 1
Pseudeuophrys
98 Pseudeuophrys vafra vafra Undisturbed Day 1
Day
Variegated Lynx Oxyopes and
99 Spider heterophthalmus Undisturbed Night 1
Day
and
102 Kogane-gumo Spider Argiope amoena Undisturbed Night 1
Day
and
103 Lean Lynx Spider Oxyopes macilentus Undisturbed Night 1
Cryptachaea
105 White Porch Spider gigantipes Disturbed Day 1
Day
and
106 Grass Cross Spider Argiope catenulata Undisturbed Night 1
Wasp-mimic Jumping
107 Spider Rhene flavicomans Undisturbed Day 1
Walckenaer's
Feather-legged Uloborus
108 Spider walckenaerius Undisturbed Night 1
Day
and
109 Genus Wadicosa Genus Wadicosa Undisturbed Night 1
Day
and
110 Genus Psellonus Genus Psellonus Undisturbed Night 1
Day
Euryopis and
112 Ant-eating Theridiid episinoides Undisturbed Night 1
Day
and
113 Scytodes atlacoya Scytodes atlacoya Undisturbed Night 1
Day
Neoscona Neoscona and
114 menghaiensis menghaiensis Undisturbed Night 1
Day
and
116 Araneus granadensis Filter by Place Undisturbed Night 1
Sandy ground
117 Attulus ammophilus Jumper Undisturbed Day 1
Day
Small Round and
118 Orbweaver Araneus rotundulus Undisturbed Night 1
Day
and
119 Zimiris doriae Zimiris doriae Undisturbed Night 1
Day
and
120 Guizygiella nadleri Guizygiella nadleri Undisturbed Night 1
Banded-legged Day
Golden Orb-web Trichonephila and
121 Spider senegalensis Undisturbed Night 1
Day
Black Golden and
122 Orbweaver Nephila kuhli Undisturbed Night 1
Pear-shaped
123 Opadometa Leucauge fastigata Undisturbed Day 1
Day
and
124 Painted Cross Spider Argiope picta Undisturbed Night 1
Charts:
Distribution in terms of Families
3 1 1 1 1 5 1 23
Cellular Spider Tracheid Spider
1 44 85 7 Hackled Orbweavers Pirate Spiders
35 1 Ghosts Spiders Jumping Spider
1
Cobweb Spiders Sheetweb and Dwarf Weavers
Long-jawed Orbweavers Orbweavers
Anapidae Lynx Spider
182 Wolf Spider Funnel Weavers
Sac Spider Gnaphosoid Spider
Sparassoid Spiders House Spider
Crab Spiders Running Crab Spiders
Flatmesh Weavers
467 1
4 4
2
3
70
Results:
Shannon-Wiener Diversity Index for Different Spider families
Maps:
Study Area Map:
Map showing Tirupati
References:
13. Tikader, B.K. (1987) Handbook indian spiders: A Manual for the study of the Spiders
and their relatives: The scorpions, pseudoscorpions, whip scorpions, harvestmen and
all members of the class Arachnida found in India, with analytical keys for their
classification and biology. Calcutta, West Bengal: Zoological survey of India.
14. Palem, H., Kanike, S. and Purushottam, V.R. (2016) “Image:
Https://crossmark.crossref.org/images/crossmark_button.png Diversity of spider
fauna (arachnida: Araneae) in different ecosystems, Eastern Ghats, southern Andhra
Pradesh, India,” South Asian Journal of Life Sciences, 4(2), pp. 51–60. Available at:
https://doi.org/10.14737/journal.sajls/2016/4.2.51.60.
15. Chase , J. (ed.) (2005) Hubbell's fundamental biodiversity parameter and ... - Wiley
Online Library, Hubbell's fundamental biodiversity parameter and the Simpson
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https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1461-0248.2005.00729.x (Accessed:
April 16, 2023).
16. Chakravarthy, A.K. and Sridhara, S. (2016) Arthropod diversity and conservation in
tropics and sub-tropics. Singapore, Singapore: Springer.
17. Jhariya, M.K. et al. (2020) “Impact of Climate Change on Insects and their
Sustainable Management,” in Sustainable intensification for Agroecosystem Services
and management. Cham, Switzerland.: Springer International Publishing, pp. 779–
815.
18. Davey, G.C. (1994) “The ‘disgusting’ spider: The role of disease and illness in the
perpetuation of fear of spiders,” Society & Animals, 2(1), pp. 17–25. Available at:
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19. Zschokke, S. and Logunov, D.V. (2010) “P.A. Sebastian & K.V. peter (Hrsg.) (2009):
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