ARCHIVES
VOL. 11, ISSUE 1 (2026)
The diversity and distribution of spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) in the Swami Ramanand Teerth Marathwada University Campus, Nanded, Maharashtra, India
Authors
Sanket Kadam, Shivaji Chavan, Mahesh Jadhav
Abstract
Spiders are one of the key species of the
terrestrial ecosystems. The present investigation describes the diversity and
distributional patterns of spider fauna within the Swami Ramanand Teerth
Marathwada University Campus region of the Nanded district, Maharashtra, India.
From the 12 different families, 21 species of spider were identified. The
most common taxa in the research region were Araneidae and Lycosidae, which
also showed the highest levels of taxonomic diversity and the distribution of
species was significantly impacted by habitat heterogeneity; ground-dwelling
species were more common in grassland habitats, but web-building and leaping
spiders were more common in shrub, garden, and human-modified environments. Several
ecologically significant taxa, including Neoscona species, Pardosa
pseudoannulata, and Oxyopes javanus, which are recognised natural
adversaries of agricultural insect pests, are included in the documented
assemblage. During the monsoon season diversity of spiders was high (19
species; 90.5%), followed by winter (15 species; 71.4%) and summer (13 species;
61.9%). Spider communities in the studied area are significantly influenced by
seasonal climatic circumstances. Through establishing a crucial baseline to
guide future conservation tactics and ecological management frameworks, this
study offers a more thorough understanding of the regional arachnid
biodiversity.
Download
Pages:233-238
How to cite this article:
Sanket Kadam, Shivaji Chavan, Mahesh Jadhav "The diversity and distribution of spiders (<i>Arachnida</i>: <i>Araneae</i>) in the Swami Ramanand Teerth Marathwada University Campus, Nanded, Maharashtra, India". International Journal of Entomology Research, Vol 11, Issue 1, 2026, Pages 233-238
Download Author Certificate
Please enter the email address corresponding to this article submission to download your certificate.