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Arthropods, 2023, 12(4): 193-250
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Article

Biodiversity of the spider (Arachnida: Araneae) fauna of Tamil Nadu, India

Rajendra Singh
Department of Zoology, Deendayal Upadhyaya University of Gorakhpur, Gorakhpur, India

Received 29 May 2023;Accepted 10 July 2023;Published online 20 July 2023;Published 1 December 2023
IAEES

Abstract
In this article, an updated catalogue of spider diversity in the Tamil Nadu state of India is presented. A total of 547 species of spiders described under 257 genera representing to 46 families are enlisted that have been described and/or recorded from 33 out of 38 districts of Tamil Nadu, India. Maximum species diversity of spiders was observed in Nilgiris (205 species, 118 genera, 38 families); Salem (168 species, 109 genera, 30 families), Coimbatore (156 species, 92 genera, 27 families); Chennai (131 species, 83 genera, 28 families); Chengalpattu (117 species, 86 genera, 26 families); Kanniyakumari (75 species, 57 genera, 16 families); Dindigul (76 species, 54 genera, 23 families); Theni (61 species, 45 genera, 18 families); Virudhunagar (57 species, 37 genera, 16 families); Thiruvallur (55 species, 43 genera, 15 families) districts and 1-50 species in other districts. Among the families, Salticidae is the most abundant family which comprises 100 species belonging to 59 genera and is distributed in 25 districts of Tamil Nadu followed by Araneidae (77 species, 26 genera, 26 districts), Thomisidae (39 species, 23 genera, 20 districts), Lycosidae (35 species, 10 genera, 20 districts), Theriidae (35 species, 20 genera, 18 districts), Sparassidae (27 species, 6 genera, 23 districts), and Tetragnathidae (25 species, 4 genera, 21 districts). Representation of other families is moderate (10-22 species) to poor (1-9 species). Ten families are represented by single species while 7 families are represented by only 2 species and are distributed in only 1-3 districts. Interestingly, Mimetidae is represented by only 2 species belonging to different genera but is distributed in 20 districts while Eresidae contains only 3 species of a single genus but is also distributed in 20 districts. There is no spider record in 5 districts of Tamil Nadu. Some of the national parks and wildlife sanctuaries, forest areas, agricultural fields, human dwellings etc. particularly in terai region of West Bengal still await intensive and extensive survey programmes to record a near complete spider fauna.

Keywords catalogue;faunal distribution;India;spiders;Tamil Nadu.

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