Journal of Threatened Taxa | www.threatenedtaxa.org | 26 January 2020 | 12(1): 15186–15193

 

ISSN 0974-7907 (Online) | ISSN 0974-7893 (Print) 

doi: https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.5393.12.1.15186-15193   

#5393 | Received 07 September 2019 | Finally accepted 10 January 2020

 

 

Spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) from the vicinity of Araabath Lake, Chennai, India

 

John T.D. Caleb

 

# 27, Saravana Nagar, Manigantapuram, Thirumullaivoyal, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600062, India.

caleb87woodgate@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

Abstract: This study documents the spider fauna in the vicinity of a suburban lake (Araabath Lake) in Chennai.  A total of 70 species of spiders belonging to 58 genera and 21 families were recorded.  Seven species are endemic to India and six are endemic to India and Sri Lanka.  Salticidae was the most dominant with 24 species belonging to 19 genera.  Guild structure analysis revealed seven feeding guilds of which, stalkers and orb-web weavers were the dominant feeding guilds followed by ground runners and ambushers, respectively.

 

Keywords: Diversity, guild structure, spiders, Suburban Lake, Thirumullaivoyal.

 

 

Spiders are hyper diverse arthropods and are represented by 48,365 described species under 4,145 genera in 120 families worldwide (World Spider Catalog 2019).  In India, 1,799 species under 448 genera and 59 families (World Spider Catalog 2019) are known.  Not many studies have been made on the spider diversity from Chennai City (erstwhile Madras) and its suburbs except for those done in the earlier half of the 20^th century by Sherriffs (1919, 1927), Gravely (1921, 1924, 1931, 1935) and one study by Phanuel in 1963.

The aim of the present paper is to present compiled information on the diversity of spiders particularly from the surroundings of a water body called ‘Araabath Lake’.  Recently, several studies were conducted from the region (Caleb 2016a,b, 2017; Caleb & Mathai 2014; Caleb et al. 2015) contributing considerably to the knowledge of the group.

 

Study area

The study was conducted around Araabath Lake and neighboring areas during 2014–2017.  The water body lies between (13.129–13.120 -⁰N & 80.138–80.136 ⁰E) (Figure 1).  It is about 1km long and 115m wide and covers a total area of 7.75ha.  The area falls under the ‘Coastal Area Ecosystem’ with average temperature ranging from 23–40 ⁰C.  The region receives the north-west monsoon and occasional rainfall resulting from depressions in the Bay of Bengal with a mean annual rainfall of 135cm (Raghavan & Narayan 2008).

 

Methods

Spiders were collected and preserved in 70% alcohol.  Specimens were photographed using a Nikon D60 DSLR camera.  Adult specimens were identified up to species level with the help of available literature and keys (Tikader & Malhotra 1980; Tikader 1982; Pocock 1901; Gravely 1921, 1924; Proszynski & Caleb 2015).  The nomenclature follows the World Spider Catalog (2019).

 

Results and Discussion

Spiders representing 21 families, 58 genera and 70 species (Table 1, Figure 3) were recorded from around Araabath lake, Thirumullaivoyal.  Salticidae was the dominant family constituting 24 species under 19 genera and followed by Araneidae with 12 species under seven genera.  Guild structure analysis revealed seven feeding guilds: orb-web weavers, stalkers, ground runners, foliage hunters, sheet web builders, scattered line weavers and ambushers (Table 1) (Uetz et al. 1999).  Stalkers (38%) and orb-web weavers (26%) constitute the dominant feeding guild.  They are followed by ground runners (16%), ambushers (7%), foliage hunters (6%), scattered line weavers (6%), sheet web builders (1%) (Figure 2).  Seven of the recorded species are endemic to India and six are endemic to India and Sri Lanka (Table 2).  The spider diversity is rich in this region and there is an urgent need for preserving this lake from an ecological and biodiversity perspective.

Araabath Lake is a small suburban lake located in Thirumullaivoyal, Chennai.  The lake serves as a ground water reservoir and supports a wide variety of flora and fauna, including migratory birds.  Anthropogenic activities like encroachment, drainage of untreated sewage, open defecation, dredging of mud for urban construction projects and utilization of the lake as a dumping ground has resulted in deterioration of habitat and water quality (Caleb pers. obs. 2017).  This lake is in dire need for proper restoration, maintenance and conservation efforts.

Recent work from this region led to the discovery of three new species, Icius alboterminus Caleb, Icius kumariae Caleb and Pellenes iva Caleb (Caleb 2017; Caleb & Kumar 2018) along with the discovery of five species, Aelurillus kronestedti Azarkina, Chrysilla volupe (Karsch), Curubis erratica Simon, Micaria dives (Lucas) and Myrmarachne kuwagata Yaginuma newly recorded in India (Caleb 2016a,b, 2018; Caleb et al. 2015) and the redescription of species discovered over a century since their original description (Curubis erratica Simon and Proszynskia diatreta (Simon)) (Caleb & Mathai 2014; Caleb 2016a).

In view of the above mentioned remarkable discoveries from this area, restoration and management actions need to be planned to curb anthropogenic pressures affecting the lake and its surroundings.  Conservation of this particular region which may harbor many more undiscovered life forms is the need of the hour.  The lacuna of data for other animal groups needs to be recompensed by more extensive eco-biological studies in the region.

 

 

Table 1. Total number of families, genera, species composition and functional guilds of spiders from the vicinity of Araabath Lake.

	Family	No. of  genera	No. of species	Guild
1	Araneidae	7	12	Orb-web weavers
2	Cheiracanthiidae	1	1	Foliage hunters
3	Clubionidae	1	1	Foliage hunters
4	Corinnidae	1	1	Ground runners
5	Ctenidae	1	1	Ground runners
6	Eresidae	1	1	Sheet web builders
7	Gnaphosidae	3	3	Ground runners
8	Hersiliidae	1	1	Ambushers
9	Idiopidae	1	1	Ground runners
10	Liocranidae	1	1	Ground runners
11	Lycosidae	4	4	Ground runners
12	Oecobiidae	1	1	Scattered line weavers
13	Oxyopidae	3	3	Stalkers
14	Philodromidae	2	2	Ambushers
15	Pholcidae	1	1	Scattered line weavers
16	Salticidae	19	24	Stalkers
17	Sparassidae	2	2	Foliage hunters
18	Tetragnathidae	3	5	Orb-web weavers
19	Theridiidae	2	2	Scattered line weavers
20	Thomisidae	2	2	Ambushers
21	Uloboridae	1	1	Orb-web weavers
	Total	58	70

 

 

Table 2. List of spiders collected from the vicinity of Araabath Lake.

 

	Family	Genus/Species
1	Araneidae	Argiope aemula (Walckenaer, 1841)
2		Argiope pulchella Thorell, 1881
3		Argiope catenulata (Doleschall, 1859)
4		Cyrtophora cicatrosa (Stoliczka 1869)
5		Gasteracantha geminata (Fabricius, 1798)
6		Larinia sp.
7		Neoscona bengalensis Tikader & Bal, 1981
8		Neoscona nautica (L. Koch, 1875)
9		Neoscona theisi (Walckenaer, 1841)
10		Neoscona vigilans (Blackwall, 1865)
11		Poltys nagpurensis Tikader, 1982
12		Thelacantha brevispina (Doleschall, 1857)
13	Cheiracanthiidae	Cheiracanthium sp.
14	Clubionidae	Clubiona sp.
15	Corinnidae	Castianeira sp.
16	Ctenidae	Anahita sp.
17	Eresidae	Stegodyphus sarasinorum Karsch, 1892
18	Gnaphosidae	Drassodes luridus (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1874)*
19		Micaria dives (Lucas, 1846)
20		Poecilochroa sp.
21	Hersiliidae	Hersilia savignyi Lucas, 1836
22	Idiopidae	Idiops constructor (Pocock, 1900)*
23	Liocranidae	Oedignatha microscutata Reimoser, 1934*
24	Lycosidae	Draposa lyrivulva (Bösenberg & Strand, 1906)
25		Hippasa greenalliae (Blackwall, 1867)
26		Pardosa pseudoannulata (Bösenberg & Strand, 1906)
27		Wadicosa fidelis (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1872)
28	Oecobiidae	Oecobius putus O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1876
29	Oxyopidae	Oxyopes hindostanicus Pocock, 1901#
30		Hamataliwa sp.
31		Peucetia viridana (Stoliczka, 1869)
32	Philodromidae	Philodromus sp.
33		Psellonus planus Simon, 1897*
34	Pholcidae	Crossopriza lyoni (Blackwall, 1867)
35	Salticidae	Aelurillus kronestedti Azarkina, 2004#
36		Bianor balius Thorell, 1890
37		Bristowia gandhii Kanesharatnam & Benjamin, 2016#
38		Chrysilla volupe (Karsch, 1879)
39		Carrhotus viduus (C.L. Koch, 1846)
40		Curubis erratica Simon. 1902#
41		Cyrba ocellata (Kroneberg, 1875)
42		Hasarius adansoni (Audouin, 1826)
43		Hyllus semicupreus (Simon, 1885)
44		Icius alboterminus (Caleb, 2014)*
45		Icius kumariae Caleb, 2017*
46		Menemerus bivittatus (Dufour, 1831)
47		Myrmarachne kuwagata Yaginuma, 1969
48		Myrmarachne melanocephala MacLeay, 1839
49		Myrmarachne prava (Karsch, 1880)#
50		Myrmarachne ramuuni Narayan, 1915
51		Pellenes iva Caleb, 2018*
52		Phintella vittata (C.L. Koch, 1846)
53		Plexippus paykulli (Audouin, 1826)
54		Plexippus petersi (Karsch, 1878)
55		Proszynskia diatreta (Simon, 1902)#
56		Rudakius ludhianaensis (Tikader, 1974)
57		Telamonia dimidiata (Simon, 1899)
58		Thyene imperialis (Rossi, 1846)
59	Sparassidae	Heteropoda venatoria (Linnaeus, 1767)
60		Olios sp.
61	Tetragnathidae	Guizygiella sp.
62		Leucauge decorata (Blackwall, 1864)
63		Tetragnatha ceylonica O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1869
64		Tetragnatha javana (Thorell, 1890)
65		Tetragnatha mandibulata Walckenaer, 1841
66	Theridiidae	Argyrodes argentatus O.P. Cambridge, 1880
67		Chikunia sp.
68	Thomisidae	Thomisus sp.
69		Xysticus sp.
70	Uloboridae	Uloborus sp.

 

*Endemic to India | ^# Endemic to India and Sri Lanka

 

For figures & images - - click here

 

References

 

Caleb, J.T.D. (2016a). A discovery and redescription of Curubis erratica Simon, 1902 (Araneae: Salticidae) from India. Arthropoda Selecta 25(2): 207–211.

Caleb, J.T.D. (2016b). Taxonomic notes on some ant-mimicking jumping spiders (Araneae: Salticidae) from India. Arthropoda Selecta 25(4): 403–420.

Caleb, J.T.D. (2017). Jumping spiders of the genus Icius Simon, 1876 (Araneae: Salticidae) from India, with a description of a new species. Arthropoda Selecta 26(4): 323–327.

Caleb, J.T.D. (2018). First record of Micaria dives (Lucas, 1846) (Araneae: Gnaphosidae) from India. Indian Journal of Arachnology 6(2017): 51–54. [publ. Feb. 2018]

Caleb, J.T.D. & V. Kumar (2018). Pellenes iva sp. n. (Araneae: Salticidae) with a distinct M-shaped central epigynal pocket from India. Halteres 9: 6–11.

Caleb, J.T.D. & M.T. Mathai (2014). Description of some interesting jumping spiders (Araneae: Salticidae) from South India. Journal of Entomology and Zoology Studies 2(5): 63–71.

Caleb, J.T.D., S. Mungkung & M.T. Mathai (2015). Four new species of jumping spider (Araneae: Salticidae: Aelurillinae) with the description of a new genus from South India. Peckhamia 124.1: 1-18.

Gravely, F.H. (1921). Some Indian spiders of the subfamily Tetragnathinae. Records of the Indian Museum, Calcutta 22: 423–459.

Gravely, F.H. (1924). Some Indian spiders of the family Lycosidae. Records of the Indian Museum, Calcutta 26: 587–613.

Gravely, F.H. (1931). Some Indian spiders of the families Ctenidae, Sparassidae, Selenopidae and Clubionidae. Records of the Indian Museum, Calcutta 33: 211–282.

Gravely, F.H. (1935). Notes on Indian mygalomorph spiders. II. Records of the Indian Museum, Calcutta 37: 69–84.

Pocock, R.I. (1901). Descriptions of some new species of spiders from British India. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 13: 478–498.

Phanuel, G.J. (1963). Stegodyphus tibialis (Cambridge) (Family Eresidae: Araneida) from Madras. Journal of the Madras University, Section B 33(3): 305–310.

Prószyński J. & J.T.D. Caleb (2015). Key to identification of Salticidae (Araneae) of the Indian Subcontinent. Online at: http://www.peckhamia.com/salticidae/index_India.html (accessed on 5 September 2019).

Raghavan, S. & I. Narayan (2008). Geography. In: Madras, Chennai: A 400 year record of the first city of Modern India, (Muthaih Eds.) Vol. 1. 1–539.

Sherriffs, W.R. (1919). A contribution to the study of south Indian arachnology. Annals and Magazine of Natural History 9(4): 220–253.

Sherriffs, W.R. (1927). South Indian arachnology. Part II. Annals and Magazine of Natural History 9(19): 533–542.

Tikader, B.K. (1982). Family Araneidae (=Argiopidae), typical orbweavers. Fauna India (Araneae) 2: 1–293. 

Tikader, B.K. & M.S. Malhotra (1980). Lycosidae (Wolf-spiders). Fauna India (Araneae) 1: 248–447.

World Spider Catalog. (2019). World Spider Catalog. Version 20.5. Natural History Museum Bern. Online at: http://wsc.nmbe.ch (accessed on 05 September 2019).

Uetz G.W., J. Halaj & A.B. Cady (1999). Guild structure of spiders in major crops. Journal of Arachnology 27: 270–280.