A rapid assessment of foliage spider fauna diversity in Sinaloc, El Salvador City, Philippines: a comparison between habitats receiving different degrees of disturbance

Abstract

The spider fauna of Barangay Sinaloc, in El Salvador City was sampled from three cites (A, B and C) to assess the relative abundance, species diversity, evenness and their habitat preferences. A total of 187 individuals were collected from three families and nine genera. Most of the species collected came from the family Araneidae, with the two most dominant species being Araneus inustus L. Koch, 1871 and Gasteracantha clavigera Giebel, 1863. The majority of the collected spiders were from Site C, the least disturbed ecosystem. Overall, the species were variably distributed and with a moderate level of species diversity (H1 = 1.68). Spider species from Araneidae and Theridiidae preferred Site C as its habitat over the two other sites because it offers larger space for web construction in bushes and herbs, and because it is the least disturbed site. Several spider species collected did not show habitat preference because there was no significant difference in their distribution in the three sites sampled. Based on evidence from the collected data, Barangay Sinaloc in El Salvador City can still support spider life and diversity but regular follow-up studies must be conducted to further assess the condition of spider fauna.