Crab spiders (Araneae: Thomisidae) in flowering plants in a Brazilian "Cerrado" ecosystem

Lc Rocha-Filho,Imp Rinaldi

doi:10.1590/s1519-69842011000300004

Lc Rocha-Filho, Imp Rinaldi

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1590/s1519-69842011000300004

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Abstract

Although crab spiders are common in flowering plants, their relations with plant species and its floral traits have been poorly known in the Neotropics. Observations regarding plant habits, floral visitors and also floral characteristics such as anthesis, odour, shape, colour and floral resources were recorded in flowering plant species of an area of "Cerrado" on a 2 km long trail. Misumenops argenteus and Misumenops pallens accounted for 62.86% of the spiders captured on 22 flowering plant species. The plants Senna rugosa (Fabaceae), Styrax ferrugineus (Styracaceae) and Banisteriopsis campestris (Malpighiaceae), hosted, each one, about 10 to 17% of the total spiders collected and these plants had diurnal anthesis, bee-attractive flower colours such as yellow (S. rugosa), white (S. ferrugineus), and pink (B. campestris), poricidal anthers as well as being visited by bees which evidenced bee-pollination syndrome. This study is the first survey regarding crab spiders and their associations with plant species of the "Cerrado".

Highlights

Spiders, an important predator community, are one of the most diverse and abundant groups within Arthropoda, with 40,998 described species (Platnick, 2009) that are found throughout all terrestrial ecosystems and zoogeographical regions of the world, from Arctic islands to arid and desert regions (Turnbull, 1973; Foelix, 1996)
In order to better enhance knowledge of the crab spiders of the “Cerrado” domain and its preference for plants species of this biome, we reported the occurrence of Thomisidae spiders on flowering plant species of a Brazilian “Cerrado” sensu stricto ecosystem, evaluating their interaction with vegetal habits and floral characteristics like resources, odour, flower shape and colour, besides anthesis and floral visitors
From 22 species of plants in which crab spiders were found, the most diverse families were Asteraceae and Malpighiaceae with eight and five species respectively, and each of the remaining plant species belonged to a single family (Table 1)

Summary

Introduction

An important predator community, are one of the most diverse and abundant groups within Arthropoda, with 40,998 described species (Platnick, 2009) that are found throughout all terrestrial ecosystems and zoogeographical regions of the world, from Arctic islands to arid and desert regions (Turnbull, 1973; Foelix, 1996). The geographical distribution of spiders is intimately associated with various biotic and abiotic factors, such as temperature, humidity, luminosity, vegetation, and food availability (Turnbull, 1973; Wise, 1995; Foelix, 1996; Gonzaga et al, 2007). The family Thomisidae has 2,093 species, of which the largest are tropical, 12-20 mm in body length. They hunt prey, including large-sized insects, by ambushing (Morse, 1984; Foelix, 1996; Wise, 1995). O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1900 are found on flowers and leaves, Braz.

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