Diversity and Microhabitat Association of Spider Fauna in Manas National Park, Assam, India

Abstract

Spiders act as a useful indicator of the health of an ecosystem and it is also one of the most diverse arthropod groups. The present study was intended to investigate the diversity of spider fauna in Manas National Park (MNP) of Assam in northeast India. The study was carried out in the parts of Bhuyapara, Bansbari, Panbari, and Kuklung Forest Range of MNP from September 2018 to August 2021. Three different habitat types namely woodland, grassland, and riparian habitats were sampled using 50 m×10 m transects and a semi-quantitative sampling method as a sampling technique. From MNP, a total of 73 species of spiders were recorded belonging to 47 genera and 16 families. Family Araneidae was the most abundant family supporting 21 species and 28.77% of the total species recorded. The majority of the spider species were found in woodland habitats with 54.17% of the total recorded species. Again, orb waver was the most abundant guild structure which comprised 45.21% of the total recorded guild. The surface of a leaf or among leaves was the most abundant microhabitat, comprised 42.47% of all recorded microhabitat. Thus, the result of the present study opined that MNP harbors a great diversity of spider species and subsequently calls for conservation priority areas in the region.