Predation potential of hunting and web-building spiders on rice pests of Indian subcontinent

Abstract

The present study investigated the predation attributes of hunting and web-building spiders of Indian subcontinent against rice-pests, under in-vitro conditions. Field observations revealed that the lynx spider, Oxyopes javanus and the ground-dwelling wolf-spider, Pardosa sumatrana were the most abundant arboreal hunting spiders, while Neoscona theisi and Tetragnatha javana, were the most abundant arboreal web-making spiders, throughout the crop growing season. Laboratory results showed that the prey consumption rates and growth rates of spiders were highest on abundant prey, but the conversion efficiencies were highest on scarce prey. Results identified the highest consumption and growth rates for O. javanus, while conversion efficiencies were highest for N. theisi. The four spider species under study consumed higher number of leafhoppers and lepidopteron adult stage pests in comparison to Leptocorisa bugs and grasshopper nymphs. We, therefore, suggest that the predatory impacts of spiders may be strongly influenced by their species-specific feeding and behavioural attributes, and the anti-predation features of the potential prey.