A survey of spiders associated with the irrigated rice ecosystem in central Kerala, India was conducted across different elevational ranges. Spiders were collected from rice fields of high ranges, midland and low land areas in two cropping seasons viz., June-September 2002 (Kanni Krishy) and October 2002-Febmary 2003 (Makara Krishy) with a total of 144 hours of sampling time distributed across the two seasons. The sampling areas constituted Adimali and Marayoor of Idukki district (high range), Vannappuram of Idukki district and Kothamangalam of Emakulam district (midland) and Parakkadavu and Piravom of Emakulam district (lowland). Visual searching methods were used to sample the spider fauna from quadrats. A total of 1130 individuals belonging to 92 species, 47 genera and 16 families were recorded during the study period. Araneidae and Tetragnathidae were the dominant families and Tetragnatha mandibulata Walckenaer 1842 (Family Tetragnathidae) the most abundant species. Various diversity indices, as well as richness and Chao I estimator were used to analyze the possible effect of elevation on species occurrence; the results showed that species richness and diversity were the highest in Parakkadavu, which is a lowland area. In a cluster analysis the localities belonging to the same elevation were found to form separate groups. The species fell into seven feeding guilds. Orb weavers were dominant at all study sites.
A new species of the jumping spider genus Stenaelurillus Simon, 1886, Stenaelurillus
albus
sp. n., is described from the Western Ghats of India, one of the biodiversity hotspots of the world. Detailed morphological descriptions, diagnostic features and illustrations of copulatory organs of both sexes are given. Detailed redescription, diagnosis and illustration of Stenaelurillus
lesserti Reimoser, 1934 are provided. The occurrence of a mating plug in the genus is reported.
Stenaelurillus digitus sp. nov. and Stenaelurillus gabrieli sp. nov. are described from India. New distributional records for Stenaelurillus albus Sebastian et al., 2015 and Stenaelurillus lesserti Reimoser, 1934 and maps for these species are given.
The South Asian millipede genus Chondromorpha Silvestri, 1897 is diagnosed and its relationship with Parchondromorpha Jeekel, 1980 is established. The species C. atopus (Chamberlin, 1920) and C. indus (Chamberlin, 1920), as well as the subspecies C. kelaarti kelaarti (Humbert, 1865), C. kelaarti longipes (Verhoeff, 1936) and C. kelaarti valparaiensis (Carl, 1932) are recognised as junior synonyms of C. kelaarti (Humbert, 1865), thereby reducing the total number of Chondromorpha spp. in India to four: C. kaimura Turk, 1947, C. kelaarti, C. mammifera Attems, 1936 and C. severini Silvestri, 1897 (the type-species). Two species, C. kelaarti and C. mammifera, are redescribed and illustrated in detail. All four Indian Chondromorpha spp. are keyed, and the known distribution records of C. kelaarti and C. mammifera are mapped.
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