Diversity of Spiders in Three Habitat Types in Impasug-Ong Protected Area, Bukidnon, Philippines

Abstract

Araneae are widely distributed in all types of environment. The group usually served as pest controllers in most agrosystem habitat. Yet, they are poorly known in the Philippines. This paper aimed to provide information on the diversity and distribution of Araneae in three habitat types: roadside, nearby stream, and mixed dipterocarp area within the ecological site using time constraint and transect walk sampling. Data revealed 5 families namely Araneidae, Clubionidae, Sparassidae, Salticidae and Tetragnathidae. The habitat nearby stream had the most number of species (22). Most of them are Araneidae (12), Clubionidae (1), Salticidae (6), Sparassidae (1) and Tetragnathidae (2). While the roadside area had only Araneidae (7) and Tetragnathidae (7) and in the mixed dipterocarp had three families: Tetragnathidae (2), Sparassidae (1) and Araneidae (3). Species richness based on Shannon Weiner Diversity Index, showed highest at the nearby stream (H'=1.085), followed by the roadside (H'=1.048) and lowest at the dipterocarp forest (H'=0.436). The distribution of Araneae species at CEDAR Impasugong, Bukidnon is uneven. The nearby stream had dominated by Araneidae because members are associated shrub and herbs plants along the stream with their webs hang on the flyways of most insects. The roadside and dipterocarp were dominated with tall mahogany (Swietenia mahogani) and lauan (Shorea contorta) were the habitat for the Sparassidae and Araneidae. Results suggest that Araneae favors the stream as their microhabitat in CEDAR, Bukidnon.