Faunal diversity of orb-weaver spiders (Araneidae: Araneomorphae: Araneae: Arachnida) in India

Abstract

This review deals with the species diversity of the orb-weaving spiders (Araneidae: Araneae: Arachnida) in different states of India and the union territories. A total of 256 species belonging to 49 genera of Araneidae were recorded in all states and the union territories of India except for Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, out of which 99 species (38.4%) were strictly endemic. Two genera of orb-weaver spiders are highly speciose, e.g. Araneus Clerck, 1757 (39 species) and Neoscona Simon, 1864 (36 species). About 119 species of these orb-weaver spiders were recorded from Maharashtra followed by 91 species from West Bengal, 81 species from Kerala, 79 species from Karnataka, 75 species from Gujarat, 71 species from Tamil Nadu, 65 species from Assam, 63 species from Uttar Pradesh, 58 species from Uttarakhand, 57 species from Madhya Pradesh, 47 species each from Odisha and Jammu and Kashmir, 41 species from Meghalaya, 34 species from Chhattisgarh, 32 species from Goa, 31 species from Rajasthan, 29 species from Andaman and Nicobar Islands, 27 species from Andhra Pradesh, 24 species from Sikkim, 21 species each from Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram and Tripura, and less than 20 species were recorded from other states and union territories. Seven species are distributed in more than 20 states and union territories, viz. Argiope pulchella Thorell, 1881 (23 states, 3 union territories); Nephila pilipes (Fabricius, 1793) (24 states, 2 union territory); Neoscona mukerjei Tikader, 1980 (23 states, 1 union territory); Neoscona theisi (Walckenaer, 1837) (21 states, 3 union territories); Araneus mitificus (Simon, 1886) (21 states, 3 union territories); Argiope aemula (Walckenaer, 1837) (21 states, 2 union territories) and Eriovixia excelsa (Simon, 1889) (20 states, 2 union territories). Several species of Araneidae reported from India are recorded only from one state or from the type locality. Hence, intensive and extensive faunistic surveys for these spiders are required throughou