Spider (Araneae: Arachnida) Fauna of Sohagi Barwa Wildlife Sanctuary, District Maharajganj, Uttar Pradesh, India

Spiders are known to be excellent indicators of the diversity and well-being of terrestrial populations, and they are vital components of any ecosystem in which they live. Unfortunately, there is very little information available about the systematics, diversity, and ecology of the spiders found at the Sohagi Barwa Wildlife Sanctuary. The current study was conducted from May 2023 to August 2024 in order to investigate the variety of spider fauna in the Sohagi Barwa Wildlife Sanctuary in Maharajganj, Uttar Pradesh, India. A total of 1012 specimens, representing 55 species across 39 genera and 16 families, have been collected. The South Chowk range has the most species richness, whilst the Nichlaul range had the lowest. Araneidae and Lycosidae were prevalent (17%), with Selenopidae (2%) being uncommon. Based on their guild stucture, the spiders were categorized into seven functional groups: stalkers, ambushers, scattered line weavers, ground runners, foliage runners, orb-web builders, and sheet-web builders. The flora and fauna found in these areas are also associated with the highest species richness. The results of this study offer current and helpful information about the variety of species present in the Sohagi Barwa Wildlife Sanctuary, and the knowledge might be applied to further spider research.