Spatial Mapping of Spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) under Different Habitats of District Raigarh, Chhattisgarh, India

The objective of the present study was to document the spider fauna of Raigarh, geographically situated at 21°54’49.2” N & 83°25’40.4” E, Chhattisgarh, India. Raigarh district of Chhattisgarh state is rich in vegetation. Raigarh area of state Chhattisgarh is still untouched; little information is available on documentation of spider diversity. Hence the present study will be carried out in Raigarh district, Chhattisgarh to explore the natural biodiversity of the spider. The study was conducted in different habitats viz. riverine forest, grassland, plantation and mixed sal forest. Sampling site was randomly selected by using Grid-point sampling method. Data was analyzed using PAST (Paleontological Statistics Version 3.25) that reveals where significance is indicated. The diversity of spiders was analyzed by widely used indices viz., Dominance, Simpson index and Shannon index. A total of 121 species belonging to 49 genera representing 16 families were collected during the entire field survey. The result indicated that the members of family Araneidae are dominated in both richness and abundance; family Theraphosidae have been relatively minor components of the spider community. Values of Fishers alpha were high at all sites, but varied considerably (range= 20.33 - 29.17). Value of dominance indicate presence of all taxa in mixed Sal habitat (0.0096) as compared to grassland habitat (0.011) The study revealed that spider assemblages can provide reliable assessment of the habitat condition in response to habitat heterogeneity and disturbance.