DIVERSITY OF JUMPING SPIDERS (ARANEAE: SALTICIDAE) FROM SEMI-URBAN AREA OF DISTRICT UDHAMPUR, JK (UT), INDIA

Salticidae or jumping spiders is the largest family of spiders in the Araneae order. They can be found in both human habitation and gardens, jumping spiders are common in terrestrial habitats and are well-known to people. Even though jumping spiders are a significant category of arthropods, little is known about their diversity, distribution, taxonomy, and behavior across different regions of India. Very limited studies were conducted on spider diversity from JK (UT), however only a few records exist of the salticid fauna of district Udhampur. Therefore, it was necessary to determine the diversity of jumping spiders found in the semi-urban area of district Udhampur. In the present study the jumping spiders of semi-urban area of district Udhampur was represented by 28 species in 17 genera. This appears to be just a small portion of the salticid fauna actually found in district Udhampur and further work is required to thoroughly understand the diversity and biology of this group. Keywords: Salticidae, Jumping Spider, Udhampur, Semi-Urban, Menemerus