Spider Diversity in Some Common Oilseed Crops in Central Punjab, Pakistan

Sobia Riaz, Saima Kausar, Muhammad Mohsin, Aamir Mahmood Memon, Iram Maqsood, Muhammad Nadeem Abbas
2017 Pakistan journal of scientific and industrial research  
Three commonly cultivated oilseed crops viz., soybean, sunflower and Indian mustard weresampled to compare density and diversity of spider at different developmental stages. This study wasconducted at Ayub Agriculture Research Institute, Faisalabad, Pakistan. A total of 1210 spider individuals,68 species and 5 families were sampled throughout the study period. The families showed different levelsof association with the crops, like Lycosidae and Clubionidae were found commonly spread and
more » ... undant, whereas Philodromidae was only restricted to sunflower and locally rare. The Evippa sohani,Pardosa fletcheri, Evippa shivajii and Pardosa oakleyi were recorded most dominant and commonly spreadspider species. Indian mustard constituted highest diversity of spider species followed by soybean andsunflower. Spider species diversity on the Indian mustard was significantly different from the sunflower.These predator species can play a major role to suppress devastating agricultural pests of oilseed crops,thereby enhance the crop yield.
doi:10.52763/pjsir.biol.sci.60.3.2017.168.175 fatcat:kv6e4rycbjgn5bbwcjggekejwq