Spiders in Florida Citrus Groves

The author reports observations on spiders collected during 20 years of ecological investigations of citrus pests. Primitive, haplogyne spiders were represented by 5 species. Cribellate spiders were among the most abundant in the citrus grove; 12 species were taken on the trees. They fed mostly on midges, mosquitoes, and vinegar gnats. Five species of Gnaphosidae are known from citrus litter; those of the genus Drassylus were the most common. Vagrant spiders of the closely related families of Anyphaenidae and Clubionidae were at times quite common. The comb-footed spiders, family Theridiidae, are well represented in Florida citrus groves; altogether, 19 species were recorded. The sheet-web weavers and dwarf spiders were poorly represented; of the 18 orb weavers of the family Argiopidae now known to occur in citrus, only 5 are common to abundant. Although wolf spiders occur in commercial citrus groves, only 4 species have been taken in sufficient number to be considered relatively common. Thomisidae, Heteropodidae, Ctenidae, and Oxyopidae are poorly represented. Salticids are not particularly common; 9 species have been recorded.