Spider faunal diversity of forested & non-forested areas of North & South 24 Parganas West Bengal, India

The current investigation focuses on the spider faunal diversity found in forested BWLS & CKWLS and non-forested regions of North Thakurnagar, Manikhira & South 24 Parganas, Narendrapur, West Bengal, India. A total of 48 species and 396 individuals from 38 genera and 13 families were identified during the survey period. Notable species include Anepsion maritatum (O.P. Cambridge), Cyrtophora bidenta Tikader (Araneidae), Cheliceroides brevipalpis Roy et al., Myrmarachne robusta (Peckham & Peckham) (Salticidae), Pseudopoda straminea (Kundu et al.), (Sparassidae), and Nihonhimea indica (Tikader) (Theridiidae), all endemic to India. Myrmecotypus rubrofemoratus Perger & Rubio was also documented for the first time in the nation and state. Anepsion Strand marks the initial record of the genus in India. The primary guild consists of orb web weavers (36%), followed by stalkers (34%). Salticidae is the most abundant family with 14 species, followed by Araneidae with 12 species. The zoogeographical distribution analysis indicates Oriental fauna with elements from palaearctic (56.25%), australian (27.08%), ethiopian (12.50%), nearctic (10.41%), and neotropical (10.41%) regions. Cyrtophora cicatrosa (Stoliczka) ranks as the most abundant species at 40.15%. The sex ratio (♀: ♂) is approximately 10:1, possibly influenced by factors like food availability, season, and cannibalism leading to a female-dominated society. Species diversity is higher in forested areas (41 species) compared to non-forested areas (23 species), while the total number of individuals is greater in non-forested areas (212 individuals) than in forested areas (184 individuals). Myrmecotypus rubrofemoratus Perger & Rubio, belonging to the family Corinnidae (Sac spiders), mimics ant species like Camponotus compressus and Polyrachis affinis, displaying aggressive behavior in defending ant nests. Three salticid species, namely Myrmarachne melanocephala MacLeay, Myrmarachne robusta (Peckham & Peckham) and Myrmaplata plateleoides (O.P. Cambridge) mimic various ant species, a good example of Batasian mimicry.