PRELIMINARY STUDIES ON THE DIVERSITY OF SPIDER FAUNA (ARANEAE: ARACHNIDA) IN PARAMBIKULAM WILDLIFE SANCTUARY IN WESTERN GHATS, KERALA, INDIA

摘要

147 species of spiders belonging to 82 genera and 22 families are recorded from Parambikulam. 51 species are new records for Kerala State and 5 species are new records for India. Moist deciduous forests exhibit higher diversity of spiders compared to evergreen forests. Spider fauna of Parambikulam exhibits affinities with Oriental and Palaearctic regions. 45 species recorded are endemic to the Indo-Sri Lankan region. Family Mimetidae is a new record from southern India. Key to different spider families found in Parambikulam also incorporates all the families so far recorded from Kerala. Distributional data based on literature of all the spiders recorded are included.