Spider Assemblage (Arachnida: Araneae) in A Riparian Firefly Sanctuary of Sungai Chukai, Terengganu, Malaysia

摘要

Sungai Chukai is a riparian sanctuary for synchronize firefly population. In riparian ecosystem, spider acts as top-invertebrate predator influencing the food-web. A survey of spider was conducted in Sungai Chukai, Terengganu, Malaysia. The objective of this study was to identify the assemblage of spider in the riparian area. Samples were collected in six sampling occasions from December 2017 to May 2018 using sweep net at both day and night. Collection of samples was done at 20 sampling points along the riverbanks with an averaged interval of 200 meter between each point. A total of 149 spider individuals from seven families (Araneidae, Clubionidae, Oxyopidae, Salticidae, Sparassidae, Tetragnathidae and Thomisidae) and 26 morphospecies were successfully collected. The most abundant family was Thomisidae (50 individuals; 33.56%) followed by Sparassidae (49 individuals; 30.87%) and Salticidae (24 individuals; 16.11%). There is no significant difference (p0.05) for spider population between night and day. Three spider guilds had been identified according to its foraging pattern which are the orb-weaver, running hunter and ambush hunter. There is strong positive correlation between Araneidae and Dysderidae, Oxyopidae and Salticidae while Dysderidae is negatively correlated with Thomisidae and Sparassidae. This study adds to the inventories of spiders in Peninsular Malaysia.