Species Richness of Spiders in Sacred Mountain, Marawi City, Philippines
By: Juzavil V. Juario, Olga M. Nuñeza, Aimee Lynn B. Dupo
Key Words: Elevation, Guilds, Orb weavers, Salticidae, Tetragnathidae.
J. Bio. Env. Sci. 8(1), 86-94, January 2016.
[Generate Certificate]Abstract
This study aims to determine the species richness and abundance of spiders in Sacred Mountain, Marawi City, Lanao del Sur, Philippines. Beat netting, vial tapping, and pitfall trapping methods were used to collect samples at elevations of 800, 900, and 1000 meters above sea level. Forty-three species belonging to 11 families were documented. Highest species richness was observed at 1000 meters above sea level. Leucauge argentina of family Tetragnathidae was the most abundant species. Family Salticidae had the highest number of species collected comprising 14 species. Overall spider collection was categorized into six guilds wherein the orb weavers occurred to be the most abundant. High diversity and more or less even distribution of spiders were observed in the area. Physico-chemical factors appear to affect the distribution of spider families Tetragnathidae and Theridiidae as shown by canonical correspondence analysis.
