Spiders of Kukkarahalli

Overall 38 species of spiders belonging to 28 genera under 11 families have been described from Kukkarahalli Tank in Mysore, Karnataka, India. 38 species are documented scientifically for the first time from this area. And, four species are unidentified.

Spiders are good indicators of environmental health. They play important roles in the dynamics of a specific habitat and are sensitive to habitat loss, climatic change and environmental upheavals. Further survey may yield new species of spiders, which may be unknown or new to science.

The study was intended to provide a checklist of the spiders found in Kukkarahalli tank, in order to have a database for more substantive woks on the bio-control and applied aspects of spiders. The study proved highly useful to achieve this objective. In order to get good representation of all areas, study was conducted in ten study areas of Kukkarahalli tank. The present study only brings out a portion of the diversity of the spider wealth that remains hidden in the tropical secondary scrub/ dry deciduous forest of Kukkarahalli tank.

A future exploration will certainly raise the number by two or three times. What we need is the desire to understand our own biological wealth.

Ms. Ashritha Anoop holds MSc in Environmental Science; studied –Biodiversity of coffee plantations in Coorg & Diversity and distribution of Spiders in Kukkarahalli Tank, Mysore among many. Her field of interest is Conservation, Ecological studies (wetland ecosystem), Mammals, Aves, Butterflies and Frogs. Detailed report on Kukkarahalli Spiders is presented below. Additionally, interested readers can read more about Spiders in Mysore area here.