New Records and Distribution of Menemerus Jumping Spiders (Araneae: Salticidae) in Odisha, India
Avinash R. Nichat
Department of Zoology, M. V. V. Govt. P. G. College, Bhakhara, Dhamtari, Chhattisgarh 493770, India.
K. K. Harris
Department of Zoology, Govt. Dudhadhari Bajrang Girls Post Graduate College, Raipur, Chhattisgarh 492001, India.
Simmi Thakur
Department of Life science, Shri Rawatpura Sarkar university, Raipur, Chhattisgarh 492016, India.
Hitesh Kumar Warte
Department of Life science, Shri Rawatpura Sarkar university, Raipur, Chhattisgarh 492016, India.
Minaxi Chaure
Department of Zoology, Govt. Dudhadhari Bajrang Girls Post Graduate College, Raipur, Chhattisgarh 492001, India.
Mansi Majumdar
Department of Zoology, Govt. Dudhadhari Bajrang Girls Post Graduate College, Raipur, Chhattisgarh 492001, India.
Jashavant Nayak
*
Department of Zoology, Govt. Dudhadhari Bajrang Girls Post Graduate College, Raipur, Chhattisgarh 492001, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Jumping spiders or Salticids are the most predatory and dominant spider group, they are found all over the world. Their presence indicates the healthy condition of the ecosystem. The present study indicates a new distributional record of a jumping spider species, Menemerus nigli Wesołowska & Freudenschuss, 2012, which has been recorded from Kokasara block of Kalahandi district of Odisha state. A total of eight adult specimens of this species have been collected by hand-picking method, in which three males and five females were recorded. The characteristics of the specimens analyzed were matched with the literature of Menemerus species to find similarities. This is the first hand report on this species from Odisha state. This study is very important on spider diversity and biogeography in Odisha state which will be helpful in understanding the ecological value in the future.
Keywords: Distribution, Menemerus nigli, jumping spider, salticids, Spider Odisha