Spiders associated with rice crop in Raipur

Seven spider species namely Lycosa sp. Tetragnatha sp., Araneus sp., Pardosa sp., Phidippus sp. Bonis sp. and Zygoballus sp. were registered on pests of rice in all the localities. Of them, first three were dominant and active through out crop study period. Their higher population in the month of September-November were synchronised with more activity period of hoppers and stemborer. Swarna being a more susceptible cultivar to number of insect pests, the spiders were more active on this variety.