Diversity analysis and guild composition of spiders in rabi tomato

Natural control contributed by the predators is a valuable tool, and with diverse hunting strategies, habitat preferences and activity periods, spiders could be effective natural bioagents in crop ecosystem. Present study focused on the biodiversity and abundance of spiders in rabi tomato under sprayed and unsprayed conditions during 2018–19. A total of 815 spiders under16 genera and 18 species belonging to ten families viz., Araneidae, Lycosidae, Oxyopidae, Tetragnathidae, Salticidae, Thomisidae, Clubionidae, Linyphidae, Pholcidae and Theridiidae were observed. Diversity indices viz., Margelef's Diversity index, Pielou's Evenness index, Shannon- Wiener Diversity index, Reciprocal Simpson index and Simpson index in the sprayed and unsprayed blocks were found to be on par and were 1.6 and 1.4; 0.67 and 0.75; 1.5 and 1.7; 3.1 and 4.2; 0.32 and 0.24, respectively. Araneidae was found to be most abundant family followed by Oxyopidae. A total of 7 guilds of spiders based on their mode of attack on the prey were observed.