Notes on the identity of the orb-weaver spider Araneus nox Simon, 1877 (Araneae: Araneidae) from India, including its transfer to Eriovixia Archer, 1951 and one new synonymy

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  Notes on the identity of the orb-weaver spider Araneus nox Simon, 1877 (Araneae: Araneidae) from India, including its transfer to Eriovixia Archer, 1951 and one new synonymy The orb-weaver genus Araneus Clerck, 1757 has historically served as a heterogeneous assemblage for numerous araneid spiders lacking clear generic placement, and several Asian species formerly assigned to Araneus have subsequently been transferred to more narrowly defined genera. One species that still needs further investigation on its true identity is Araneus nox (Simon, 1877), originally described as Epeira nox Simon, 1877 from Basilan Island, Philippines, and later transferred to Araneus by Simon (1905). In the same year as the description of Epeira nox, Thorell (1877) described Epeira pilula from the Moluccas (Indonesia), which was subsequently synonymised under Epeira nox by Simon (1880). Despite its broad Oriental distribution, the taxonomic identity and generic placement of A. nox have remained insuff...

The diversity and distribution of spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) in the Swami Ramanand Teerth Marathwada University Campus, Nanded, Maharashtra, India

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The diversity and distribution of spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) in the Swami Ramanand Teerth Marathwada University Campus, Nanded, Maharashtra, India

Abstract
Spiders are one of the key species of the terrestrial ecosystems. The present investigation describes the diversity and distributional patterns of spider fauna within the Swami Ramanand Teerth Marathwada University Campus region of the Nanded district, Maharashtra, India. From the 12 different families, 21 species of spider were identified. The most common taxa in the research region were Araneidae and Lycosidae, which also showed the highest levels of taxonomic diversity and the distribution of species was significantly impacted by habitat heterogeneity; ground-dwelling species were more common in grassland habitats, but web-building and leaping spiders were more common in shrub, garden, and human-modified environments. Several ecologically significant taxa, including Neoscona species, Pardosa pseudoannulata, and Oxyopes javanus, which are recognised natural adversaries of agricultural insect pests, are included in the documented assemblage. During the monsoon season diversity of spiders was high (19 species; 90.5%), followed by winter (15 species; 71.4%) and summer (13 species; 61.9%). Spider communities in the studied area are significantly influenced by seasonal climatic circumstances. Through establishing a crucial baseline to guide future conservation tactics and ecological management frameworks, this study offers a more thorough understanding of the regional arachnid biodiversity.

Jadhav, Mahesh. (2026). The diversity and distribution of spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) in the Swami Ramanand Teerth Marathwada University Campus, Nanded, Maharashtra, India. International Journal of Entomology Research. 11. 233-238.