Authors : Sarita S. Nimgare
Page Nos : 13-16
Description :
Ashti forest is located in Wardha District (Maharashtra) and is surrounded by small villages in Ashti Tahsil. Ashti Tahsil is one of the large Tahsil in Wardha District, Maharashtra State having population 10936. lt lies between latitudes 21.2081°N and longitudes 78.1963°E. Diversity of spiders was not studied in Ashti forest ranges previously, so the present study was carried out to study the diversity of spiders in Ashti forest. District Wardha. The duration of study was six months, from July 2022 to December 2023. Samples were collected by using visual search and hand collection, sweeping net and litter sampling. Collected specimens were then preserved in 70% ethyl alcohol in plastic tubes. Identification were done using Tikader and Malhotra (1980), Tikader (1982), Gajbe (1999). Unidentified new species were considered up to genus level.
In six months study period about 75 samples were obtained of which 57 were adults representing 13 families, 25 genera and 32 species. The most dominant family reported was in the order of Araneidae > Salticidae > Oxyopidae > Thomisidae. Habitat loss and degradation due to grazing and deforestation were the threats documented during present study. This data will be helpful to the forest department for future management of biodiversity in Ashti forest.
