Spider (Order Araneae) fauna of cotton fields in Iran

Abstract

The current study investigates the spider fauna öf cotton fields in Iran during 2003-2004. Spider samples were collected from different cotton field localities by pitfall trap and insect net, A total of 632 specimens were classified in 45 species and 59 genera belonged to W families. Cheiracartthium pennyi O.P. Cambridge, 1873, Neoscona adianta (Walckenaer, 1802), Aulonia albimana(Wsick&m& 1805) and Thanatusformicinus (Clerck, 1757) were the most abundant species in cotton fields, respectively.Most species belonged to Thomisidae and Araneidae families and the fewest species were belonged to Gnaphosidae, Linyphiidae and Pisauridae families, 26 species, 15 genera and 1 family are new records for the Iran spider fauna.