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The ecological role of spiders in the Rice fields of Sri Lanka

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to examine the role of spiders in Sri Lankan Rice fields in terms of species composition and guild structure of spider communities. The abundance of spiders was also tracked in relation to insect pest density, crop age, weed cover in bunds, and agronomic practices. The study took place in Bathalagoda, Kurunegala District, Sri Lanka from November 1995 to March 1998, through five consecutive Rice cultivation cycles. A total of 59 species of spiders belonging to 13 families were recorded; 7 taxa (2 species and 5 genera) are new records for Sri Lanka. The largest family was Araneidae (12 species), followed by Tetragnathidae (11 species). Results show that spider diversity and abundance increases with the growth of the Rice crop, and that weed cover in the bunds (embankments) forms an important habitat for spiders, functioning as a reservoir and an alternate habitat during the fallow period. Hence, reduced slashing of weeds, together with the limited use of pesticides, would help to conserve and encourage the spider communities-natural predators of Rice insect pests.