Identification of spider fauna in city Karak and its surrounding areas Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Abstract

The current study was conducted in City Karak Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to find out spider fauna. Duration of the current study was one year, i.e., January 2011 to December, 2011. A total of 433 specimens of spider were collected from various sampling sites of City Karak. These sampling sites were Tehsil colony, Gulshan Abad colony, Rehmania colony, Tappi, Jama, Kach Banda, Porana Bazra and main Karak city respectively. The Specimens collected and identified belongs to 1 Order Aranae, 7 Families Scytodidae, Clubionidae, Araneidae, Gnphosidae, Salticidae, Thomisidae and Lycosidae respectively. They have 14 genera and 18 species respectively. Family Lycosidae was the largest family consisting 7 Species while Family Thomisidae comprising 3 species, while Family Araneidae, Gnphosidae and Salticidae comprising only 2 species, each while family Scytodidae and Clubionidae consisting only one species each respectively. From the present research work, it can be concluded that the City Karak and its surrounding areas having a diverse range of spider fauna.