Agelenids of the World

Systematics and Taxonomy of Agelenidae, a Worldwide distributed Spider Family

Spider biodiversity at Oak Lake field station, Brookings County, South Dakota

Publication Type:Journal Article
Year of Publication:2005
Authors:K. E. Okins, Johnson P. J.
Journal:Proceedings of the South Dakota Academy of Science
Volume:84
Pagination:171-180
Date Published:2005
ISBN Number:0096-378X
Keywords:Araneae (Arachnida)., Araneae [Ecology / / Biodiversity study] [South Dakota / Brookings, County, Oak Lake Field Station / ]., Ecology, Land zones, Nearctic region, North America, USA
Abstract:

A spider biodiversity study was conducted at Oak Lake Field Station, Brookings County, during the summers of 2003 and 2004 in order to collect and inventory spider families found in eastern South Dakota. Pitfall traps were set at nine site locations with the following categorized habitats: lakeside elevated woodland, midslope woodland, mesic meadow, xeric prairie, xeric exotic-grass prairie, and coniferous windbreak. A total of 1053 specimens were identified, representing 49 genera in the following 21 families: Agelenidae, Amaurobiidae, Araneidae, Clubionidae, Corinnidae, Cybaeidae, Dictynidae, Gnaphosidae, Linyphiidae, Liocranidae, Lycosidae, Micryphantidae, Nesticidae, Oxyopidae, Philodromidae, Pholcidae, Pisauridae, Salticidae, Tetragnathidae, Theridiidae, and Thomisidae. The ratio of males (47.2%) to females (47.4%) collected was near equal. The mesic meadow was sampled both years, and in 2004 the area was subjected to a prescribed burn resulting in a lower number of spiders collected and a lower diversity of spider families. The coniferous windbreak site yielded high numbers of wolf spiders (Lycosidae) relative to other sites. Combined data show a clear pattern in weekly capture rates, with numbers steadily decreasing throughout the summer. Nine families previously unrecorded from South Dakota were collected. The spider fauna of eastern South Dakota is considered incompletely inventoried, even at the family level, and continued efforts are expected to prove productive and informative.

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Scratchpads developed and conceived by (alphabetical): Ed Baker, Katherine Bouton Alice Heaton Dimitris Koureas, Laurence Livermore, Dave Roberts, Simon Rycroft, Ben Scott, Vince Smith