Habitat selection in Orb weaving spider Nephila pilipes Fabricius,1793 (Araneae: Araneidae): niche complexity determines site selection and distribution of kleptoparasites
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26515/rzsi/v123/i2S/2023/172601Keywords:
Zooplankton, Diversity, Wetlands, Nagaland, North-East India.Abstract
It is believed that slight variations in the physical parameters within the microhabitat can lead to significant differences in the populations of both the host and parasite. The golden orb weaver spider, Nephila pilipes Fabricius, 1793, serves as a host for various kleptoparasites in its web. This study focuses on examining the abundance of Argyrodinae spiders and their presence in relation to the positioning of the web on roadside vegetation in Kamorta, Nancowry Group of Islands, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India. We analyzed species abundance using presence or absence data and employed NMDS and PCoA to calculate niche overlap. The total number of specimens collected was assessed using individual rare fractions.