Abstract

VELASQUEZ ESCALANTE, Robert; CORNEJO-ESCOBAR, Pablo  and  SAENZ, Rubén. Biology and ecology of silver spider Argiope argentata (Fabricius, 1775) (araneidae) xeric sector in northeast Peninsula Araya, Venezuela. Saber [online]. 2016, vol.28, n.3, pp.471-479. ISSN 2343-6468.

Despite the important role they play in ecosystems spiders as predators of invertebrates in the country, they have been little studied. In order to present some aspects of the biology and ecological role in ecosystems of northeastern Venezuela, two populations of Argiope argentata were studied (in mangrove and dry forest) in the vicinity of Guayacán. Direct capture was used by manually collected as unique method of sampling and extensive observations of the bodies were performed in the field. In the cobwebs we sought: male and female, wrapped preys and web decoration; the height of the cloth on the ground and used to secure the substrate was determined. Xerófilo habitat in 25 spiders were observed, while in the mangrove were 75, most females (60) and only eight males. Cobwebs (n = 86), they are mainly found in plants of Avicennia sp. and Prosopis sp. Which they were built in the middle and lower vegetation (40-80 cm) were the most successful in capturing prey (all insects, mainly Diptera) and have a cross web decoration. These preliminary results contribute, no doubt, to the knowledge of the natural history of populations Argiope Araya peninsula.

Keywords : Araneae; mangrove; xerofitic forest; ethology; Sucre state.

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