Observations on the Spider Fauna of Geographically Isolated Wetlands in Southwestern Georgia

A study of the spiders occurring in three types of isolated wetlands (marshes, savannas, and swamps) in southwestern Georgia was conducted in the fall of 2005 and the spring of 2006 using 30 one meter long sweep net passes per wetland. Twenty-seven taxa from nine families of spiders were observed. Tetragnathidae and Pisauridae were the most common spider types with marsh wetlands having the greatest richness and abundance. Species found were mostly those associated with aquatic habitats; Dolomedes triton being the most abundant with an overall mean density of 1.29/m2. Patterns of spider richness and abundance were similar to patterns observed for other wetland invertebrates, i.e., greatest in marshes. Life history requirements for spiders occupying isolated wetlands in the longleaf pine landscape appear to be excellent dispersal ability for recolonizing following frequent and heterogeneous fires, and flexibility in habitat preference enabling persistence during frequent cycles of wetting and drying