AUTECOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS ON THE INDIAN COOPERATIVE SPIDER STEGODYPHUS SARASINORUM KARSCH (ERESIDAE:ARANEAE)

Autecological observations on the Indian cooperative spider Stegodyphus sarasinorum Karsch (Eresidae: Araneae) was undertaken in the Jnana Bharathi Campus of Bangalore University during summer 2010. Nest circumference ranging from 22 cm to 165 cm of 10 interconnected colonies of a population of Stegodyphus sarasinorum was measured. Nest density, sex ratio and interconnectivity between nests were assessed. The colonies showed a sex ratio with 0.24 males for every female. Other species of spiders were also recorded during the present observations