Araneofauna (Arachnida,Araneae) in Conventional and Organic Crops of Watermelon (Citrullus Lanatus) in Northeastern Brazil

Abstract

Spiders are considered generalist predators and sensitive to agricultural practices management. This study was conducted between 2011 and 2012 in the coastal tablelands of Piauí (Brazil), where we compared the community of spiders present in conventional crop of watermelon, organic crop and in a natural vegetation area. Sampling took place through two repetitions in the three systems, considering the crop cycle of 45 and 60 days. In each period, spiders were collected utilizing pitfall traps and diurnal and nocturnal manual collection. There were 506 individuals (21 families and 32 species). Seven families were shared by the three systems, being Lycosidae the most abundant in agricultural system and Corinnidae in the natural system. Regarding guild activity, ground runner hunters, stalker hunters and irregular web weavers were the most abundant. There were significant differences in the diversity between agricultural and natural systems. This work constitutes the first record on the spider community in crops of watermelon in Brazil.