Publication Date

10-2-2014

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science in Biology (MS)

Committee Chair

Mott, Daniel J.

Abstract

Analysis of 10 years of spider collecting in Webb County, Texas has yielded 549 specimens in 21 genera and 55 species. This study was performed to establish similarities and relationships among wandering spiders of south Texas in Webb County and to identify the members of the wandering spider guild. The families included in this guild are the Clubionidae, Corinnidae, Gnaphosidae, Liocranidae, and Miturgidae. Wet pitfall traps and hand collecting were utilized in the gathering of the specimens. Spiders were identified using the most recent literature and allowed for an examination of the interactions of the members of this guild based on frequency of collection. There were 549 specimens, 55 species, and 21 genera of the 5 different families that were collected from 2003 to 2012. The spiders in these families are all part of the same spider guild, the wandering spider guild. . The families of spiders that were the most numerous in the collection were the Gnaphosidae and Corinnidae. All of the specimens, 344 males and 205 females, were collected in Webb County, South Texas and were collected in wet pit-fall traps and through hand collecting. Although all 5 families were represented in the collections, the Gnaphosidae were the most prevalent. Most of the specimens did not appear during the month of August due to it being the hottest month of the year. The frequency of the species and specimens was relatively low during the months of December and January because it is the coldest time of the year in Webb County, Texas.

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