New Locality and Distributional Records of Three Spider Species (Arachnida: Araneae) in Chhattisgarh Region, India
Avinash R. Nichat
Department of Zoology, M. V. V. Govt. P. G. College Bhakhara, Dhamtari, Chhattisgarh 493770, India.
Satyam Kumar Kumbhakar
Department of Biotechnology, Govt. Veer Surendra Say P. G. College Gariaband, Chhattisgarh 493889, India.
Hitesh Kumar Warte
Department of Life Science, Sri Rawatpura Sarkar University, Raipur, Chhattisgarh 492015, India.
Urwashi Chandrakar
Department of Zoology, Fanikeshwar Nath Government College Fingeshwar, Gariyaband 493992, Chhattisgarh, India.
Jashavant Nayak *
Department of Zoology, Govt. Dudhadhari Bajrang Girl’s Post Graduate College Raipur, Chhattisgarh 492001, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Spiders contribute to terrestrial biodiversity, but locality-level information on their distribution in Chhattisgarh remains incomplete. This study documents three spider species from the forest region of Gariaband district that were not reported from the state in the distributional sources consulted: Chorizopes bengalensis (Tikader, 1975), Hamadruas sikkimensis (Tikader, 1966) and Thanatus elongatus (Tikader, 1960). Three adult female specimens were collected by hand on 20 April 2026 from leaves of Shorea robusta beside the Raipur–Deobhog National Highway (NH 130). Live specimens were photographed at the collection site, and the specimens were subsequently preserved in 70% ethanol. Identification was based on external morphology, body colouration, eye arrangement and female genital characters, examined using a stereozoom microscope and compared with published descriptions. The specimen assigned to C. bengalensis exhibited a brown abdomen with lateral black patches and posterior tubercles. The specimen assigned to H. sikkimensis displayed a patterned cephalothorax and conspicuous markings on the abdomen and legs. The specimen assigned to T. elongatus exhibited an elongated, whitish abdomen with a median dark line and laterally extending branches. The three voucher specimens, DBZ596, DBZ598 and DBZ597, were deposited in the Zoology laboratory of Government D. B. Girls’ P.G. College, Raipur. These observations add locality-level information to the documented spider fauna of Chhattisgarh and provide morphological details for future comparisons.
Keywords: Biodiversity, Chhattisgarh, Chorizopes bengalensis, Gariaband, Hamadruas sikkimensis, Spider, Thanatus elongatus