New Distribution Record of Three Spider (Arachnida: Araneae) Species under Three Different Families in Chhattisgarh State, India

Abstract

This study reports new distributional information for three spider species representing three families from the forest region of Gariaband district, Chhattisgarh, India. The specimens examined comprised one female Gea subarmata Thorell, 1890 (Araneidae), two females Hamataliwa pentagona Tang & Li, 2012 (Oxyopidae), and one male Brettus cingulatus Thorell, 1895 (Salticidae). Specimens were collected during random field visits from sites along National Highway 130 (Raipur-Deobhog Road) using the hand-picking method. They were preserved in 70% ethanol and examined in the Zoology laboratory of Government D. B. Girls’ P. G. College, Raipur. Species-level identification was based on external morphology, body pattern, eye arrangement, leg characters and genital structures, including the epigyne in female specimens and the palp in the male specimen. The diagnostic characters were compared with published taxonomic descriptions and illustrations. The study records Gea subarmata and Hamataliwa pentagona from Chhattisgarh and provides a male record of Brettus cingulatus from the state, where a female had previously been reported. These records add to the known arachnofauna of Chhattisgarh and indicate that forested habitats in Gariaband district remain insufficiently documented. Further systematic surveys across seasons and habitats are required to refine state-level checklists and improve understanding of spider diversity in the region.