Arachnid Fauna of Dry Deciduous Forests of Birbhum District, West Bengal, India
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: The arachnid fauna of the Gonpur forests of Birbhum District, West Bengal has been documented for the first time. A total of 45 arachnid species, including 40 spiders, 2 scorpions, 1 whip-scorpion, and 2 harvestmen, were recorded from the study area. Among these, one species of spider, Cheiracanthium iranicum Esyunin & Zamani, 2020, is recorded for the first time from India. Sixteen arachnid families reported from the area exhibit different types of foraging behaviour. These preliminary data show a rich diversity of arachnids, indicating high potentiality of the area for future faunal discoveries.
Authors: Mrinmoy Kumar Kayal, Arghya Ghosh, Rahul Kumar, Chandan Bera, Puthoor Pattammal Sudhin, Souvik Sen
Institution: Zoological Survey of India
Language: English
Subfield: Genetics
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4411005940