Rapid assessment of spider fauna of Pulacan falls, Zamboanga del Sur, Philippines

The spider as a group is one of the most abundant predatory groups in terrestrial ecosystems with more than 40,000 described species. In the Philippines, 517 species of spiders are recorded. This study was conducted to determine the species richness and abundance of spiders in Pulacan Falls, Zamboanga del Sur, Philippines. Spiders were collected using beat-netting, sweep-netting and vial-tapping methods. Thirty-seven species of spiders belonging to 22 genera and 10 families were recorded. Four are possibly new species. Two species are new record in Mindanao. Family Araneidae had the highest species richness and abundance. Species diversity was low in the disturbed sampling site. The new record for Mindanao and possibly new species of spiders found in the study indicates that Pulacan falls is a species-rich area.