Ant and spider diversity of Karuvatta, a coastal island in Vembanad, Kerala, India

Abstract

Ants and spiders are good indicators of ecosystem health; therefore, the present work aims to understand the ant and spider diversity of the region Karuvatta a coastal island in Vembanad wetland ecosystem of Kerala. For the purpose of this study, the island was divided into Karamuttu and Naluchira regions. The study conducted by different collection methods like litter sifting, umbrella method, and handpicking, revealed, 72 species of spiders and 36 species of ants. Diversity indices, species accumulation curves, functional group analyses, and PCA of soil factors were worked out. The results showed that Naluchira had better diversity than Karamuttu.