Describing the diversity of spiders in different vegetation formations from an area of the Brazilian Cerrado

Bedoya-Roqueme, Edwin de JesúsChaga, Elias Botelho da SilvaGonçalves, Ester VieiraPaulo, Isabella Cristine Ribeiro deFreitas, Joalison Melo deFilgueiras, RenanCunha, Hélida Ferreira daSimião-Ferreira, JulianaBrescovit, Antonio Domingos

Abstract Spiders are ubiquitous arachnids in all terrestrial ecosystems, and their distribution is intricately related to the microhabitat-level vegetation structure. The Brazilian Cerrado Savannah is a biome characterized by heterogeneous landscapes. However, it has had the highest deforestation rates, landscape transformation, and fire influence in recent decades. This study evaluates the diversity of spiders in different vegetation types in a core Cerrado area in the Brazilian state of Goiás. We sampled 337 specimens, 104 juveniles, and 233 adults (139 females and 94 males), representing 93 species, using different collection methods over two years. Abundance and species richness differed significantly among vegetation types. We found a richness of 125 estimated species, and the sampling effort was satisfactory, with a representativeness of 87.1%. Twenty-five species were reported for the first time in Goiás. Our results show a rich araneofauna in the sampled reserve. Therefore, public policies related to the conservation of this area should be encouraged to guarantee its preservation since it is isolated within an urban matrix with considerable industrial influence.