Diversity and composition of the spider fauna of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil

ABSTRACT

Here we compile a list of spider species recorded in Mato Grosso do Sul state (Brazil), based on information from the taxonomic literature and unpublished inventories. The list includes 228 species in 134 genera and 32 families. Only approximately 35% of the state area have records of spider species, and no more than 5% of the area presents more than one record per 0.5° grid cell (≈2,916 km²). There are large gaps in the knowledge of the state’s spider fauna, particularly in the northern Pantanal. Most of the species are known by less than 10 distribution records, indicating that their geographic distribution is virtually unknown. Extrapolating a species accumulation curve, we show that a ten-time increase in sampled area would be necessary to discover 90% of the species occurring in the state. Number of species: in the world, 44,906; in Brazil, 3,730; in Mato Grosso do Sul, 228. Therefore new inventories are essential for an adequate description of the spider fauna of the state of Mato Grosso do Sul.

KEYWORDS:
Araneae; BIOTA/MS Program