Spiders Arachnida Araneae Of Milbridge Washington County Maine

Adult spiders (N = 6,979) of 19 families, 145 genera, and 302 species (including 4 unknown) were collected from diverse inland, coastal, and offshore habitats of Milbridge, a 6,290-ha minor civil division of the East Coastal BioPhysical Region. Spider species richness per family ranged from 1 (Titanoecidae and Pisauridae) to 89 (Linyphiidae); species richness per genus ranged from 1 to 13, with 88 genera represented by a single species. As expected, the collected taxa were distributed unequally between two basic foraging strategies: 10 families, 98 genera, and 179 species of web spinners; 9 families, 47 genera, and 123 species of hunters. Spider abundances varied widely among taxa; individuals per family ranged from 1 (Titanoecidae and Pisauridae) to 1,691(Lycosidae); individuals per species ranged from 1 (86 species) to 470. Pardosa moesta was the most frequently collected spider. Although total species composition favored web spinners over hunters, more hunters were collected than web spinners, and more female spiders were collected than male spiders, a pattern evident for both web spinners and hunters. Spider sex ratios varied widely among the collected species and were influenced by sampling method, habitat, and season. Pitfall traps yielded more species and more individuals than any other sampling method. Fully 47.0 percent of the inventoried fauna were method-unique species; most were taken by pitfall traps, searches, and sweep nets. Species-faunal compositions among habitats were generally distinct among habitats (QS [less than or equal to] 50.0), and included habitat-unique species.