Diversity and Distribution of Crab Spiders (Thomisidae: Araneomorphae: Araneae:arachnida) in India

The article deals with the faunal diversity of crab spiders (Thomisidae: Araneomorphae: Araneae: Arachnida) in different states India and union territories. A total 210 species belonging to 44 genera Thomisidae was recorded all territories except for Nagaland Dadra & Nagar Haveli Daman Diu, out which 143 (68.4%) were strictly endemic. However, among them, 6 seem be case erroneous report or misidentification. Two are highly speciose, e.g. Thomisus Walckenaer, 1805 (53 species) Xysticus C.L. Koch, 1835 (25 species). maximum 74 these from Maharashtra followed by 55 Madhya Pradesh, 52 West Bengal, 40 Kerala, 34 each Gujarat Tamil Nadu, 33 Karnataka, 32 Chhattisgarh Uttarakhand, 23 Meghalaya, 21 Jammu Kashmir Uttar 17 Assam, 14 Rajasthan, 12 Andaman Nicobar Islands, Goa Manipur, 11 Odisha less than 10 other states. Seven considerably widely distributed, viz. Camaricus formosus Thorell, 1887 (17 states, 2 territories), Indoxysticus minutus (Tikader, 1960) (16 states), Runcinia insecta (L. 1875) (15 projectus Tikader, 1960 (14 1 pugilis Stoliczka, 1869 (13 Amyciaea forticeps (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1873) (12 territory) lobosus 1965 territories). Several reported only one state type locality. Hence, intensive extensive faunistic surveys required throughout country.