Valuable perspective about Food and Feeding nature of a spider Neoscona mukerjii from Northern Western Ghats, Maharashtra

Abstract

The present study provides a detailed account of the food and feeding behavior of the orb-weaving spider Neoscona mukerjii from the Northern Western Ghats region of India. Observations were conducted to examine prey capture strategies, web architecture, and the range of food items consumed by the species in its natural habitat. The findings reveal that N. mukerjii predominantly relies on web-based predation, exhibiting a generalized feeding habit with prey items including various insects such as dipterans, lepidopterans, and orthopterans. The study highlights the ecological role of this species in maintaining insect population balance and contributes valuable insights into its behavioural ecology. This perspective broadens the understanding of feeding adaptations among orb-weaver spiders in tropical ecosystems, emphasizing their importance as natural pest regulators in the biodiversity-rich landscapes of the Northern Western Ghats.