Spiders of India is the only modern book available on the subject, and will prove an invaluable resource for professionals, students, naturalists, and researchers in zoology, entomology, ecology and physiology. The first part of the book looks at the morphology and anatomy of spiders, as well as systematics and evolution. The second part provides detailed descriptions of selected species. The book also contains, importantly, a decisive and updated checklist of the 1,520 spiders which have been described from India. It is richly illustrated with line drawings and diagrams, and more than 150 colour photographs, many documented for the first time.
Dr P. A. Sebastian took his doctoral degree in arachnology from Bhavnagar University, Gujarat. Since then he has been actively engaged in research on various aspects of spiders such as taxonomy, ecology, diversity, biological control potential, toxicology, synanthropic spiders, spider silk biotechnology, spider venom chemistry, etc. He has taken the initiative to organise a research group solely devoted to research on spiders in the Division of Arachnology, Sacred Heart College, Kochi.
Dr K. V. Peter is a horticulturist, a plant breeder, a university teacher, and an acknowledged research manager. He is a Fellow of the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences, New Delhi, and the National Academy of Sciences, Allahabad. He has also served as the Vice-Chancellor of Kerala Agricultural University.
Message from Dr M S Swaminathan Foreword Preface List of Genera and Species Described in this Book
Part I
1. introduction to Spiders P A Sebastian and MJ Mathew
2. Natural History and Bioecology MJ Mathew, AV Sudhikumar and J Joseph
3. Studying Spiders PA Sebastian, AV Sudhikumar and CR Biju
4. Systematics and Evolution AV Sudhikumar, MJ Mathew and PA Sebastian
Part 2
5. Suborder Mygalomorphae E Sunish, KS Jose and SP Beevi
6. Suborder Araneomorphae PA Sebastian, AV Sudhikumar, MJ Mathew and PD Samson
Bibliography Glossary Updated Checklist of Indian Spiders Contributors Index