Survey of Spiders (Araneae) and Study the Effect of Crop Variety and Pesticides on their Populations in Egyptian Soybean Fields

An investigation to survey the spider complex in soybean fields at Sakha Agricultural Research Station in 2006 and 2007 seasons was carried out. The spiders were surveyed using five collecting methods: pitfall traps, vacuum machine, sweep net, water pan traps and cloth sheet. The survey revealed the occurrence of 32 spider species belonging to 13 families. The most abundant were: Singa sp, Dictyna spp., Bathyphantes sp., Pardosa spp., Thanatus albini (Audouin) and Thomisius spp. The second rank was occupied by Larinia sp., Erigone dentipalpis (Wider), Wadicosa fidelis (O.P. Cambridge), Cheiracanthium spp., Ballus sp. Thyene imperialis (Rossi) and Theridion sp. Population density of the spiders was higher in the soybean Crawford cultivar than in Giza111. The acaricides; Endo, Neoron and Ortus were more toxic (81.83 - 87.88 % spider reduction) than insecticides (35.77 - 72.96 % reduction).