A sampling of forest-floor spiders (Araneae) by expellant, Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge, Maine

Spiders of 14 families, 34 genera, and at least 36 species were collected by formalin extraction from sub-litter habitats of the forest floor, Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge, Washington County, Maine, in 1987. Species per family ranged from 1 to 7; the Erigonidae had the richest representation with 19.4% of all species. Most species (64.0%) were represented by sexually mature spiders; the ratio of female to male spiders was 3.2:1. Species of web-spinning spiders outnumbered species of hunting spiders 2 to 1. Numbers of spiders/0.25 m2circular plot ranged from 1 to 4; mean overall density of sub-litter spiders was 1.12 ± 0.17 SE, where N = 36 plots. Most (67.3%) of the spiders were associated with only one forest-stand type, possibly indicating species-habitat specificity.