LAUSR

Spiders play an important role in the ecosystem. They are the controller agent of the biodiversity and therefore they should be preserved. This study aims to analyze the distribution and diversity of spider (Arachnida: Araneae) in Sahendaruman Mountain, the Islands of Sangihe, North Sulawesi, Indonesia. The sample is taken from three types of habitat including the secondary forest, shrub and plantation area. The sample is obtained using a pitfall trap and a sweep net. The data analysis includes the richness, abundance, diversity and evenness of species between the habitats. The results show that there are 15 families, 117 morphospecies and 812 individual spiders identified. The abundance and the number of family species that are mostly found is Salticidae, followed by Thomisidae. The distribution of the spiders shows that 13 families are spread out in all types of the habitats and two families only inhabit one type of the habitats. The highest level of richness, abundance, diversity and evenness of the spider species is found in the secondary forest, while the lowest level are found in the shrub. The results reveal that the secondary forest has the highest diversity of spiders compared to the other habitat.