HOW SPIDERS MAKE A LIVING

Although the beneficial status of the spiders as insectivores has been widely recognized for quite some time, biologists by and large seem t o be rather unfamiliar with the specific feeding habits of this very d iverse order. We present an overview of the feeding patterns of 10 gro ups of common agroecosystem spiders to inform entomologists and ecolog ists concerned with issues of natural biological control. The various spider groups discussed in this article exhibit a very diverse range o f life styles and foraging modes, which is reflected in the diversity of their feeding patterns. Implications of the insectivorous activitie s of these predators for natural pest control are discussed.