Zarlakhta Hidayat’s scientific contributions

The growth and reproduction of spiders are directly related to the energy intake rate. Availability of prey, capture ability, feeding and digesting time, silk and energy required to control prey are affected by this rate. The predatory behaviour of Langona tartarica (Charitonov, 1946) in controlled conditions was observed at the laboratory of the Department of Zoology, Women University, Swabi, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Live specimens of L. tartarica in a controlled environment were kept in an experimental display box covered with cover provided varied temperatures of 26 to 38 Celsius. It is first described that L. tartarica is an active predator like other Salticids species reported; it attacks prey and grasps with its four legs. It is also firstly observed that Musca domestica, Papilio casi, Psychoda spp., and Reticulitermes flavipes are their first preference over others like Coleoptera, Hoppers, and Crane fly if provided and avoid attacking or feeding on Oecobius and Oxyopes, (Araneae) in a controlled environment. Furthermore, L. tartarica builds a cocoon web in a controlled environment or, if displaced from its wild condition for rest and protection, mostly remains inside and frequently reconstructs the old web with a changed position.

Forty adults of Aellurilus logunovi Azarkina, 2004 were randomly collected from scrub hills edges of district Swabi, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan and observed in a controlled environment at Zoology Lab, Women University Swabi. The study aimed to describe predatory behaviour, i.e., foraging modes, how they establish predatory responses to prey and the abiotic factors that influence their hunting in a controlled environment. It is firstly reported that Aellurilus logunovi Azarkina, 2004 is a generalist predator and has a mix of feeding modes of insectivores and araneophagic or cannibalism with, utilizing their prey by either squeezing or partially engulfing. As the handling time increases with an increased body mass of prey and decreases with an increased mass of predators and reduces the mass of prey. It is also first reported that the activity of Aellurilus logunovi is highly affected by ambient temperature and light, i.e., their activity increased with an increase in temperature and light and mainly was more active below 40°C.