Evaluation of the Importance of the Striped Lynx Spider, Oxyopes salticus (Araneae: Oxyopidae), as a Predator in Texas Cotton

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Abstract
Predation by the striped lynx spider, Oxyopes salticus Hentz, on cotton arthropods was studied in an unsprayed field in east Texas. O. salticus was the most abundant spider species in cotton (68% of all spiders collected by D-Vac), with population densities of 2 in June gradually increasing to 7.2 per m2 in September. This diurnally and nocturnally feeding spider captured prey ranging between 0.1 and 1.1 of its own size. Most prey were small (average body length = 2.61 ± 0.16 mm [SEM]). The natural diet of O. salticus, a generalist predator, wasdiverse, and consisted (by number) mainly of Solenopsis invicta Buren (21.9%), leafhoppers (17.2%), dipterans (15.6%), aphids (14.1%), and spiders (14.1%). Predaceous arthropods, including Geocoris bugs, and larvae of Chrysopa and Syrphidae, composed 42% of the spiders' diet. The proportion of O. salticus feeding at any one time was O. salticus per ha cotton land per wk (weekly kill ca. 4.5% of the average arthropod density).