A total of 102 arthropod species were recorded from the irrigated rice field during the study. A
terrestrial arthropod fauna comprising 84 species of insects that belongs to 72 families and 10
orders, and 18 species of arachnids in 10 families. The majority of the insect species documented
from the studied rice field belonged to the order Hymenoptera (29 species in 18 families),
dominated by the family Braconidae and Ichneumonidae (Fig.1). The second largest insect order
recorded was Homoptera, consisted of 19 species, in 5 families, dominated by the family
Cicadellidae (14 spp.). Coleoptera was the third largest insect order, with 13 species in 11 families.
Coccinellidae and Bruchidae were dominant among the Coleoptera. In order Diptera, 9 species
were identified in 20 families. Order Hemiptera included 9 species in 7 families. The hemipterans
were dominated by family Reduviidae (2 species) and Miridae (2 species). The Odonata included 2
species in 2 families. The Orthoptera included 3 species identified in 4 families. The Lepidoptera
included 3 species in 3 families. The remaining 2 insect orders (Neuroptera and Thysanura)
included one specy each. The Arachnids consisted of 18 species of Araneae (spiders) in 10 families.
Amongst the spiders, family Araneidae had the highest number of species (4 spp.) followed by the
family Theridiidae (3 spp.)