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Contents: Preface. 1. Rice cropping system and its challenges/Amandeep Singh, Randeep Singh and Mandeep Kaur. 2. Insect pests of rice/Kapila Mahajan, Amandeep Singh and Randeep Singh. 3. Brief about spiders/Amandeep Singh and Randeep Singh. 4. Suppresion of rice brown plant hopper by spiders/Mandeep Kaur, Amandeep Singh, Randeep Singh and Kiranjot Kaur. 5. Ecological importance of spiders/Gurbax Singh, Amandeep Singh, Mandeep Kaur and Kiranjot Kaur. 6. Ecology of spiders in rice fields/Amarinder Singh, Amandeep Singh, Mandeep Kaur and Gurbax Singh. 7. Conservation of natural enemies/Maninderjit Singh, Amandeep Singh and Randeep Singh. 8. Spiders as detrivores/Amandeep Singh, Abhinay Thakur, Kapila Mahajan and Mandeep Kaur. 9. Reduction of insect pest densities by spiders/Amandeep Singh, Ripudaman Parihar and Randeep Singh. 10. Can spider be effective biocontrol agent/Kiranjot Kaur and Amandeep Singh. 11. Effect of pesticide on spiders/Amandeep Singh, Jyoti Mahajan and Randeep Singh. Index. 

Spiders are least explored non-chemical alternative in insect-pest control. Spiders are often confused with other long-legged insects and mistakenly feared as poisonous. This book provides an introduction to the spiders covering its physical characteristics, behaviour and physiology, neurobiology, reproductive characteristics, habits, habitats, prey, relationships to human beings and various challenges faced in rice cropping with special emphasis on its insect pests and role of spiders as an effective biocontrol agent. Along with as a biocontrol agent, spiders also act as an important detrivores agent and play an important role in food web and overall ecology of the rice field. Spiders are described with simple text and full-colour illustrations. With indiscriminate use of pesticides, spiders are facing threat and populations are decreasing reducing its pest control ability. Hence, there is urgent need to conserve this generalist predator by providing artificial shelters, promoting bio-rational control methods and restricting use of chemicals in the rice fields. This book is an asset for students, teacher and researchers of plant pathology, agronomy, entomology, zoology, crop protection as well as person engaged in spiders in rice'