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Spiders for the present study were collected from different fruit gardens (i.e. citrus) located at various localities (i.e., Tehsil Samundri, Jaranwala, Tandlianwala and Faisalabad) of District Faisalabad, Pakistan. Spiders belonging to six families and 33 species were captured from the two fruit gardens during the one year of this study. The citrus fruits garden was found to be best populated habitat as compared to other fruit garden. These sites were sampled by using pitfall traps; each month for five consecutive days from September 2010 to March 2011. As a result, 1 054 specimens were captured representing six families viz: lycosidae, thomosidae, gnaphosidae, saltisidae, araneidae and clubionidae. Lycosidae was more abundant, while clubionidae was less diverse during the study. Maximum population fluctuation among the spider specimens showed during the months from September and October, while the least abundance of spider specimens was reordered during June, November and December. Maximum taxonomic diversity was recorded from September to November, with the peak in September. It was concluded during these three months, when the citrus and guava gardens were attacked by the most of the pest insects. During the months of July and November diversity was moderate and mutually comparable, while in June and December, it was the least. This study contributed to the identification of spider diversity in the agro-ecosystem which could be used in the biological pest control.

Distinction of predator's diet and prey choice preference is a hot topic of current investigations. Spider being generalist predator and cosmopoliter in nature acts as biological control agent in many agro-ecosystems. In the current study, predatory efficacy of five spiders (Pardosa birmanica, Cyclosa insulana, Thomisus projectus, Plexippus paykulliand Lycosa terrestris) inhabiting the cotton fieldevaluated in the laboratory conditions maintained at (27±2)°C temperature, 65%±5% relative humidity and 12 : 12 h of light and dark photoperiod. Four key cotton pests' viz. Bemisiatabaci, Amrascadevastans Thripstabaciand Helicoverpa armigerawere utilized in the choice and no-choice predatory studies. The findings of current investigation revealed that each predatory spider utilized at least one pest species. Predation rate was found higher in the no-choice predation because of unavailability of substitutes feeding source. The investigation also indicated each predatory spider killed more pests than consumed. The findings of this study support the predatory role of spiders in controlling the cotton major pests.

The current experiment was conducted to find out the optimal conditions for mass rearing and developmental changes of Cyclosainsulana.The lab. conditions were maintained at (27±2)°C and (65±5)% RH. The clear perplex cages and natural diet consisting of the aphids, larvae of the house fly and larvae of drosophila were used for rearing. C. insulanatook (123.12±7.26) days to develop from eggs to adults passing through eight instars under prevailing vivoconditions. The eggs were greenish white in color with average size of 0.57 mm ±0.034. The eggs spent (7.52±1.64) days in emergence. Maximum number of spiderlings survived at the 5th instar (84%) and minimum at the 1st instar (34%). The measurements of different body parts including the total body length, cephalothorax and pedipalps of the both male and female C. insulanawere done with the help of micrometer and presented as mean± SD. The measurements varied in the each developing instar. It was concluded that spiders were difficult to rear in the lab. conditions and each developing stage which was regarded as instars showed variations in size colors and body characteristics.

An experiment was carried out to assess the phosphorus status of free grazing goats at Faisalabad, Pakistan. Samples were collected fortnightly during summer and winter seasons of 2010 from soil and plants. The highest (118±0.54 mg • kg−1) levels of feces phosphorus were recorded in lactating goats during winter and (9.87±0.99 mg • kg−1) in urine of male during winter. Similarly maximum (71.0±0.88 mg • kg−1) phosphorus concentration was observed in the plasma of lactating animals. Milk contained (31.0±0.36) mg •L−1in winter while during the months of summer the highest values recorded in forages, soils, canal and tube well waters were (755±1.98) mg • kg−1, (785±4.98) mg • kg−1, (0.97±8.78) mg • L−1and (4.12±0.55) mg • L−1, respectively. It was revealed from the current results that fecal matter, forage, milk, tube well and canal water contained lower amounts of P, while P levels in blood plasma was found within the critical limits. Therefore, phosphorus supplementations were required in the area under experimentation to meet the requirements of the animals for their normal growth.