An agroecosystem refers to a complex system comprising a couple of
different interacting factors, involving species, ecological, and management processes.
This system contains lesser species diversity of both plants and animals than a natural
ecosystem. The variation in species of plants and insects is critically important to serve
as a complex food chain and web whose interactions function to stabilise this
ecological unit. However, among the groups of herbivores and predators found in
agroecosystems, spiders play a key role in most crop fields by preying on a variety of
pests. Besides this, the current pace of research on this subject shows that the role of
spiders in regulating pest species and serving as potential biological control agents has
been largely ignored. So far, information on agricultural spider communities, diversity
and their role as biological pesticides remain scant in various parts of the world with
the exception of countries such as the United States of America, Australia, and some
parts of the Middle East Asia. Thus, this chapter outlines the most relevant information
on the diversity, abundance and effect of arthropodous spiders on agroecosystems,
particularly those that are involved in the cultivation of legume crop species. The paper
also discusses current relevant threats to spiders, conservation measures, the threat of
species extinction, and the role that these arthropods play in agriculture, especially by
reducing the growth and productivity of species such as soybean (Glycine max L.) and
cowpea (Vigna unguiculata).
Keywords: Crop yield, Disease management, Legumes, Plant virus, Viral morphology, Infection biology.
