| Alopecosa sp. (Simon, 1885) |
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Scientific name: Alopecosa sp. (Simon, 1885) Common name: French name: Order: Araneae Family: Lycosidae Size: Up to about 2 cm. Biotope: General preference for open, dry areas. Web: No web. Females keep their egg sac in a silk-lined hole in the ground. Observation period: Geographic area: All continents except Antarctica. The genus includes about 160 species, most in Eurasia and a few other species in North Africa, North America, and other ecozones. |
Spiders of the Lycosidae family do not spin webs. They hunt by running and jumping on their preys. You can usually observe them on the ground or on low vegetation. You can recognize them with their big hind eyes looking forward. You can generally recognize spiders of the Alopecosa genus by their large size compared to those of the Pardosa genus, the presence of a broad longitudinal pale stripe, accentuated with white hairs, on the cephalothorax and the long spines of the legs which appear rather flat and not perpendicular. There is a typical cardiac patch on the front of the abdomen. It is very difficult to tell species apart on photography except for a small number of them. Others require an examination of the genitalia to classify further than genus. The Pardosa genus is distinguished by the presence of many perpendicularly-erected spines on the legs. The flanks of the cephalothorax are steep in frontal view whereas they are rounded in the Alopecosa genus. The Trochosa genus is distinguished by the shape of the longitudinal band on the cephalothorax. It widens towards its first third to contain two lines of the same colour as the rest of the cephalothorax. The Pirata and Piratula genera show a faint pale band on the cephalothorax with a U or V mark. Non-exhaustive list… |
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The genus of this male spider, which has already lived well in view of the well-worn middle band of the cephalothorax and two missing legs on the right side, is almost certain. I hesitated for a long time to classify it as Alopecosa pulverulenta because of its very dark colour, its well-defined reddish-brown cardiac patch between two light bands which extend to the tip of the abdomen. However, I remained cautious due to my lack of experience and confirmation by an expert would be welcome. |
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Front view. |
André Bon January 2023