Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Dead Wolf Spider: Schizocosa or Tigrosa?

Yesterday I discovered a Wolf Spider (family Lycosidae) that had died only a few hours before on the cross-ties. Finally I had my chance to get a ventral view and determine the species once and for all! Alas, it was not to be. The look of the ventral abdomen did help me rule out some species, but I'm still left to wonder: what species do I have in my yard?!

Ok, so it's not Hogna antelucana, H. baltimoriana, H. carolinensis, or H. lenta: they all have black ventral abdomens.

So that leaves Schizocosa sp. or Tigrosa helluo. At the moment, it seems Tigrosa helluo is the best fit, although my specimen has a black epigastric patch, covering the epigynum, and the pictures I've found either don't have a patch or have a much smaller black area. However, there may be a wide range of patterns for this species. I won't rule out Schizocosa until I find more information; the genus isn't well-documented.

Note: She's missing leg I on her right side.

Dorsal:

Ventral:

Please, if you can provide insight on this mystery, don't hesitate to leave a message!

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