spider - Pityohyphantes costatus

Moved

Moved from Pityohyphantes subarcticus.

Moved back to P. costatus, based on diagnostic characteristics provided by D. Buckle (pers. comm.): medial stripe on carapace does not branch out to all four posterior eyes; dark sternum with pale median and pale maculae between leg bases.

… Kevin Pfeiffer, 9 October, 2010 - 1:21am

Moved

Moved from Hammock Spider.

Based on closer match of scape --- rounded, tear-drop shape with strongly sclerotized rim vs. more complex, more angular shape of P. costatus as depicted in Paquin & Dupérré, 2003. (Habitus image of A.Tanasevitch, AMNH, is also identical.)

Looking for a copy of the original description (Chamberlin & Ivie, 1943) if anyone can help.

Specimen: kmp-6250

… Kevin Pfeiffer, 6 October, 2010 - 6:56am

Moved

Moved from Pityohyphantes.
Thanks John. Are there any other species of Pityohyphantes up here in New England besides costatus?

… tom murray, 23 May, 2010 - 10:30pm

Good question, and I don't have an up-to-date spider checklist for Massachusetts. However, there might be other species in your area. In Spiders of Connecticut Kaston lists P. limitaneus in northern New England. P. subarcticus is also in eastern Canada above New England, in both Nova Scotia and New Brunswick (among other provinces), but I'm not sure how far south it extends.

… John Sloan, 23 May, 2010 - 11:01pm

...

I guess I'll leave these alone when I find them in Massachusetts, but will keep looking in far northern New England.

… tom murray, 23 May, 2010 - 11:09pm

Actually, in light of the current discussion, I wouldn't mind seeing a few more, of both sexes.

… Kevin Pfeiffer, 6 October, 2010 - 7:36am

I'll get a few more specimens, and hope they're P. subarcticus. Maybe they're more common down here than previously thought.

… tom murray, 6 October, 2010 - 5:31pm

John S. has already expressed his doubts. :-) I'm waiting on some additional reference information that he's found.

… Kevin Pfeiffer, 7 October, 2010 - 12:35am

Hi, Tom,

Nice shot of the sternum. Looks like another P. costatus.

… John Sloan, 23 May, 2010 - 10:21pm