Numbers
19 species in North America listed at
Spiders of North America
species diversity greater in southern states
Size
body length about 4-6 mm, based on BugGuide photos
Identification
carapace black, shiny; abdomen usually paler, with dark dorsal patches and brown spindle-shaped marking anteriorly; legs thick, black basally, yellowish to reddish distally with variably faint to distinct dark bands; middle two pairs of legs shorter than body; hind pair of legs slightly longer than body
width of Anterior Eyes Row less than width of PME row; tarsus 1 without long proximal bristle (see
key to genera)
Range
throughout United States, south to Argentina
also represented by many species in Africa, Australia, and Europe
A. funerea is the most widespread North American species; a few species of Allocosa occur in the northern states but apparently none have yet been recorded in Canada (based on Internet search, January 2007)
Remarks
The
spider map is useful for generating a species list or image gallery of spiders in your area.
Internet References
line drawing of A. funerea by B.J. Kaston (Herschel Raney, Lycosidae of Arkansas)
species list and distribution (Spiders of North America, Transylvania U., Kentucky)
key to genera of Lycosidae (American Museum of Natural History)
references and other info (The Nearctic Spider Database, Canadian Arachnologist)
Contributed by
Jeff Hollenbeck on 1 January, 2007 - 2:38pm
Additional contributions by
Robin McLeodLast updated 6 January, 2007 - 11:38am
