While this is an old photo, I finally had the opportunity to get a ventral image of the epigyne. I am not completely sure but it looks kind of matches Brady's drawing of a T. aspersa. I will let you decide. Thanks!

it most closely resembles are T. geogicola and T. grandis. Unfortunately some of it is obscured but the area I'm focusing on is labeled TP (trapezoidal transverse piece) in Brady's paper. On T. aspersa it appears full with a noticeable downward curve. T. georgicola and T. grandis are depicted more like yours appears, not as full and going straight across. She doesn't look much like T. georgicola so I think we're still good with T. grandis. I can't see everything though.

...I should cut the specimen open and try to get a dorsal view of the epigynum?

that myself yet. John Rosenfeld might be able to give you some tips in that area. If you haven't done it before and you're very curious about this one it might be better to hang on to it and practice on something else first.

Thanks for the information! I've done dissections but never on a spider. Perhaps I should "practice" on some other dead arthropods.
Cheers!

I know for sure this isn't T. georgicola. Likewise, I have a photo that shows this individual's yellow facial patch. I can upload it if you want but I think we have enough for the T. grandis page.

Likewise, it is unfortunate because I had a time constraint and I wasn't really able to spend the time to dissect out the furrow.

Should we move the epigyne photo to the species page or would it be better for to wait until later when, hopefully, I can get a better image?

I assumed it was more T. helluo than T. aspersa on the characteristic that it lacked any sort of banding on the legs. I have seen individuals of a similar coloration but fairly identifiable amounts of yellow banding on the legs along with the broken medial stripe that does not reach all the way across the cephalothorax. Luckily, she is still preserved in isopropyl alcohol, so I can take her out and take a ventral. The problem though is that the alcohol may have discolored some of the patterning. I have some work I need to finish at the moment so I will post the ventral most likely tomorrow morning.

I sent a link to Mandy Howe the other day to see what she thinks before moving it, I'm just waiting to hear back now.

...that this particular individual is indeed a T. helluo?

I don't think this is a T. helluo, I'm still waiting to hear back. I think it's T. aspersa but I haven't seen a confirmed ventral for that yet so I want a second opinion before moving it.

I'll just move them to genus in the meantime.

Mandy Howe said she agrees this is likely T. aspersa.

I guess it pays off to keep dead wolf spiders around!

Also, if this does turn out to be a T. aspersa, I would like to add that this female mated with this male:
http://bugguide.net/node/view/589809



P.S. Under VERY bright light and after most of the isoproypl alcohol had evaporated, I caught sight of some extremely faint banding on her legs, so you may have been right at the fact that this was a T. aspersa instead of T. helluo.