Alopecosa is a spider genus in the family
Lycosidae (wolf spiders), with about 160 species. They have a largely
Eurasian distribution, although some species are found in North Africa and North America.
Life cycle
Most species grow up to 2 cm. Alopecosa females make a burrow in which they deposit their
egg sac. The female then stays in the burrow guarding the sac until the eggs hatch.[citation needed]
The species in this genus have been traditionally grouped into sibling
species complexes (groups) based on morphological characters, but, as morphology-based taxonomy can be unreliable, alternative methods have also been employed to identify species correctly. For example, differences in observed courtship and copulation behaviour have proved to be a useful tool for species identification and delimitation, particularly in cryptic species.[2] Molecular techniques have also been applied to reconstruct
phylogenetic relationships between some species.[2]
Alopecosa schmidti (Hahn, 1835) – Sweden, Central to eastern and south-eastern Europe, Turkey, Caucasus, Russia (Europe to South Siberia), Kazakhstan, Iran
Alopecosa solitaria (Herman, 1879) – Italy, Central to south-eastern and eastern Europe, Turkey, Caucasus, Russia (Europe to South Siberia), Kazakhstan
Alopecosa solivaga (Kulczyński, 1901) – Russia (Europe, Siberia, Far East), Mongolia, China
The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution. The majority of species are native to
Eurasia, although some species occur in Africa, and others are found in North and South America.[1]Alopecosa fabrilis is a critically endangered species found in Britain, with examples rediscovered in 2020 in the south of the country.[3] They favor dry climates.[citation needed]
^
abJust, Pavel; Opatova, Vera; Dolejš, Petr (2018). "Does reproductive behaviour reflect phylogenetic relationships? An example from Central European Alopecosa wolf spiders (Araneae: Lycosidae)". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 185: 1039–1056.
doi:
10.1093/zoolinnean/zly060.
Chen, Jun; Song, Da-Xiang & Gao, Jiu-Chun (2000), "Two new species of the genus Alopecosa Simon (Araneae: Lycosidae) from Inner Mongolia, China", Zoological Studies39(2): 133–137,
PDF
Alopecosa is a spider genus in the family
Lycosidae (wolf spiders), with about 160 species. They have a largely
Eurasian distribution, although some species are found in North Africa and North America.
Life cycle
Most species grow up to 2 cm. Alopecosa females make a burrow in which they deposit their
egg sac. The female then stays in the burrow guarding the sac until the eggs hatch.[citation needed]
The species in this genus have been traditionally grouped into sibling
species complexes (groups) based on morphological characters, but, as morphology-based taxonomy can be unreliable, alternative methods have also been employed to identify species correctly. For example, differences in observed courtship and copulation behaviour have proved to be a useful tool for species identification and delimitation, particularly in cryptic species.[2] Molecular techniques have also been applied to reconstruct
phylogenetic relationships between some species.[2]
Alopecosa schmidti (Hahn, 1835) – Sweden, Central to eastern and south-eastern Europe, Turkey, Caucasus, Russia (Europe to South Siberia), Kazakhstan, Iran
Alopecosa solitaria (Herman, 1879) – Italy, Central to south-eastern and eastern Europe, Turkey, Caucasus, Russia (Europe to South Siberia), Kazakhstan
Alopecosa solivaga (Kulczyński, 1901) – Russia (Europe, Siberia, Far East), Mongolia, China
The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution. The majority of species are native to
Eurasia, although some species occur in Africa, and others are found in North and South America.[1]Alopecosa fabrilis is a critically endangered species found in Britain, with examples rediscovered in 2020 in the south of the country.[3] They favor dry climates.[citation needed]
^
abJust, Pavel; Opatova, Vera; Dolejš, Petr (2018). "Does reproductive behaviour reflect phylogenetic relationships? An example from Central European Alopecosa wolf spiders (Araneae: Lycosidae)". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 185: 1039–1056.
doi:
10.1093/zoolinnean/zly060.
Chen, Jun; Song, Da-Xiang & Gao, Jiu-Chun (2000), "Two new species of the genus Alopecosa Simon (Araneae: Lycosidae) from Inner Mongolia, China", Zoological Studies39(2): 133–137,
PDF