Dark panther spider

Dark panther spider
	Dark panther spider ( Alopecosa pulverulenta ), female
Systematics
Class :	Arachnids (arachnida)
Order :	Spiders (Araneae)
Subordination :	Real spiders (Araneomorphae)
Family :	Wolf spiders (Lycosidae)
Genre :	Alopecosa
Type :	Dark panther spider
Scientific name
	Alopecosa pulverulenta
	( Clerck , 1757)

The dark panther spider or meadow tarantula ( Alopecosa pulverulenta ) is a spider from the family of wolf spiders (Lycosidae). It is one of the more common species in the genus.

features

male

With a body length of 6.5 to 10 millimeters in the female and six to eight millimeters in the male, the dark panther spider is one of the smaller to medium-sized species of the genus. The basic color consists of a dark red-brown. The prosoma is adorned by a white, centrally placed longitudinal band that tapers towards the back. The lighter side bands on the flanks of the prosoma, which are typical for the genus Alopecosa, are indistinct or absent in the dark panther spider. The sternum is colored brown and often provided with a centrally positioned and lighter colored spot. The opisthosoma has the typical pattern, consisting of a white to light brown tip spot, which is flanked on both sides by several dark spots occasionally grown together. The markings on the opisthosoma of the dark panther spider can also be indistinct or blurred. Another distinguishing feature of both sexes is not only the length and shape of the body but also the color of the legs. The femora and tibia of the female are dark brown in color and have several lighter hairs. The femora also have light spots that sometimes merge into one another and thus form a ring. Metatarsus and tarsus of the female are yellow-brown in color. The male's first pair of legs and the second femur are dark brown to black in color. Metatarsi and tarsi are also yellow-brown here. The two rear pairs of legs of the male animal are brown in color and have several dark spots. Metatarsi and tarsi here, however, have a light brown color.

Similar species

The thick-footed panther spider ( Alopecosa cuneata ) is one of the species that resemble the dark panther spider.

The dark panther spider is similar to other species in the genus Alopecosa , including the dark brown tarantula ( Alopecosa aculeata ), the thick-footed panther spider ( Alopecosa cuneata ) and the barbed tarantula ( Alopecosa trabalis ). The species differ in their size, their pattern and their habitats and frequency. The pattern on the opisthosoma is common to all species of the genus, although it is different depending on the species.

Occurrence

The dark panther spider occurs in almost all of Europe and some parts of Asia (Japan, Eastern Siberia and China), the species has also been sighted in Alaska and in the northern part of Africa. All open areas, including meadows, pastures, grasslands, moors, fields, gardens and also ruderal areas or used green areas can be considered as habitats . Less dense forests, especially clearings, forest edges, bushes and hedges are inhabited less often. Due to the large number of habitats, the dark panther spider, in contrast to some other species of the genus Alopecosa, is not endangered in its range and is also the most common species of the genus in Germany.

Way of life

Free running female

The dark panther spider, like the other species of the genus and just as many other wolf spiders, digs a living tube into the underground, where it spends most of its time. Like almost all wolf spiders, the dark panther spider does not set up a safety net, but rather lurks at the exit of the living tube for prey, which the spider quickly catches in a surprise attack.

Reproduction

Some time after mating, the spider makes an egg cocoon , which, as is usual with wolf spiders, is attached to the spinnerets. The cocoon contains 60 to 70 eggs. After hatching, the young spiders climb onto the mother's back, as with other species, and allow themselves to be carried by the mother for a while. Adult specimens of the dark panther spider can be found between March and September.

Systematics

First describer Carl Alexander Clerck classified the dark panther spider in the genus Araneus in 1757 and gave it the name Araneus pulverulentus . Charles Athanase Walckenaer classified the spider in the genus Lycosa in 1805 , where it was given the name Lycosa andrenivora and given several synonyms by various authors. Eugène Simon changed the system of the dark panther spider again and gave it the name Tarentula andrenivora . Even after that, it received several alternative names under this and other generic names. Finally, the species received the name Alopecosa pulverulenta from Takeo Yaginuma in 1967 , which prevailed.