Thick-footed panther spider
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Thick-footed panther spider ( Alopecosa cuneata ), female |
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| ( Clerck , 1757) |
The thick-footed panther spider or wedge-shaped tarantula ( Alopecosa cuneata ), also known as the thick- legged tarantula , is a spider from the family of wolf spiders (Lycosidae). It is named after the special characteristic of the male of the species in the form of a thickening of the tibia of the first pair of legs.
features
The thick-footed panther spider reaches a body length of six to nine millimeters as a female and one of six to 7.5 millimeters as a male, making it one of the smaller species of the genus. The prosoma of the species is dark brown in color and shows a white longitudinal band in the center that tapers towards the rear. The prosoma is flanked by white marginal bands. The basic color of the sternum is identical to that of the prosoma, it has a central and light longitudinal line. The thick-footed panther spider, like the other species of the genus, bears a dark pike spot on the opisthosoma, which is here dark red-brown , surrounded by two light-colored longitudinal bands. The underside of the opisthosoma of the species is brightly colored. A noticeable sexual dimorphism is the black and strongly thickened tibia of the first pair of legs in the male, which the female lacks. This property gave the thick-footed panther spider its two German trivial names. Its function has not yet been fully clarified. Presumably there are pheromone glands for courtship there. Otherwise, the legs of the male from the femur to the tibia of the first and second pair of legs are colored dark brown, while the two rear pairs of legs are entirely light brown. The legs of the female are completely yellow-brown.
Similar species
The thick-footed panther spider is similar to other species in the genus Alopecosa , including the dark brown tarantula ( A. aculeata ), the dark panther spider ( A. pulverulenta ) and the barbed tarantula ( A. trabalis ). The types can be differentiated on the basis of the different sizes and drawings as well as colors. In addition, the males of the other species lack the thickening on the tibia of the first pair of legs, as is the case with the thick-footed panther spider. Common to all species are the drawings on the abdomen, which, however, differ depending on the species. The thick-footed panther spider is similar to the dark panther spider and, unlike some other species of the genus Alopecosa, is relatively common. Both species also reach a similar size and are sometimes found in the same biotopes. The dark panther spider, unlike the thick-footed panther spider, can also be found in wetlands.
Occurrence
The thick-footed panther spider is a species widespread in the Palearctic . It prefers sunny and open places, including forest and path edges and dry grassland, as well as grasslands , juniper heaths, vineyards, quarries and dry ruderal locations . The species also lives in light forests, sunny forest edges and fresh meadows and pastures.
Hazard and protection
The thick-footed panther spider is one of the more common species of the genus. The species is not endangered in its range and is therefore not protected.
Way of life
The thick-footed panther spider is a diurnal and nocturnal spider which, like the other species of the genus, lives in self-dug living tubes. Like other wolf spiders, the thick-footed panther spider is a stalker who hunts prey of the appropriate size without weaving a web.
Reproduction
The mating season of the thick-footed panther spider begins in August. The male uses his courtship behavior to approach a female. It is believed that the male uses pheromone glands in the thickening of the tibiae of the first pair of legs. This assumption arises from the fact that the female of the thick-footed panther spider is much more active during courtship than is the case with other wolf spiders. With the chelicerae it seizes the front legs of the male and pulls it towards itself. As soon as the handle has been released, the actual pairing takes place. Some time after mating, the female begins to produce an egg cocoon , which, as is typical for wolf spiders, is constantly carried by the spinnerets. From May it is possible to see females of the thick-footed panther spider with egg cocoons. After hatching, the young linger on their mother's back - another characteristic typical of wolf spiders - before they leave them and then grow up on their own. Fully grown specimens can be found from April to August, the males preferring to search for females in spring.
Systematics
The thick-footed panther spider received the name Araneus cuneatus from its first describer Carl Alexander Clerck in 1757 . Carl Jakob Sundevall classified the species in the genus Lycosa in 1833 , where it received various synonyms from several authors. Carl Ludwig Koch gave the thick-footed panther spider the name Tarantula cuneata . Today's scientific classification in the genus Alopecosa was made in 1955 by Carl Friedrich Roewer .
gallery
Top view of a female
Top view of a male
Another picture of a male
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k Description of the thick-footed panther spider on natur-in-nrw.de ( Link ).
- ↑ a b c d e f Heiko Bellmann: The cosmos spider guide. 2nd Edition. Kosmos, Stuttgart 2016, ISBN 978-3-440-14895-2 , p. 182.
- ↑ a b c d Species description of the thick-footed panther spider by Andreas Haselböck on naturspaziergang.de ( Link ).
- ↑ The thick-footed panther spider in the World Spider Catalog ( Link ).