A Revision of the Burrowing Spiders of the Genus Geolycosa (Araneae, Lycosidae)
Wallace HK. 1942. A Revision of the Burrowing Spiders of the Genus Geolycosa (Araneae, Lycosidae). The American Midland Naturalist. 27(1):1-62
The spiders included here in the genus Geolycosa are sixteen species which may be distinguished from all other wolf spiders by their burrowing habits and genitalia. Many wolf spiders (Lycosidae) dig and live in burrows, but only the species of Geolycosa spend practically their whole existence in a burrow and possess the unique burrowing habits described below. The females almost never leave their burrows except momentarily to pounce upon their prey; young males behave similarly until after the last moult, when as adults they abandon the burrow to search for a mate. Having once abandoned the burrow the males appear to lack a stimulus to return to old habits and they soon disappear. As soon as the young are old enough to shift for themselves they leave their mother and her burrow, soon settle down, and dig a tiny home of their own which they enlarge, from time to time, to fit their needs. The burrows of these spiders are quite characteristic in construction; their more-or-less straight, vertical tubes with a slight enlargement at the bottom differ from all other burrows with which I am acquainted. Frequently they occur in loose, sandy soil, and the upper part of the burrow is lined with silk to prevent cave-ins. Many species of Geolycosa construct a "turret" at the entrance of the burrow- a small, collar-like structure fabricated from leaves, twigs, sand, and other kinds of debris fastened together with silk. In the absence of a turret a low ring of silk is found in its stead. The turrets and burrows of a number of the eastern species have been described and figured by Treat, Hancock, McCook, and others.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Wallace, H
- Units
- PINE
- Keywords
- Animal Studies, burrowing wolf spiders (Geolycosa), Research Article