Schizocosa mccooki
adult female, live |
adult male, live |
female genitalia; epigynum |
male genitalia; palp, lateral view |
male genitalia; palp, ventral view |
grape size comparison with adult spiders; male (left), female (right) |
diagnostic feature; dark diamond shape over cardiac region |
diagnostic feature; large posterior median eyes |
Current valid name
Schizocosa mccooki (Montgomery) (family Lycosidae)
Recognition and diagnostic features
Medium to large-sized brown spider, large PME, dark diamond shape over cardiac region.
Related or similar species
Pardosa ramulosa, Hololena nedra
Spider
Body lengths when mature: male: 9.1 to 15.5 mm, female: 9.60 to 22.7 mm
Immatures resemble miniature adults.
Egg sac
Wolf spiders carry their egg sacs around on the end of their abdomen until emergence of young, so one should not find a wolf spider egg sac in grapes.
Distribution
In California: throughout the state
Elsewhere: entire western half of United States, upper Midwestern states, southernmost Canada
Native to North America
This species has not been transported or become established outside of its range.
Biology
Wandering hunting spider. Can be found under grape vine bark, but mostly on ground.
Status in table grapes
Level of Incidence: uncommon
Level of Concern in New Zealand: WPNZ (May 2010) nr, BORIC (Dec 2011) nr (not listed), MAF-BPRA (2002) nr (coding definition)
Level of Concern in Australia: WPAU (2006) nr (coding definition)
Level of Medical importance: minor, large enough to bite but pain due to mechanical fang penetration not venom toxicity
Common name
None for species, wolf spiders for family
Taxonomic history
Fairly stable
Selected references
Dondale, C. D., and J. H. Redner. 1978. Revision of the Nearctic wolf spider genus Schizocosa (Araneida: Lycosidae). Canad. Entomol. 110: 143-181.