Alopecosa

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.

Taxonomy

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]

Species

As of January 2021, the World Spider Catalog accepted the following species:^[1]

Dubious names

Nomina dubia (dubious names) include:^[1]

• Alopecosa reimoseri (Kolosváry, 1934)
• Alopecosa strandi (Roșca, 1936)

Distribution and habitat

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.

References