Trochosa

Abstract: Specimens belonging to Trochosa hispanica Simon, 1870 collected in different parts of the range were compared to determine whether they belong to the same species or represent a series of cryptic species. No significant differences were found between different populations. Most of the females examined have a kind of mating plug blocking the pathway of embolus, but not the copulatory openings like in other spiders. A character previously unknown in the Lycosidae, a row of glabrous cuticular spots on male tibia I, is documented. The holotype female of Trochosa adjacens O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1885 from SW Xinjiang is illustrated for the first time. Three species described in three different genera in the same paper are synonymized with Trochosa hispanica: Arctosa nava Roewer, 1955 syn. n., Geolycosa flavichelis Roewer, 1955 syn. n., and Loculla austrocaspia Roewer, 1955 syn. n. Two species treated in Trochosa C.L. Koch, 1847 and Trochosula Roewer, 1960 are synonymized with Arctosa tbilisiensis Mcheidze, 1946: Trochosa impercussa Roewer, 1955 syn. n. and Trochosula afghana Roewer, 1960 syn. n. Three species are synonymized with Hogna ferox (Lucas, 1838): Geolycosa altera Roewer, 1955 syn. n., Geolycosa atroscopulata Roewer, 1955 syn. n., and Lycorma nigrichelis Roewer, 1955 syn. n. Lycosa (Trochosa) ochracea L. Koch, 1856 syn. n. from Spain, a species known by two taxonomic entries, is synonymized with Trochosa ruricola (De Geer, 1778). Trochosa hungarica Herman, 1879, a species known from a single publication, seems to belong to Geolycosa Montgomery, 1904 and is potentially a junior synonym of G. vultuosa (C.L. Koch, 1838). Pardosa persica (Roewer, 1955) comb. n., originally described in Dingosa Roewer, 1955, is transferred from Trochosa to Pardosa and belongs to the nebulosa-group. A new secondary homonym, Pardosa persica Marusik, Ballarin & Omelko, 2012, hom. n. is replaced with Pardosa persiana nom. n. in the monticola-group. Four species of Trochosa from Northern Africa are transferred to Alopecosa and Arctosa: Alopecosa garamantica (Caporiacco, 1936) comb. n., Alopecosa werneri (Roewer, 1960) comb. n., Arctosa annulipes (L. Koch, 1875) comb. n., and Arctosa tangerana (Roewer, 1960) comb. n. Trochosomma Roewer, 1960 syn. n. (type species Trochosa annulipes L. Koch, 1875) is removed from synonymy with Trochosa and synonymized with Arctosa C.L. Koch, 1847. Male lectotypes are designated for Arctosa nava Roewer, 1955, Geolycosa atroscopulata Roewer, 1955, and Trochosa rustica Thorell, 1875; female lectotype is designated for Geolycosa flavichelis Roewer, 1955.

Abstract: The previously monotypic North American spider genusRabidosa Roewer is characterized an d expanded to include five species: Rabidosa rabida, R. santrita, R. punctulata, R. carrana and R. hentzi, all originally described underLycosa . Descriptions, diagnoses, illustrations, distribution maps, natural history note s (where known), a provisional phylogeny, and an identification key are provided for these five species . This investigation is part of a study of the sys- tematics of the Nearctic Lycosidae, focused pri- marily upon those wolf spiders described in th e genus Lycosa . Well over 50 species of medium- to-large size wolf spiders from the Nearctic Re- gion have been described in this genus . Studie s of Lycosa by the senior author over the past 15 years have disclosed considerable heterogeneit y in taxonomic characters such as color patterns , eye arrangement, and genitalic features of male s and females . Comparison of Lycosa tarentul a Linnaeus, the type species of the genus Lycosa , with North American species of Lycosa disclose s few similarities in these characters . Because of this, Dondale & Redner (1990) have transferre d many of the large species of North American wolf spiders formerly placed in Lycosa to the genu s Hogna . The generic name Hogna was first use d by Simon (1885) for the species known as Lycos a radiata Latreille, which is apparently related t o North American species in genitalic character- istics . In preliminary studies, certain shared char- acteristics (color pattern, genitalic characters, le g length relative to body dimensions, and eye-ro w relationships) were used to distinguish distinc t groups of species placed in Lycosa . Trochosa a s defined by Brady (1979), Varacosa separated fro m Trochosa by Jimenez & Dondale (1987), Glad- icosa established by Brady (1986), and Rabidosa , described here, contain species formerly place d in Lycosa . The scrutiny and definition of thes e four genera should prove useful in determinin g the evolutionary relationships of the remainin g

Abstract: Artesian springs, commonly referred to as mound springs, are isolated unique threatened wetlands in arid central Australia that harbor a large number of endemic and relict species. Wolf spiders (Lycosidae) are the dominant invertebrate predators in mound springs and are the most abundant spider family present. Nine species are common, five of which are known to occur in other Australian wetland habitats, such as river floodplains and lakeshores: Artoria howquaensis Framenau 2002, Hogna crispipes (L. Koch 1877) new combination (= Trochosa pulveresparsa (L. Koch 1877) new synonymy; = Geolycosa tongatabuensis (Strand 1911) new synonymy; = Tarentula tanna Strand 1913 new synonymy; = Lycosa waitei Rainbow 1917 new synonymy; = Lycosa strenua Rainbow 1920 new synonymy; = Lycosa rainbowi (Roewer 1951) new synonymy), Venatrix arenaris (Hogg 1905), V. fontis Framenau & Vink 2001, and V. goyderi (Hickman 1944). Four species commonly found in mound springs are described as new: Artoria victoriensis new speci...