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Meta dolloff Levi, 1980

Dolloff Cave spider

	FAMILY: TETRAGNATHIDAE Menge, 1866     Genus: Meta C. L. Koch, 1836         Species: Meta dolloff Levi, 1980
	Author: Adams, Richard J. Page views: 507 Write a Review: Visitor Comments: (0)

General Comments: This species is found only in a small series of caves in the Cave Gulch region of Santa Cruz Co., CA. Although it was described by Levi (1980), Graham (1967) discussed this species ecology under the misnomer Psuedometa biologica. Unfortunately, these caves are walking distance from both the University of California Santa Cruz and the city of Santa Cruz and suffer from underground parties and vandalism. There is also concern about storm runoff from recent developments flowing directly into the cave system. For these reasons, M. dolloff was listed as “Vulnerable” by the 1994 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Family Common Name:  longjawed orbweavers
Genus Common Name:  none
Species Common Name:  Dolloff Cave spider

Global Distribution: USA

Feeding Guild:^† orb weavers
^†Feeding guild when noted defined by Uetz, G. W., J. Halaj, and A. B. Cady. 1999. Guild structure of spiders in major crops. Journal of Arachnology 27:270-280. PDF
Recorded Habitats: M. dolloff builds its webs in the region extending from the cave’s entrance deep into the recesses of its twilight zone. The caves are in a Coast Redwood forest.
Life & Natural History: According to Graham (1967), both adult numbers and overall population density are greatest closer to the cave’s mouth with juveniles predominating deeper in the caves. He also reported finding females guarding egg sacs in late summer. Their verticaly oriented webs are built in front of open walls and over niches and depressions in the rock while known prey items include the moth Triphosa haesitata and the harvestman Leibunum exilipes (D. Ubick, pers. com.).

Image(s) of Habitus:

Description: Carapace is glossy brown with lighter regions on thorax. Chelicera are dark brown with three teeth on the anterior margin and four on the posterior. Abdomen brown with a dorsal pair of dark anterior patches bordering two light triangular markings. Ventrally, the abdomen has two parallel light lines on a dark grey background. Legs are heavily spined and dark brown with lighter bands. The paracymbium of the male palpus is unique among the North American members of the genus in having both a large ventral finger and a smaller lateral one (M. ovalis (Gertsch) has only a ventral extension.)

Male Dimensions: A = 5.9 mm  A+B = 11 mm  C = 4.5 mm

Image of External Male Genitalia: email an image

Description: Overall coloration similar to males but larger. Epigynum has a median notch in the anterior lip.

Female Dimensions: A = 6.3 mm  A+B = 14 mm  C = 5 mm

Image of Epigynum: email an image

Descriptions Source:
Levi, H. W. 1980. The orb-weaver genus Mecynogea, the subfamily Metinae and the genera Pachygnatha, Glenognatha and Azilia of the subfamily Tetragnathinae north of Mexico (Araneae: Araneidae). Bull. Mus. comp. Zool. Harv. 149: 1-7

Meta dolloff Levi 1980 urn:lsid:ubio.org:namebank:2049293

Levi, H. W. 1980. The orb-weaver genus Mecynogea, the subfamily Metinae and the genera Pachygnatha, Glenognatha and Azilia of the subfamily Tetragnathinae north of Mexico (Araneae: Araneidae). Bull. Mus. comp. Zool. Harv. 149: 1-7

^‡Nomenclature and taxonomic references from the World Spider Catalog

Graham, R. E. 1967. The subterranean niche of Pseudometa biologica (Arachnida: Araneidae) in the Santa Cruz Caves, California with comments on ecological eqivalents in the cave environment. Caves and Karst 9: 17-22.

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