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Agelenopsis utahana (Chamberlin & Ivie, 1933)

	FAMILY: AGELENIDAE C. L. Koch, 1837     Genus: Agelenopsis Giebel, 1869         Species: Agelenopsis utahana (Chamberlin & Ivie, 1933)
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General Comments: Agelenopsis utahana can be distinguished from a similar species, A. oregonensis, by the presence of a darker coloured abdomen. Palp and epigynal differences also separate the two closely related species.

Family Common Name:  funnel weavers
Genus Common Name:  grass spiders
Species Common Name:  none

Global Distribution: USA, Canada, Alaska
Nearctic States & Provinces: AB BC MB NT QC SK YT CO KY MA MT NH ND PA UT WY AK

Seasonality Specimen Search Specimen list 397, 199

Feeding Guild:^† sheet web builders
^†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
Habitat (published): wooded areas, on plants, in old stumps, among vegetation or debris on ground
Habitat (<30 randomly chosen specimens): Fescue with trees; 2000'; Sand beach; Native grass/Trees; Coniferous-dominant forest, clearcut; Mixed open Forest; Marsh; Deciduous-dominant forest, clearcut; final moult - 25 Jun; Pine forest; Grassy hillside; Web on shrub. River bank; Spruce forest; Lodgepole Pine closed Forest; Aspen, grass, willow; Aspen, shrub; Deciduous-dominant with coniferous understory, 10% standing trees; Mixed woods; Dead in building. Pine woods. 4800' ; Alfalfa field edge, Dry Grassland; Wetland; Hedgerow by field; Spruce, poplar woods; Open spruce woods. Surface litter; Wall of building. Night with flashlight; Base camp. Beach; Bog; Sask. River valley; Picea mariana woods; Beach ridge;

Life & Natural History: Matures in August to September.

Image(s) of Habitus:

Description: Bands on the carapace are brown and faded toward the head. Marginal lines are nearly absent. The sternum is brown and lighter in colour in the center. Bandsor other markings on the legs are faint. The abdomen is darkly coloured above and has a dark median pattern below. Palp has a short embolus that tapers to a point. The tip of the embolus lies away from its base and points ventrally (Chamberlin & Ivie, 1941).

Male Dimensions: A = 4 mm  A+B = 7.7 mm  C = 2.9 mm

Image of External Male Genitalia: Credit: Sloan, John

Description: General body colours and patterns essentially the same as the male. The epigynum can be distinguished from that of A. oregonensis by shorter and well-separated points to the lobes on the anterior rim (Chamberlin & Ivie, 1941).

Female Dimensions: A = 4.3 mm  A+B = 11.2 mm  C = 3.1 mm

Image of Epigynum: Credit: Hancock, John

Descriptions Source:
Chamberlin, R. V. & W. Ivie. 1941. North American Agelenidae of the genera Agelenopsis, Calilena, Ritalena and Tortolena. Ann. ent. Soc. Am. 34: 585-628.

Agelena utahana Chamberlin & Ivie 1933 urn:lsid:ubio.org:namebank:2076369

Agelenopsis utahana Chamberlin & Ivie 1933 urn:lsid:ubio.org:namebank:9737682

Agelenopsis utahana Chamberlin & Ivie 1941 urn:lsid:ubio.org:namebank:2076370

Agelenopsis utahana Seyler 1941 urn:lsid:ubio.org:namebank:2076371

Agelenopsis utahana Kaston 1948 urn:lsid:ubio.org:namebank:2076373

Agelenopsis utahana Schenkel 1950 urn:lsid:ubio.org:namebank:9735659

Agelenopsis utahana Gering 1953 urn:lsid:ubio.org:namebank:2076375

Agelenopsis utahana Shear 1967 urn:lsid:ubio.org:namebank:2076376

Agelenopsis utahana Paquin & Dupérré 2003 urn:lsid:ubio.org:namebank:2009413

Chamberlin, R. V. & W. Ivie. 1941. North American Agelenidae of the genera Agelenopsis, Calilena, Ritalena and Tortolena. Ann. ent. Soc. Am. 34: 585-628.

Chamberlin, R. V. & W. Ivie. 1933. Spiders of the Raft River Mountains of Utah. Bull. Univ. Utah 23(4): 1-79.

Gering, R. L. 1953. Structure and function of the genitalia in some American agelenid spiders. Smithsonian misc. Coll. 121(4): 1-84.

Kaston, B. J. 1948. Spiders of Connecticut. Bull. Conn. St. geol. nat. Hist. Surv. 70: 1-874.

Paquin, P. & N. Dupérré. 2003. Guide d'identification des araignées de Québec. Fabreries, Suppl. 11 1-251.

Schenkel, E. 1950. Spinnentiere aus dem westlichen Nordamerika, gesammelt von Dr. Hans Schenkel-Rudin. Verh. naturf. Ges. Basel 61: 28-92.

Seyler, P. J. 1941. The generic and specific status of four Ohio spiders of the genus Agelenopsis. Ohio J. Sci. 41: 51-69.

Shear, W. A. 1967. Expanding the palpi of male spiders. Breviora 259: 1-27.

^‡Nomenclature and taxonomic references from the World Spider Catalog

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