Nearctic States & Provinces: AB ON QC YT AK CO CT MT NH NJ WV WI
Collection Locales Mapped by Year Collected:
The Nearctic Spider Database, http://www.canadianarachnology.org/data/spiders/18784
Pardosa moesta Banks, 1892
FAMILY: LYCOSIDAE Sundevall, 1833
Genus: Pardosa C. L. Koch, 1847
Species: Pardosa moesta Banks, 1892
Author of this page: Frost, Carol (Page complete and awaiting review)
General Comments: This is a widespread species from Alaska to Newfoundland and Labrador, south to Utah, Colorado, and Tennessee. Large catches are often made in pitfall traps in forest clearings, meadows, hayfields, marshes, bogs, and urban lawns.
Common Names
Family Common Name:
wolf spiders
Genus Common Name:
thinlegged wolf spiders
Species Common Name:
none
Distribution
Global Distribution: USA, Canada, Alaska
Nearctic States & Provinces:
AB ON QC YT AK CO CT MT NH NJ WV WI
Collection Locales Mapped by Year Collected:
Natural History, Phenology & Image(s)
Feeding Guild:‡
ground runners
‡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.
Recorded Habitats:
meadows, hayfields, marshes, bogs, urban lawns, tidal beach drift, deciduous and coniferous forests
Life & Natural History:
Males have been collected from May to August and females from May to October. Egg sacs have been collected from May to mid October. One density estimate in a central Alberta deciduous forest was 0.88 females per square metre (Buddle, 2000). In the same study of density, fecundity and life cycle of Pardosa moesta, males and females were found to be most active from mid May to early June, especially on warm days. First instar juveniles weighed 0.45 +/- 0.03 mg in mid July, and gained 2.8 times their weight by September. Pardosa moesta has a two-year life cycle in Alberta (Buddle, 2000) and in Newfoundland (Pickavance, 2001), but may have a shorter, one-year life cycle in the more southerly parts of its range. Pardosa moesta made up 35% of the spiders collected in pitfall traps near a meadow pond in central Alberta (Graham et al., 2003), with highest capture rates between 2 m and 10 m from the shore, and one specimen even caught on the water surface in a floating pitfall trap! This spider is an open-habitat specialist, and increases in abundance following disturbances, such as forest fire or harvesting, which open up the forest canopy (Buddle et al., 2000). Pardosa moesta tends to prefer younger stands.
Seasonality of Specimen Records:
Image(s) of Habitus:
Credit: Buckle, Don
Details About Males
Description:
Carapace is dark reddish-brown, shiny, with several black lines radiating from the dorsal groove. The eye area is dark and the median and submarginal bands are absent. Lateral margins of the carapace fringed with white setae. Chelicerae are dark orange. Sternum is dark reddish-brown. Legs are dark orange and paler distally. Femur I and II sometimes with dark, longitudinal streaks. Femora III and IV sometimes with faint annulations. Abdomen dull reddish, mottled with black and brown (Dondale & Redner, 1990).
Male Dimensions:
A+B = 4.95 mm
A = 2.51 mm
C = 1.82 mm
Image of External Male Genitalia:
Credit: Frost, Carol
Details About Females
Description:
Coloration much the same as male but carapace with faint median and submarginal bands. Legs often lack dark markings seen in males (Dondale & Redner, 1990).
Female Dimensions:
A+B = 5.64 mm
A = 2.55 mm
C = 1.91 mm
Image of Epigynum:
Credit: Frost, Carol
Descriptions Source:
Dondale, C. D. & J. H. Redner. 1990. The insects and arachnids of Canada, Part 17. The wolf spiders, nurseryweb spiders, and lynx spiders of Canada and Alaska, Araneae: Lycosidae, Pisauridae, and Oxyopidae. Research Branch, Agriculture Canada, Publ. 1856: 1-383.
Synonyms and Chresonyms†
| Pardosa moesta Banks 1892 |
| Pardosa moesta Chamberlin 1908 |
| Pardosa diffusa Emerton 1909 |
| Pardosa moesta Kaston 1948 |
| Pardosa moesta Dondale & Redner 1987 |
| Pardosa moesta Dondale & Redner 1990 |
| Pardosa moesta Paquin & Dupérré 2003 |
| Pardosa moesta Vogel 2004 |
Taxonomic References†
Banks, N. 1892. The spider fauna of the Upper Cayuga Lake Basin. Proc. Acad. nat. Sci. Philad. 1892: 11-81.
Chamberlin, R. V. 1908. Revision of North American spiders of the family Lycosidae. Proc. Acad. nat. Sci. Philad. 60: 158-318.
Dondale, C. D. & J. H. Redner. 1990. The insects and arachnids of Canada, Part 17. The wolf spiders, nurseryweb spiders, and lynx spiders of Canada and Alaska, Araneae: Lycosidae, Pisauridae, and Oxyopidae. Research Branch, Agriculture Canada, Publ. 1856: 1-383.
Dondale, C. D. & J. H. Redner. 1987. The atrata, cubana, ferruginea, moesta, monticola, saltuaria, and solituda groups of the spider genus Pardosa in North America (Araneae: Lycosidae). Can. Ent. 119: 1-19.
Emerton, J. H. 1909. Supplement to the New England Spiders. Trans. Connect. Acad. Arts Sci. 14: 171-236.
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.
Vogel, B. R. 2004. A review of the spider genera Pardosa and Acantholycosa (Araneae, Lycosidae) of the 48 contiguous United States. J. Arachnol. 32: 55-108.
†Nomenclature and taxonomic references from the World Spider Catalog accessible at http://research.amnh.org/entomology/spiders/catalog/LYCOSIDAE.html
Natural History References
Buddle, C. M. 2000. Life history of Pardosa moesta and Pardosa mackenziana (Araneae, Lycosidae) in central Alberta, Canada. Journal of Arachnology 28: 319-328.
Buddle, C. M., J. R. Spence, and D. W. Langor. 2000. Successsion of boreal forest spider assemblages following wildfire and harvesting. Ecography 23: 424-436.
Graham, A.K., C.M. Buddle, and J.R. Spence. 2003. Habitat affinities of spiders living near a freshwater pond. Journal of Arachnology 31: 78-89.
Pickavance, R. 2001. Life-cycles of four species of Pardosa (Araneae, Lycosidae) from the island of Newfoundland, Canada. Journal of Arachnology 29: 367-377.
Other Nearctic Members of Genus Pardosa C. L. Koch, 1847‡‡
P. agrestis (Westring, 1861) ...............Palearctic
P. albomaculata Emerton, 1885 ...............USA, Canada, Alaska, Greenland
P. algens (Kulczynski, 1908) ...............Canada, Alaska, Russia
P. altamontis Chamberlin & Ivie, 1946 ...............USA, Canada
P. anomala Gertsch, 1933 ...............USA, Canada
P. atlantica Emerton, 1913 ...............USA
P. atrata (Thorell, 1873) ...............Palearctic
P. bellona Banks, 1898 ...............USA, Mexico
P. beringiana Dondale & Redner, 1987 ...............Canada, Alaska
P. bifasciata (C. L. Koch, 1834) ...............Palearctic
P. blanda (C. L. Koch, 1833) ...............Palearctic
P. bucklei Kronestedt, 1975 ...............USA, Canada
P. californica Keyserling, 1887 ...............USA, Mexico
P. coloradensis Banks, 1894 ...............USA, Canada, Alaska
P. concinna (Thorell, 1877) ...............USA, Canada
P. confusa Kronestedt, 1988 ...............USA
P. crassistyla Kronestedt, 1988 ...............USA
P. delicatula Gertsch & Wallace, 1935 ...............USA, Mexico
P. distincta (Blackwall, 1846) ...............USA, Canada
P. diuturna Fox, 1937 ...............Canada, Alaska
P. dorsalis Banks, 1894 ...............USA, Canada
P. dorsuncata Lowrie & Dondale, 1981 ...............USA, Canada, Alaska
P. dromaea (Thorell, 1878) ...............USA, Canada
P. eiseni (Thorell, 1875) ...............Palearctic
P. falcifera F. O. P.-Cambridge, 1902 ...............USA to Costa Rica
P. ferruginea (L. Koch, 1870) ...............Palearctic
P. floridana (Banks, 1896) ...............USA, Cuba
P. fulvipes (Collett, 1876) ...............Palearctic
P. furcifera (Thorell, 1875) ...............Canada, Alaska, Greenland, Iceland
P. fuscula (Thorell, 1875) ...............USA, Canada, Alaska
P. glacialis (Thorell, 1872) ...............Holarctic
P. gothicana Lowrie & Dondale, 1981 ...............USA
P. groenlandica (Thorell, 1872) ...............USA, Canada, Alaska, Greenland
P. hetchi Chamberlin & Ivie, 1942 ...............USA
P. hortensis (Thorell, 1872) ...............Palearctic
P. hyperborea (Thorell, 1872) ...............Holarctic
P. josemitensis (Strand, 1908) ...............USA
P. knappi Dondale, 2007 ...............USA
P. labradorensis (Thorell, 1875) ...............USA, Canada
P. lapidicina Emerton, 1885 ...............USA, Canada
P. lapponica (Thorell, 1872) ...............Holarctic
P. lasciva L. Koch, 1879 ...............Palearctic
P. littoralis Banks, 1896 ...............USA, Canada, Cuba
P. lowriei Kronestedt, 1975 ...............USA, Canada, Alaska
P. luctinosa Simon, 1876 ...............Palearctic
P. lugubris (Walckenaer, 1802) ...............Palearctic
P. mackenziana (Keyserling, 1877) ...............USA, Canada, Alaska
P. mercurialis Montgomery, 1904 ...............USA
P. metlakatla Emerton, 1917 ...............USA, Canada, Alaska
P. milvina (Hentz, 1844) ...............USA, Canada
P. mixta (Kulczynski, 1887) ...............Palearctic
P. modica (Blackwall, 1846) ...............USA, Canada
P. montgomeryi Gertsch, 1934 ...............USA, Mexico
P. monticola (Clerck, 1757) ...............Palearctic
P. mulaiki Gertsch, 1934 ...............USA, Canada
P. nebulosa (Thorell, 1872) ...............Palearctic
P. nigra (C. L. Koch, 1834) ...............Palearctic
P. nordicolens Chamberlin & Ivie, 1947 ...............Canada, Alaska, Russia
P. ontariensis Gertsch, 1933 ...............USA, Canada
P. orophila Gertsch, 1933 ...............USA, Mexico
P. orthodox Chamberlin, 1924 ...............USA, Mexico
P. ourayensis Gertsch, 1933 ...............USA
P. paludicola (Clerck, 1757) ...............Palearctic
P. palustris (Linnaeus, 1758) ...............Holarctic
P. palustris islandica (Strand, 1906) ...............Iceland
P. parvula Banks, 1904 ...............USA
P. pauxilla Montgomery, 1904 ...............USA
P. pedia Dondale, 2007 ...............Canada
P. plumipes (Thorell, 1875) ...............Palearctic
P. podhorskii (Kulczynski, 1907) ...............Canada, Alaska, Russia
P. prosaica Chamberlin & Ivie, 1947 ...............Russia, Alaska, Canada
P. proxima (C. L. Koch, 1847) ...............Palearctic, Canary Is., Azores
P. rainieriana Lowrie & Dondale, 1981 ...............USA, Canada
P. ramulosa (McCook, 1894) ...............USA, Mexico
P. riparia (C. L. Koch, 1833) ...............Palearctic
P. saltonia Dondale & Redner, 1984 ...............USA, Mexico
P. saxatilis (Hentz, 1844) ...............USA, Canada
P. schenkeli Lessert, 1904 ...............Palearctic
P. septentrionalis (Westring, 1861) ...............Northern Palearctic
P. sierra Banks, 1898 ...............USA, Mexico
P. sinistra (Thorell, 1877) ...............USA, Canada
P. sodalis Holm, 1970 ...............Canada, Alaska, Russia
P. sordidata (Thorell, 1875) ...............Palearctic
P. sternalis (Thorell, 1877) ...............North America
P. steva Lowrie & Gertsch, 1955 ...............North America
P. tatarica (Thorell, 1875) ...............Palearctic
P. tesquorum (Odenwall, 1901) ...............Russia, Mongolia, China, USA, Canada, Alaska
P. tetonensis Gertsch, 1933 ...............USA
P. tristis (Thorell, 1877) ...............USA, Canada
P. tuoba Chamberlin, 1919 ...............USA
P. uintana Gertsch, 1933 ...............USA, Canada, Alaska
P. uncata (Thorell, 1877) ...............USA
P. utahensis Chamberlin, 1919 ...............USA
P. vadosa Barnes, 1959 ...............USA, Mexico
P. valens Barnes, 1959 ...............USA, Mexico
P. vancouveri Emerton, 1917 ...............USA, Canada
P. vogelae Kronestedt, 1993 ...............USA
P. wagleri (Hahn, 1822) ...............Palearctic
P. wasatchensis Gertsch, 1933 ...............USA
P. wyuta Gertsch, 1934 ...............USA, Canada
P. xerampelina (Keyserling, 1877) ...............USA, Canada, Alaska
P. xerophila Vogel, 1964 ...............USA, Mexico
P. yavapa Chamberlin, 1925 ...............USA
P. zionis Chamberlin & Ivie, 1942 ...............USA
‡‡May also include species with Palearctic distribution
Page Reference:
Frost, Carol. submitted. Taxonomic and natural history description of FAM: LYCOSIDAE, Pardosa moesta Banks, 1892.
In: The Nearctic Spider Database. David P. Shorthouse (editor). World Wide Web electronic publication. Direct link: http://www.canadianarachnology.org/data/spiders/18784 (Accessed: 10/7/2008 5:26:41 PM).
Author Email Address: carol.frost@mail.mcgill.ca
Text Last Modified: 2006-02-08T18:17:20Z