Agelenopsis emertoni

Chamberlin & Ivie, 1935

Emerton's Grass Spider

Agelenopsis emertoni is a funnel weaver spider in the Agelenidae, named in honor of arachnologist James H. Emerton. It is a medium-sized spider found across the eastern and central United States, where it constructs distinctive horizontal sheet webs with a funnel-shaped retreat. The is distinguished from by specific genitalic structures: males possess a loosely coiling embolus making more than one full circle and a claw-like conductor tip, while females have a distinctive conducting tube in their genitalia.

Agelenopsis emertoni by Gergin Blagoev, Biodiversity Institute of Ontario. Used under a CC BY-SA 3.0 license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Agelenopsis emertoni: /ˌædʒəˌlɛˈnɒpsɪs ɛmərˈtoʊni/

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Identification

Males are distinguished from other Agelenopsis by the loosely coiling embolus of the palp making more than one full circle, and a claw-like conductor tip. Females are identified by a distinctive conducting tube in the genitalia (). Males range 6–13 mm in body length. The species lacks the long, parallel characteristic of some related like Agelenopsis pennsylvanica.

Images

Distribution

United States: Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia.

Behavior

Males approach females cautiously on their webs, using vibrational signals. The female may enter a state of cataleptic paralysis during courtship. Sexual has been observed in related Agelenopsis , with cannibalistic females producing heavier with higher hatching success.

Human Relevance

Bites are rare and typically result in mild local . The poses no significant medical threat to humans.

Similar Taxa

Agelenopsis pennsylvanicaAlso a grass spider with similar sheet-funnel webs, but distinguished by different male genitalic structures (embolus not loosely coiling more than one full circle) and female epigynal .
HololenaWestern North American funnel-web weavers with short, inward-directed ; Agelenopsis emertoni has longer spinnerets and occurs in eastern/central USA.