Shore spider

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Pardosa milvina: //pɑːrˈdoʊ.sə mɪlˈviː.nə//

These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.

Images

Summary

Pardosa milvina, known as the shore spider, is a small wolf spider found primarily in eastern North America, notable for its thin legs, unique vision arrangement, and predation on small insects. They display interesting behaviors for avoiding predation, such as leg autotomy and chemical communication during mating rituals.

Physical Characteristics

Pardosa milvina have thin, long legs with long spines and a distinctive eye arrangement with four eyes in the top row and two in the subsequent rows. Males have white hairs on their kneecaps, and they often show wavy dorsal stripes. The largest females measure approximately 6.2 mm, while males measure around 4.7 mm.

Identification Tips

Look for the characteristic eye arrangement with four prominent top eyes and wavy dorsal stripes. Males can be distinguished by the white hairs on their kneecaps.

Habitat

These spiders are found near rivers and in agricultural areas, including dry, open woods close to water sources like rivers, ponds, and streams, particularly in eastern North America.

Distribution

Mainly located in eastern North America, including New England, Georgia, and areas west of the Rockies.

Diet

Pardosa milvina are active cursorial predators feeding on ground-dwelling arthropods like crickets, as well as Diptera, Collembola, small Orthoptera, and other small spiders.

Life Cycle

Females brood their offspring for 12 to 30 days, carrying the egg sac until the spiderlings emerge and are then carried for an additional 3 to 24 days.

Reproduction

Mating involves airborne chemical communication via silk, where males court females by raising their legs and shaking their bodies. Females signal their willingness to mate through silk pheromones.

Predators

Common predators include larger wolf spiders like Tigrosa helluo and ground beetles such as Scarites quadriceps.

Ecosystem Role

As predators, Pardosa milvina play a role in controlling populations of small insects and contribute to the ecological balance in their habitats.

Tags

• Pardosa milvina
• Shore spider
• Wolf spider
• Arachnology
• North America
• Predatory behaviors
• Spider communication