Varacosa
Chamberlin & Ivie, 1942
Species Guides
3Varacosa is a of wolf spiders ( Lycosidae) to North America. First described in 1942 by Chamberlin & Ivie, the genus currently contains six recognized . These spiders are ground-dwelling hunters that serve as important prey for spider wasps in the family Pompilidae, including species such as Ageniella conflicta and Priocnemis minorata.
Pronunciation
How to pronounce Varacosa: /ˌværəˈkoʊsə/
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Images
Distribution
North America. The is to this region, with all six occurring within North American ranges.
Host Associations
- Ageniella conflicta - Spider wasp that hunts wolf spiders; Varacosa gosiuta and V. avara are recorded
- Priocnemis minorata - Spider wasp with spider ; Varacosa avara is a recorded
Similar Taxa
- ArctosaAnother of Lycosidae; Arctosa littoralis is also a recorded for Ageniella conflicta, suggesting ecological overlap and potential morphological similarity that may cause confusion
- PardosaAnother of Lycosidae; Pardosa valens is a recorded for Ageniella conflicta, indicating similar and possible identification challenges
More Details
Type species
Varacosa shenandoa Chamberlin & Ivie, 1942 is the type of the
Species composition
As of 2017, the includes six : V. apothetica, V. avara, V. gosiuta, V. hoffmannae, V. parthenus, and V. shenandoa