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Hogna miami

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Hogna miami
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Infraorder: Araneomorphae
Family: Lycosidae
Genus: Hogna
Species:
H. miami
Binomial name
Hogna miami
(Wallace, 1942)
Synonyms
  • Lycosa miami Wallace, 1942

Hogna miami, commonly known as the Florida wolf spider or Miami wolf spider, is a species of wolf spider in the family Lycosidae found in the southern portion of the state of Florida.

Description

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The Florida wolf spider is a dusky yellowish brown spider with a linear cream marking running from the front of its cephalothorax to its abdomen. The sides of its carapace are a darker brown, while its legs maintain the yellowish brown color of its cephalothorax and abdomen.[1] Like other wolf spiders, H. miami is characterized by two large front facing eyes, four smaller eyes positioned in a row nearer to its chelicerae, and two eyes on the top of its cephalothorax pointing upwards.

Taxonomy

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The word Hogna may be a rough latinization of one of the Greek words ὄχνη (ókhnē) "pear" or ὄγχνη (ónkhnē) "pear-tree".[2] Miami is derived from its prevalence in South Florida, with the first reported sightings of this species being in Miami Springs and Hialeah.[1] First described in 1942, H. miami shares similar physiological characteristics with Hogna ammophilia and Hogna ericeticola, although females of this species possess minor differences in epigynal positioning.[1]

Habitat and distribution

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The Florida wolf spider is native to Florida below 28-29° latitude, with most reported sightings occurring in Miami-Dade County.[1] As with other wolf spiders, the Florida wolf spider is an active hunter, using its relatively advanced eyesight to stalk and hunt prey on the ground. Hogna miami is a terrestrial burrower, forming small, tubular burrows in the earth by digging with its front pairs of legs and tamping the earth with the pressure of its body.[3] Its brown, speckled coloration is complimentary to its life lived in burrows and on the ground. It prefers the humid, subtropical climates that associated with its native range.

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Wallace, H. K. (August 14, 1942). "A study of the lenta-group of the genus Lycosa with descriptions of new species (Araneae, Lycosidae)". American Museum Novitates (1185): 1–21. hdl:2246/4763.
  2. ^ Bosselaers, Jan (2009-11-15). "Origin of the name "Hogna", a genus of wolf spiders". Taxacom. University of Kansas. Retrieved 2021-03-01. They did not strike me as overly pear-shaped, but who knows.
  3. ^ "Burrowing Wolf Spider". Field Station. 2024-03-06. Retrieved 2024-11-30.