Arachnids of North Carolina
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View Agelenidae Members: NC Records

Agelenopsis kastoni - a grass spider

Taxonomy
Order: ARANEAEInfraorder: AraneomorphaeFamily: Agelenidae                                                                                 
Comments: Agelenopsis kastoni has a stable taxonomic history, having been described as such by Chamberlin & Ivie, 1941.
Species Comment: The 5 Agelenopsis species reported from NC "resemble each other closely in general appearance. Even in the same species there is much variation in size and some in depth of color. Our [five] known species can only be distinguished with certainty only by a comparison of the genitalia." (Kaston, 1948)

The NC species can, however, be distinguished with some accuracy by noting their differing habitats: A. kastoni is usually found in mature forest, funnel in low branches; they have been captured in pitfall traps in pine stands with young hardwoods.

Identification
Online Description/Photos: BugGuide Google, iNaturalist, Wikipedia, GBIFTechnical Description: Kaston, B. J. (1948). Spiders of Connecticut. Bulletin of the Connecticut State Geological and Natural History Survey 70: 1-874.
Comments: A. kastoni is grayish in color with a broad dark band on the abdominal venter that my be represented by two dark lines bordering a light area (similar to A. emertoni, q.v.). A "V" shaped mark on its sternum is indistinct.
Total Length: females 9-11mm; males 8-9mmAdult ID: identifiable by photo of specific features and/or supplementary info
Structural Features: Click to see acomparison of the genitalia of the 5 Agelenopsis species reported in NC
Structural photos

Whitman-Zai, J., Francis, M., Geick, M. and Cushing, P. E. (2015). Revision and morphological phylogenetic analysis of the funnel web spider genus Agelenopsis (Araneae: Agelenidae). Journal of Arachnology 43: 1-25
Distribution in North Carolina
Comments: Durham Co., Duke Forest, Kerley Rd;
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Adult phenology:
 High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft.
 Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft.
 Piedmont (Pd)
 Coastal Plain (CP)

Click on graph to enlarge
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: mature forest, funnel in low branches; captured in pitfall trap in pine stand with young hardwoods
Observation Methods:
Abundance/Frequency:
Silk / Web: Typically a slightly concave, horizontal sheet having at one end a tube that serves as a retreat for the web's denizen, and, the tube's being open at both ends, it also serves as an emergency exit. The webbing is not sticky: instead, the spider relies on its quickness to seize prey that falls or blunders onto its web.
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks:
State Protection:
Comments:

 Photo Gallery for Agelenopsis kastoni - a grass spider

Photos: 5

Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn on 2023-10-07
Wake Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn on 2023-06-17
Avery Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn on 2023-06-17
Avery Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn on 2020-08-04
Alleghany Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn on 2020-08-04
Alleghany Co.
Comment: