Arachnids of North Carolina
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View Agelenidae Members: NC Records

Agelenopsis utahana - a grass spider

Taxonomy
Order: ARANEAEInfraorder: AraneomorphaeFamily: Agelenidae                                                                                 
Comments: Agelenopsis utahana has enjoyed a relatively stable taxonomic history since having been originally described as Agelena utahana by Chamberlin & Ivie, 1933. It has remained in Agelenopsis since 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. utahana is usually found in deep woods, the forest edge, tree stumps or on forest floor vegetation.

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: This is a yellow to reddish brown species, not as dark as A. naevia (q.v.). Both the sternal "V" mark and the ventral abdominal band are faintly—if at all—indicated.
Total Length: Females 9-12mm; males 8-10mmAdult ID: identifiable by photo of specific features and/or supplementary info
Structural Features: Click to see a comparison 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: Found in northern climes: Note iNaturalist collections from MN, and northern Canada.
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: deep woods, forest edge; forest floor vegetation or tree stumps; funnel/sheet web
Observation Methods:
Abundance/Frequency:
Silk / Web: Typically a slightly concave, horizontal sheet, and having at one end a tube that serves as a retreat for the web's denizen; 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:
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 Photo Gallery for Agelenopsis utahana - a grass spider

Photos: 7

Recorded by: Mark Basinger and Jim Petranka on 2024-08-07
Mitchell Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Mark Basinger and Jim Petranka on 2024-08-07
Mitchell Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Mark Basinger, Jim Petranka, and Becky Elkin on 2024-08-06
Mitchell Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn on 2024-05-10
Chatham Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn on 2023-09-14
Polk Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn on 2023-08-01
Buncombe Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn on 2020-11-25
Durham Co.
Comment: