Arachnids of North Carolina
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View Lycosidae Members: NC Records

Pirata montanus - a pirate wolf spider


Male
Female
Taxonomy
Order: ARANEAEInfraorder: AraneomorphaeFamily: Lycosidae                                                                                 
Identification
Online Description/Photos: BugGuide Google, iNaturalist, Wikipedia, GBIF
Comments: Description of female. Carapace 3 .0 mm long, 2.1 mm wide, with a wide dorsal light colored band that extends from the posterior margin o f carapace, becoming wider as it approaches the posterior lateral eyes and enclosing a tuning-fork mark which is incomplete, i .e ., broken up into four patches of pigment ; side s heavily pigmented with no trace of marginal or submarginal light areas . General body color amber in unpigmented areas ; dorsum pigmented with indistinct hastate mark ; legs unbanded . Ventral surfaces of body and legs unmarked . Lower margin of the furrow of the chelicerae with three stout teeth which are almost equal in size . Anterior row of eyes distinctly procurved, much narrower than the posterior median row ; anterior eyes almost equal in size, equally spaced ; clypeus height at anterior lateral eyes equal to the diameter of an anterior lateral eye . Legs 4123. Description of male .—From Raleigh Co. W . Va. Carapace 2 .3 mm long, 1 .7 mm wide ; sides black; a wide mid-dorsal light stripe extends from the posterior margin to the posterior lateral eyes, widening to inclose the tuning-fork pattern in the head region ; the head region bears a sparse covering of white hair-like structures which are longest betwee n the posterior median eyes; the lateral edges of the carapace are adorned with closely set , short white hair-like bristles. The dorsum of the abdomen has an indistinct hastate mark , lateral rows of white scales, and four pairs of spots covered with white scales. Lowe r margin of the furrow of the chelicerae with three robust teeth which are almost equal i n size . Anterior eye row distinctly procurved and considerably narrower than the posterio r median row; anterior eyes almost equal in size and evenly spaced . Sternum, labium, endites and coxae I and II pigmented ; sternum with a median longitudinal light stripe ; distal end of endites light colored . Venter anteriorly, and epigastric region, darkly pigmented . Legs 4123 . The legs are yellow above except for coxae I and II and proximal five - sixths of femora I and II which are almost black, and femora III and IV which have a lightly pigmented band near the distal end . The leg pattern is the same below except tha t the pigment on femora I and II covers the whole surface .
Total Length: Male Carapace 2 .3 mm long, 1 .7 mm wide. Female Carapace 3 .0 mm long, 2.1 mm
Distribution in North Carolina
Comments: Northeastern United States and Canada ; south into North Carolina ; west into Iowa and Minnesota.
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: forest, mesic slope, bogs, oak mesic forest,
Observation Methods:
Abundance/Frequency: May to August. egg sacs from June, July, August and September .
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks:
State Protection:
Comments:

 Photo Gallery for Pirata montanus - a pirate wolf spider

Photos: 2

Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn on 2022-03-06
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn on 2019-05-28
Transylvania Co.
Comment: