Hogna miami
Species of wolf spider
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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.
| Hogna miami | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| 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 | |
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Description
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
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
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.
