Agelenopsis pennsylvanica
Agelenopsis pennsylvanica | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
Class: | Arachnida |
Order: | Araneae |
Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
Family: | Agelenidae |
Genus: | Agelenopsis |
Species: | A. pennsylvanica |
Binomial name | |
Agelenopsis pennsylvanica (C. L. Koch, 1843) | |
Agelenopsis pennsylvanica, commonly known as the Pennsylvania funnel-web spider or the Pennsylvania grass spider, is a species of spider in the family Agelenidae. The common name comes from the place that it was described, Pennsylvania, and the funnel shape of its web. Its closest relative is Agelenopsis potteri.
Agelenopsis pennsylvanica lives primarily as a solitary spider across the United States, having been found in at least 21 different states. It is an ambush predator, sitting and waiting for prey in its funnel-shaped web. In this species, the female commonly cannibalizes the male during mating. This small species has been used to study pre-copulatory cannibalism, boldness, aggressive foraging behavior, and the influence of microbes in the reproductive cycle and mating behavior.