Lycosa

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Lycosa
Temporal range: Palaeogene–present
Lycosa aragogi.jpg
Lycosa aragogi (female)
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Infraorder: Araneomorphae
Family: Lycosidae
Genus: Lycosa
Latreille, 1804 [1]
Species

See text.

Lycosa is a genus of wolf spiders distributed throughout most of the world. Sometimes called the "true tarantula", though not closely related to the spiders most commonly called tarantulas today, Lycosa spp. can be distinguished from common wolf spiders by their relatively large size. This genus includes the European Lycosa tarantula , which was once associated with tarantism, a dubious affliction whose symptoms included shaking, cold sweats, and a high fever, asserted to be curable only by the traditional tarantella dance. No scientific substantiation of that myth is known; the venom of Lycosa spiders is generally not harmful.

Contents

As of November 2020, more than 200 species in this genus had been described. [1] [2]

Lycosa hawaiiensis carrying young Starr 020625-0014 Trisetum glomeratum.jpg
Lycosa hawaiiensis carrying young
Lycosa leuckarti Lycosa leuckarti 03.jpg
Lycosa leuckarti
Lycosa narbonensis Lycosidae - Lycosa narbonensis.jpg
Lycosa narbonensis
Lycosa singoriensis Lycosa singoriensis 03.jpg
Lycosa singoriensis
Lycosa tarantula, illustration PSM V50 D395 Lycosa tarantula.jpg
Lycosa tarantula, illustration
Lycosa godeffroyi carrying young CSIRO ScienceImage 2414 A Mother Godeffroys Wolf Spider with Spiderlings.jpg
Lycosa godeffroyi carrying young

Species list

As of November 2020, the World Spider Catalog accepted the following species: [1]

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<i>Ctenus</i> Genus of spiders

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References

  1. 1 2 3 "Gen. Lycosa Latreille, 1804", World Spider Catalog, Natural History Museum Bern, retrieved 2020-11-03
  2. Planas, E., Fernández-Montraveta, C., & Ribera, C. (2013). Molecular systematics of the wolf spider genus Lycosa (Araneae: Lycosidae) in the Western Mediterranean Basin. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 67(2), 414-428.