| Venator spenceri | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Juvenile Venator spenceri | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Lycosidae |
| Genus: | Venator |
| Species: | V. spenceri |
| Binomial name | |
| Venator spenceri Hogg, 1900 | |
Venator spenceri is a wolf spider (i.e., in the Lycosidae family), endemic to Australia and found in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia. [1] [2]
It was described in 1900 by Henry Roughton Hogg. [1] [3] Spiders of the genus Venator, including V. spenceri, are medium-sized wolf spiders with body lengths ranging from 9 to 22 millimeters. They typically exhibit a brownish coloration and possess a distinctive black patch covering the anterior three-quarters of the ventral surface. [4] Venator spenceri can be distinguished from other wolf spiders by genitalic features. Females have an elevated atrium on the epigyne that forms a raised edge bordering an inverted T-shaped median septum. In males, the tegular apophysis of the pedipalp often features a retrolateral incision that corresponds to the edge on the female epigyne. [4]
This species is part of the Bassian fauna and is distributed in southeastern Australia, with confirmed presence in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia.[1][2] V. spenceri is typically found in dry sclerophyll forests, reflecting its adaptation to temperate woodland environments. [4]