Arthrolycosa

Ar-froe-lie-ko-sah.
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Harper Gray

Paleoartist

Harper Grey combines artistic talent with scientific precision to bring extinct creatures and environments back to life. Collaborating closely with paleontologists

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Name

Arthrolycosa ‭(‬Jointed Lycosa‭ ‬-‭ ‬a reference to a genus of wolf spider‭).

Phonetic

Ar-froe-lie-ko-sah.

Named By

Hargar‭ ‬-‭ ‬1874.‭

Classification

Arthropoda,‭ ‬Arachnida,‭ ‬Araneae,‭ ‬Mesothelae,‭ ‬Arthrolycosidae.

Diet

Insectivore.

Species

A.‭ ‬antiqua‭

Size

Body length about‭ ‬5‭ ‬centimetres.

Known locations

Russia.‭ ‬USA.

Time Period

Late Carboniferous to Permian.

Fossil representation

Few specimens.

In Depth

       Arthrolycosa is an example of one of the earliest spiders,‭ ‬and like its name sake the Lycosa genus,‭ ‬Arthrolycosa would have hunted on the ground.‭ ‬Web spinning would not be a development until much later which means that Arthrolycosa would have probably lurked near cover while waiting for prey to pass by.‭ ‬When close enough it would have been able to run after its prey before pinning it down with its fangs and injecting venom into its victim.

Further Reading

– Notice of a new fossil spider from the Coal Measures of Illinois. – American Journal of Science and Arts, Third Series 7:219-223. – O. Harger – 1874. – A monograph of the terrestrial Palaeozoic Arachnida of North America. Transactions of the Connecticut Acadamy of Arts and Sciences 18:1-137. – A. I. Petrunkevitch – 1913.

SPECIES SPOTLIGHT