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75
Chapter 4
Spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) of the Canadian Prairies
Héctor Cárcamo
Lethbridge Research Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge, AB
Jaime Pinzón
Department of Renewable Resources, Faculty of Agricultural,
Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton
Robin Leech
10534, 139 St NW, Edmonton AB
John Spence
Department of Renewable Resources, Faculty of Agricultural,
Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton
Abstract. Spiders are the seventh most diverse order of arthropods globally and are prominent predators in all
prairie habitats. In this chapter, a checklist for the spiders of the Prairie Provinces (767 recorded species and
44 possible species) is presented along with an overview of all 26 families that occur in the region. Eighteen
of the species from the region are adventive. Linyphiidae is by far the dominant family, representing 39%
of all species in the three provinces. Gnaphosidae and Lycosidae each represent 8% and three other families
(Salticidae, Dictynidae, and Theridiidae) each account for 7%. A summary of biodiversity studies conducted in
the Prairies Ecozone and from transition ecoregions is also provided. The Mixed Grassland Ecoregion has the
most distinctive assemblage; Schizocosa mccooki and Zelotes lasalanus are common only in this ecoregion.
Other ecoregions appear to harbour less distinctive assemblages, but most have been poorly studied. Lack of
professional opportunities for spider systematists in Canada remains a major barrier to the advancement of the
taxonomy and ecology of spiders.
Résumé. Les aranéides forment le septième ordre le plus diversifi é d’arthropodes dans le monde; ce sont des
prédateurs très présents dans tous les habitats des Prairies. Ce chapitre présente une liste des espèces d’araignées des
provinces des Prairies (767 espèces connues et 44 prévues) ainsi qu’une vue d’ensemble des 26 familles présentes
dans la région. Dix-huit des espèces de la région sont adventices. La famille des linyphiidés domine de très loin,
représentant 39 % de toutes les espèces présentes dans les trois provinces. Deux autres familles (gnaphosidés et
lycosidés) représentent chacune 8 % des espèces, et trois autres (salticidés, dictynidés et théridiidés) représentent
chacune 7 % des espèces. Le chapitre présente également un résumé des études portant sur la biodiversité
réalisées dans l’écozone des prairies et dans les écorégions de transition. L’écorégion de la prairie mixte présente
l’assemblage le plus distinctif; Schizocosa mccooki et Zelotes lasalanus ne sont communs que dans cette écorégion.
D’autres écorégions semblent abriter des assemblages moins distinctifs, mais la plupart restent mal connues. La
pénurie de débouchés professionnels pour les systématiciens qui s’intéressent aux araignées au Canada continue de
faire obstacle aux progrès de la taxonomie et de l’écologie de cette classe d’arthropodes.
Introduction
Spiders are among the most ubiquitous predatory invertebrates in terrestrial ecosystems
and have been able to colonize nearly all habitats on Earth, except for Antarctica (Turnbull
1973; Foelix 2011), including freshwater (Seymour and Hetz 2011), semi-aquatic (Graham
Cárcamo H., J. Pinzón, R. Leech, and J. Spence. 2014. Spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) of the Canadian Prairies.
In Arthropods of Canadian Grasslands (Volume 3): Biodiversity and Systematics Part 1.
Edited by H. A. Cárcamo and D. J. Giberson. Biological Survey of Canada. pp. 75-137.
© 2014 Biological Survey of Canada. ISBN 978-0-9689321-6-2
doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.3752/9780968932162.ch4 Species checklist available at http://dx.doi.org/10.5886/qwco8c3a
76 H. Cárcamo, J. Pinzón, R. Leech, and J. Spence
et al. 2003), and marine intertidal (Roth 1967) habitats. In temperate terrestrial zones,
spiders are among the most diverse and abundant groups of ground-dwelling predators
(Gertsch 1979). Spiders are mainly generalist predators (Wise 1995) of invertebrates and,
occasionally, of vertebrates (McCormick and Polis 1982), although a few species may
also feed on pollen (Smith and Mommsen 1984; Ludy and Lang 2006). Spiders play an
important functional role in ecosystems, affecting plant productivity through predation
on herbivorous insects (Snyder and Wise 1999) and infl uencing litter decomposition by
feeding on detritivores (Clarke and Grant 1968). In addition, spiders are important in
the diet of various invertebrates and vertebrates (Wise 1995). Spiders are often useful as
bioindicators in environmental studies because of their diversity, abundance, and ease of
capture, as well as our ability to assign families effectively into functional guilds (e.g.,
Cárcamo 1997; Pinzón 2011). Despite the importance of spiders, their ecology remains
poorly studied in the Prairies Ecozone. Many species, particularly in the Linyphiidae and
Theridiidae, are undescribed, and we lack well-developed diagnostic keys for these and
other families. Here we provide a short overview of spider phylogeny and taxonomic
status in Canada, followed by a checklist of the spiders in the Prairie Provinces, a review
of faunistic studies from the Prairies Ecozone and adjacent transition ecoregions, and an
outline of areas for future research.
Phylogenetic Placement
The order Araneae belongs to the class Arachnida, which includes a number of groups of
eight-legged arthropods. Among other groups that are more common in warmer climates,
common orders include Acari (mites and ticks), the most diverse of the class, and the
scorpions (order Scorpiones), pseudoscorpions (order Pseudoscorpiones), and harvestmen
or daddy-long-legs (order Opiliones). The tail-less whip scorpions (order Amblypygi),
the whip scorpions (order Thelyphonida), and the short-tailed whip scorpions (order
Schizomida) are the closest relatives to spiders (Shultz 1990; Coddington and Levi 1991;
Shultz 2007; Penney and Selden 2011; Fig. 1).
Two monophyletic suborders are recognized within the order Araneae: Mesothelae and
Opisthothelae (Fig. 2) (Platnick and Gertsch 1976; Penney and Selden 2011). These two
suborders have existed since at least the Carboniferous period (ca. 350 million years before
present (mbp)) (Shultz 1990, 2007). The Mesothelae is considered the most primitive and
basal lineage and is represented mostly from Paleozoic fossils (>250 mbp) (Penney and
Selden 2006; Selden and Penney 2010). It contains a single extant family, the Liphistiidae
(three genera, 90 species), distributed only in China, Japan, Southeast Asia, and Sumatra
(Platnick and Sedgwick 1984). The Opisthothelae is subdivided into the infraorders
Mygalomorphae and Araneomorphae. The members of these two infraorders radiated at least
during the Triassic (200–250 mbp). The Mygalomorphae (16 families, 328 genera, 2,775
species) includes the tarantulas and several other groups of primitive spiders, while the
Araneomorphae (regarded as “true” spiders) is the most diversifi ed and evolved lineage, with
95 families, 3,574 genera, and 41,167 species described to date (Platnick 2013; Platnick and
Raven 2013). These two infraorders are distributed in all continents except for Antarctica.
Spiders are among the most diverse arthropod orders, ranking seventh after Coleoptera,
Diptera, Hymenoptera, Lepidoptera, Hemiptera, and Acari in numbers of described species
(Coddington and Levi 1991). Worldwide estimates of spider richness range from 76,000
(Platnick 1999) to 170,000 (Coddington and Levi 1991), although only 44,032 species
have been described (Platnick 2013). Thus, only about 35% of the world’s species have
Spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) of the Canadian Prairies 77
been described on the basis of a conservative estimate of diversity from the average of the
two extremes (Agnarsson et al. 2013). Currently, mygalomorphs are represented in Canada
by only four families and six species; fi ve are reported only from British Columbia and one
from Ontario (Paquin et al. 2010). The remaining 1,407 species and 39 families are included
Fig. 1. Phylogeny of the class Arachnida with spiders and their closer relatives shown in bold (modifi ed from
Dunlop and Penney 2012).
Fig. 2. Higher phylogeny of the order Araneae (modifi ed from Dunlop and Penney 2012).
78 H. Cárcamo, J. Pinzón, R. Leech, and J. Spence
within the Araneomorphae and are widely distributed in the Nearctic region (Paquin et al.
2010), with many having Holarctic distributions. The Canadian fauna includes only about
3% of the world’s species.
Signifi cant progress has been made recently in understanding the evolution and
phylogeny of spiders (Selden and Penney 2010; Penney and Selden 2011). Although
the fossil record for spiders is not as extensive as that for insects, almost 1,200 valid
species are known from fossils (Dunlop et al. 2013). Currently, 70 extant spider families
are represented in the fossil record (Penney et al. 2012; Dunlop et al. 2013) and 27
families are recognized strictly from fossils (Penney and Selden 2006, 2011). The earliest
known true spider fossil belongs to Palaeothele montceauensis Selden, 1996, from the
late Carboniferous (295 mbp) (Selden 1996a, 1996b). This species is closely related
to species in the Liphistiidae (Mesothelae), a family that is considered a living fossil.
Ancestors to the spiders and their relatives were some of the fi rst animals colonizing
terrestrial habitats over 400 million years ago. The fi rst spiders likely played an important
role as predators. Penney (2004) has suggested that there is a relationship between the
evolutionary radiations of spiders and their insect prey. It is possible that the use of silk to
capture prey may have contributed to selection for the evolution of insect fl ight (Vollrath
and Selden 2007).
Taxonomy of Prairie Spiders
Considerable progress has been made in the taxonomy of spiders from the prairie region,
but many gaps remain. Most of the common spider species, at least those often collected
in pitfall traps, belong to one of the families for which keys to species are available
(Tables 1 and 2). For example, almost half of the families that occur in the region are
covered in The Insects and Arachnids of Canada series (Dondale and Redner 1978,
1982, 1990; Platnick and Dondale 1992; Dondale et al. 2003). Identifi cation keys for
species or descriptions are also available for Amaurobiidae (Leech 1972), Cybaeidae
(Bennett 1991), and Agelenidae (Chamberlin and Ivie 1941; Bennett and Ubick 2005).
However, there are no regional keys to identify species for some of the most speciose
families, including the Linyphiidae (which accounts for about 40% of all the species
in the Prairies; Table 1), Theridiidae, and Salticidae. Therefore, thorough biodiversity
work is not possible without the help of an expert, which slows down collection and
interpretation of data about spider assemblages. As with many other arthropod orders,
several spider taxa require revision and numerous species remain to be described,
particularly in the Linyphiidae and Theridiidae.
Although the Canadian spider fauna is relatively well-known (Paquin et al. 2010),
no checklist for the Prairies has ever been published. Dondale (1979) reported 1,256
species from 33 families in Canada and estimated that another 144 species should occur.
Bennett (1999) reported about 1,400 species in his later review of spider taxonomy and
systematics in Canada and speculated that, once the leaf litter and tree canopy faunas were
documented, the total number of species would reach around 1,500. The leaf litter will
likely yield the most new species (Pinzón 2011). In the most recent checklist for Canada
and Alaska, Paquin et al. (2010) recorded 1,413 species from 43 families; the Linyphiidae
accounted for almost 40%. About a quarter of the Canadian total has been reported from
the Mixed Grassland and Moist Mixed Grassland ecoregions of the Prairies Ecozone.
Holmberg and Buckle (2002) noted that 356 species from 21 families are found in these
ecoregions in Alberta and Saskatchewan, but did not list the species. Aitchison-Benell
Spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) of the Canadian Prairies 79
and Dondale (1990) listed 483 species from 20 families from all ecoregions of Manitoba,
and an additional 43 species were added when Wade and Roughley (2002) updated the
Manitoba list. In a recent study in the boreal forest of northwestern Alberta, Pinzón (2011)
found several undescribed species on the ground layer but none in the tree canopy (Pinzón
2011; Pinzón et al. 2011).
Table 1. Spider families listed in order of descending diversity of recorded species in the Prairie Provinces.
References with keys to species are given. “Poss.” indicates species that occur in adjacent jurisdictions, but are
not reported from the Prairie Provinces. “Adv.” indicates adventive species. Note that the Ubick et al. (2005)
reference contains keys to genus for all families of North America (contributed by various experts).
Rank Family No. of
Genera
No. of
Spp.
% Poss. Adv. Identifi cation Keys
1Linyphiidae 112 295 38.5 0 1 Ubick et al. 2005
2Gnaphosidae 14 61 8.0 12 1 Dondale and Redner 1992
3Lycosidae 9 59 7.7 3 0 Dondale and Redner 1990
4Salticidae 22 56 7.3 0 2 Ubick et al. 2005
5Dictynidae 11 53 6.9 1 0 Ubick et al. 2005; Chamberlin and Gertsch 1958
6Theridiidae 23 51 6.6 0 2 Ubick et al. 2005; Levi 1957a,b
7Thomisidae 7 38 5.0 5 0 Dondale and Redner 1978
8Araneidae 16 37 4.8 7 4 Dondale et al. 2003; Levi 1971, 1973, 1974a,b
9Philodromidae 4 29 3.8 1 1 Dondale and Redner 1978
10 Clubionidae 1 20 2.6 1 0 Dondale and Redner 1982
11 Tetragnathidae 2 13 1.7 3 1 Dondale et al. 2003
12 Hahniidae 5 10 1.3 5 0 Opell and Beatty 1976
13 Agelenidae 3 9 1.2 1 4 Chamberlin and Ivie 1941, 1942
14 Corinnidae 3 9 1.2 0 0 Dondale and Redner 1982
15 Amaurobiidae 4 8 1.0 5 0 Leech 1972
16 Pisauridae 1 4 0.5 0 0 Dondale and Redner 1990
17 Cybaeidae 2 2 0.3 0 0 Bennet 1991
18 Liocranidae 1 2 0.3 0 0 Ubick et al. 2005
19 Mimetidae 2 2 0.3 0 0 Ubick et al. 2005
20 Pholcidae 2 2 0.3 0 1 Ubick et al. 2005
21 Titanoecidae 1 2 0.3 0 0 Leech 1972
22 Amphinectidae 1 1 0.1 0 1 Ubick et al. 2005
23 Anyphaenidae 1 1 0.1 0 0 Dondale and Redner 1982
24 Miturgidae 1 1 0.1 0 0 Ubick et al. 2005
25 Oxyopidae 1 1 0.1 0 0 Dondale and Redner 1990
26 Uloboridae 1 1 0.1 0 0 Dondale et al. 2003
Totals 250 767 44 18
80 H. Cárcamo, J. Pinzón, R. Leech, and J. Spence
Here we provide a current checklist of spiders of the Canadian Prairie Provinces
(Table 3). The checklist was prepared by examining the publications cited earlier
(particularly Paquin et al. (2010)) and selecting the species that occur in the three
Prairie Provinces; consulting the World Spider Catalogue, version 14.0 (Platnick
2013), to update previously published checklists; and supplementing the list from our
own biodiversity studies, recent published articles and theses, or unpublished surveys
in the region. Furthermore, we list as possible occurrences species known in adjacent
provinces or areas of the United States, which may be discovered with more intensive
sampling. The taxonomy and nomenclature from the World Spider Catalogue, version
14.0 (Platnick 2013), were adopted for this review. Determinations were performed
by the authors listed in Table 4 for their respective studies. Undescribed species of
Linyphiidae are kept in the personal collection of D.J. Buckle, who was involved with
all studies within the ecozone. Voucher specimens from the canola study at Lethbridge
and from the southwestern foothills forests by HC were placed with the arthropod and
plant collections housed at the Lethbridge Research Centre of Agriculture and Agri-Food
Canada; for others, the reader is referred to sources listed in Table 4.
Table 2. Common or abundant spider species (>5%) at the study sites reported from biodiversity studies using
pitfall traps in the Prairies Ecozone and transition forest ecoregions. Numbers in parentheses correspond to the
study numbers shown in Figs. 4 and 5 and Table 4 and to study references noted below the table.
Ecoregion or Habitat (Study Number)1Species Assemblage
Mixed Grassland (2, 3, 4) Schizocosa mccooki, Zelotes lasalanus, Pardosa distincta
Moist Mixed Grassland (1, 5) Pardosa dromaea, Pardosa sp. nr. tesquorum
Tallgrass prairie - grass (7) Pardosa moesta, P. distincta, Alopecosa aculeata
Tallgrass prairie - aspen (8) Pardosa moesta, Alopecosa aculeata, Agroeca ornata,
Centromerus sylvaticus
Aspen Parkland
(prairie ponds, AB) (9)
Pardosa fuscula, P. modica, Alopecosa aculeata
Aspen Parkland
(grassland reserve, MB) (6)
Pardosa distincta, Alopecosa aculeata
Boreal Transition (10, 11)
(aspen mixwood forest)
Allomengea dentisetis, Bathyphantes pallidus, Cybaeopsis
euopla, Neoantistea magna, Ozyptila sincera canadensis,
Pardosa fuscula, P. mackenziana, P. moesta, Pirata piraticus,
Trochosa terricola, Xysticus luctuosus
Foothills (12, 13) Allomengea dentisetis, Callioplus euoplus, Diplocentria bidentata
Widespread2Hogna frondicola, Pardosa distincta, Pardosa modica,
Alopecosa aculeata, Enoplognatha marmorata, Xysticus ferox
1 Study numbers correspond to those in Fig. 5 and Table 4: 1 = HC and RL (unpublished data); 2 = Finnamore
and Buckle (1999); 3 = Pepper (1999); 4 = Finnamore et al. (2000); 5 = Doane and Dondale (1979); 6 =
Stjernberg (2011); 7, 8 = Roughley et al. (2006); 9 = Graham (2002); 10 = Graham et al. (2003); 11 = JP and JS
(unpublished data); 12, 13 = Cárcamo (1997).
2 Widespread if frequent throughout the Prairies Ecozone and transition forest ecoregions.
Spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) of the Canadian Prairies 81
Table 3. Checklist of spider species in the Canadian Prairie Provinces. Species in bold were not reported in the
checklist by Paquin et al. (2010). Key: *adventive species; Pspecies that occurs in adjacent jurisdictions and
may occur in the Prairies; 1formerly Steatoda medialis (Levi 1957a; Gertsch 1960), a new record for Canada.
Provincial abbreviations: AB: Alberta, SK: Saskatchewan, MB: Manitoba. Species checklist available at:
http://dx.doi.org/10.5886/qwco8c3a
Family, Genus, and Species AB SK MB
AGELENIDAE
Agelenopsis actuosa (Gertsch and Ivie, 1936) AB SK MB
Agelenopsis oklahoma (Gertsch, 1936) AB SK -
Agelenopsis oregonensis (Chamberlin and Ivie, 1935) ABP--
Agelenopsis potteri (Blackwall, 1846) AB SK MB
Agelenopsis utahana (Chamberlin and Ivie, 1933) AB SK MB
Novalena intermedia (Chamberlin and Gertsch, 1930) AB - -
Tegenaria agrestis (Walckenaer, 1802)* AB - -
Tegenaria atrica C.L. Koch, 1843* -SK-
Tegenaria domestica (Clerck, 1757)* AB SK MB
Tegenaria duellica Simon, 1875* AB SK -
AMAUROBIIDAE
Amaurobius borealis Emerton, 1909 AB - MB
Arctobius agelenoides (Emerton, 1919) AB SK MB
Callobius bennetti (Blackwall, 1846) -SK
PMB
Callobius canada (Chamberlin and Ivie, 1947) ABP--
Callobius enus (Chamberlin and Ivie, 1947) ABPSKP-
Callobius nevadensis (Simon, 1884) ABPSKP-
Callobius nomeus (Chamberlin, 1919) AB SK MB
Callobius severus (Simon, 1884) AB - -
Cybaeopsis euopla (Bishop and Crosby, 1935) AB SK MB
Cybaeopsis tibialis (Emerton, 1890) ABPSKPMB
Cybaeopsis wabritaska (Leech, 1972) AB SKP-
Zanomys aquilonia Leech, 1972 ABP--
Zanomys kaiba Chamberlin, 1948 ABPSKPMBP
AMPHINECTIDAE
Metaltella simoni (Keyserling, 1878)* AB - -
ANYPHAENIDAE
Anyphaena pacifi ca (Banks, 1896) AB SK -
ARANEIDAE
Acanthepeira stellata (Walckenaer, 1805) --MB
Aculepeira carbonarioides (Keyserling, 1892) AB - -
Aculepeira packardi (Thorell, 1875) AB SK MB
Araneus corticarius (Emerton, 1885) AB SK MB
Araneus diadematus (Clerck, 1757)* AB SKP-
Araneus gemma (McCook, 1888) ABPSKP-
Araneus gemmoides Chamberlin and Ivie, 1935 AB SK MB
Araneus groenlandicola (Strand, 1906) AB SKPMB
Araneus iviei (Archer, 1951) AB SK MB
Araneus marmoreus Clerck, 1757 AB SK MB
Araneus nordmanni (Thorell, 1870) AB SK MB
Araneus pratensis Emerton, 1884 --MB
Araneus saevus (L. Koch, 1872) AB SK MB
82 H. Cárcamo, J. Pinzón, R. Leech, and J. Spence
Araneus thaddeus (Hentz, 1847) --MB
Araneus trifolium (Hentz, 1847) AB SK MB
Araneus washingtoni Levi, 1971 ABPSKPMBP
Araniella displicata (Hentz, 1847) AB SK MB
Araniella proxima (Kulczynski, 1885) AB SK MBP
Argiope aurantia (Lucas, 1833) ABPSKPMBP
Argiope trifasciata (Forskaal, 1775) AB SK MB
Cercidia prominens (Westring, 1861)* AB SKPMB
Cyclosa conica (Pallas, 1772) AB SK MB
Eustala anastera (Walckenaer, 1841) AB SK MB
Hypsosinga alberta Levi, 1972 AB SK MBP
Hypsosinga funebris (Keyserling, 1892) AB SK MB
Hypsosinga groenlandica Simon, 1889 AB SKPMBP
Hypsosinga pygmaea (Sundevall, 1832) AB SK MB
Hypsosinga rubens (Hentz, 1847) AB SK MB
Larinia borealis Banks, 1894 AB SK MB
Larinioides cornutus (Clerck, 1757) AB SK MB
Larinioides patagiatus (Clerck, 1757) AB SK MB
Larinioides sclopetarius (Clerck, 1757)* AB SKPMB
Mangora maculata (Keyserling, 1865) ABPSKPMB
Mangora placida (Hentz, 1847) ABPSKPMB
Metepeira foxi Gertsch and Ivie, 1936 AB SKPMBP
Metepeira grandiosa Gertsch and Ivie, 1941 AB SK MBP
Metepeira palustris Gertsch and Ivie, 1942 AB SK MB
Neoscona arabesca (Walckenaer, 1847) AB SK MB
Neoscona pratensis (Hentz, 1847) ABPSKPMBP
Parazygiella dispar (Keyserling, 1885) ABPSKP-
Singa keyserlingi McCook, 1894 AB SK MB
Zygiella atrica (C.L. Koch, 1845) ABPSKPMBP
Zygiella nearctica Gertsch, 1964 AB SK MB
Zygiella x-notata (Clerck, 1757)* ABPSKP-
CLUBIONIDAE
Clubiona abboti L. Koch, 1866 AB SK MB
Clubiona bryantae Emerton, 1924 AB SK MB
Clubiona canadensis Emerton, 1890 AB SK MB
Clubiona chippewa Gertsch, 1941 ABPSKPMB
Clubiona furcata Emerton, 1919 AB SK MB
Clubiona johnsoni Gertsch, 1941 ABPSK MB
Clubiona kastoni Gertsch, 1941 AB SK MB
Clubiona kiowa Gertsch, 1941 --MB
Clubiona kulczynskii Lessert, 1905 AB SK MB
Clubiona maritima L. Koch, 1867 -SK
PMB
Clubiona mixta Emerton, 1890 ABPSK MB
Clubiona moesta Banks, 1890 AB SK MB
Clubiona mutata Gertsch, 1941 AB SK MB
Clubiona norveica Strand, 1900 AB SK MB
Clubiona obesa (Hentz, 1847) ABPSKPMB
Clubiona opeongo Edwards, 1958 AB SK MB
Clubiona pacifi ca Banks, 1896 AB - -
Clubiona pallidula (Clerck, 1757) ABP--
Spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) of the Canadian Prairies 83
Clubiona praematura Emerton, 1909 AB SKPMB
Clubiona riparia L. Koch, 1866 AB SK MB
Clubiona trivialis C.L. Koch, 1843 AB SK MB
CORINNIDAE
Castianeira alteranda Gertsch, 1942 AB SK MBP
Castianeira cingulata (C.L. Koch, 1841) ABPSKPMB
Castianeira descripta (Hentz, 1847) AB SK MB
Castianeira longipalpa (Hentz, 1847) AB SK MB
Phrurotimpus borealis (Emerton, 1911) AB SK MB
Phrurotimpus certus Gertsch, 1941 AB SK MB
Scotinella madisonia Levi, 1951 ABPSKPMB
Scotinella manitou Levi, 1951 --MB
Scotinella pugnata (Emerton, 1890) AB SK MB
CYBAEIDAE
Cybaeota calcarata (Emerton, 1911) ABPSKPMB
Cybaeus sinuosus Fox, 1937 AB SKP-
DICTYNIDAE
Argenna obesa Emerton, 1911 AB SKPMB
Argenna yakima Chamberlin and Gertsch, 1958 AB SKPMBP
Brommella monticola (Gertsch and Mulaik, 1936) AB - -
Cicurina arcuata Keyserling, 1887 -SKMB
Cicurina brevis (Emerton, 1890) -SK
PMB
Cicurina intermedia Chamberlin and Ivie, 1933 AB SKP-
Cicurina placida Banks, 1892 -SK
PMB
Cicurina robusta Simon, 1886 AB SK MB
Cicurina simplex Simon, 1886 AB - -
Cicurina varians Gertsch and Mulaik, 1940 AB - -
Dictyna alaskae Chamberlin and Ivie, 1947 AB SK MB
Dictyna arundinacea (Linnaeus, 1757) AB SK MB
Dictyna bostoniensis Emerton, 1888 AB SK MBP
Dictyna brevitarsa Emerton, 1915 AB SK MBP
Dictyna calcarata Banks, 1904 ABPSKPMBP
Dictyna coloradensis Chamberlin, 1919 AB SK MB
Dictyna foliacea Hentz, 1850 AB SK MB
Dictyna major Menge, 1869 AB SK MB
Dictyna minuta Emerton, 1888 AB SKPMBP
Dictyna personata Gertsch and Mulaik, 1936 AB SK MBP
Dictyna quadrispinosa Emerton, 1919 ABPSKPMB
Dictyna sancta Gertsch, 1946 AB SK MB
Dictyna subpinicola Ivie, 1947 AB SK MBP
Dictyna terrestris Emerton, 1911 AB SK MB
Dictyna volucripes Keyserling, 1881 AB SK MB
Emblyna annulipes (Blackwall, 1846) AB SK MB
Emblyna borealis cavernosa (Jones, 1947) AB SKP-
Emblyna chitina (Chamberlin and Gertsch, 1958) AB SKP-
Emblyna completoides (Ivie, 1947) AB SK MB
Emblyna consulta (Gertsch and Ivie, 1936) AB SK MBP
Emblyna cornupeta (Bishop and Ruderman, 1946) AB - -
Emblyna hentzi Kaston, 1945 --MB
84 H. Cárcamo, J. Pinzón, R. Leech, and J. Spence
Emblyna horta (Gertsch and Ivie, 1936) AB SK MBP
Emblyna jonesae (Roewer, 1955) AB SK MBP
Emblyna littoricolens (Chamberlin and Ivie, 1935) -SK-
Emblyna manitoba (Ivie, 1947) AB SK MB
Emblyna mariae Chamberlin, 1947 AB - -
Emblyna maxima (Banks, 1892) AB SK MB
Emblyna peragrata (Bishop and Ruderman, 1946) AB - -
Emblyna phylax (Gertsch and Ivie, 1936) AB SK MB
Emblyna reticulata (Gertsch and Ivie, 1936) AB - -
Emblyna sublata (Hentz, 1850) AB SK MB
Hackmania lorna Chamberlin and Gertsch, 1958 AB SKPMBP
Hackmania prominula (Tullgren, 1948) AB SK MB
Hackmania saphes (Chamberlin, 1948) AB - -
Iviella reclusa (Gertsch and Ivie, 1936) -SK-
Lathys alberta Gertsch, 1946 AB SKPMB
Lathys pallida (Marx, 1891) AB SK MB
Mallos niveus O. P.-Cambridge, 1902 AB SK -
Mallos pallidus Banks, 1904 AB SK MB
Mexitlia trivittata Banks, 1901 AB - -
Phantyna bicornis Emerton, 1915 AB SKPMBP
Phantyna terranea Ivie, 1947 AB SK -
Tricholathys spiralis Chamberlin and Ivie, 1935 AB SK MB
GNAPHOSIDAE
Callilepis ermella Chamberlin, 1928 ABP--
Callilepis pluto Banks, 1896 AB SK MB
Cesonia bilineata (Hentz, 1847) -SK
PMB
Drassodes gosiutus Chamberlin, 1919 AB SKPMBP
Drassodes mirus Platnick and Shadab, 1976 AB SKPMBP
Drassodes neglectus (Keyserling, 1887) AB SK MB
Drassodes saccatus (Emerton, 1890) AB SK MBP
Drassyllus depressus (Emerton, 1890) AB SK MB
Drassyllus dromeus Chamberlin, 1922 ABPSKPMBP
Drassyllus insularis (Banks, 1900) ABPSKPMBP
Drassyllus lamprus (Chamberlin, 1920) AB SK MBP
Drassyllus nannellus Chamberlin and Gertsch, 1940 AB SK MBP
Drassyllus niger (Banks, 1896) AB SK MB
Drassyllus saphes Chamberlin, 1936 ABPSKPMBP
Gnaphosa borea Kulczynski, 1908 AB SK MB
Gnaphosa brumalis Thorell, 1875 AB SK MB
Gnaphosa clara (Keyserling, 1887) AB SK MBP
Gnaphosa microps Holm, 1939 AB SK MB
Gnaphosa muscorum (L. Koch, 1866) AB SK MB
Gnaphosa orites Chamberlin, 1922 ABPSKPMBP
Gnaphosa parvula Banks, 1896 AB SK MB
Haplodrassus bicornis (Emerton, 1909) AB SK MB
Haplodrassus chamberlini Platnick and Shadab, 1975 AB SK MB
Haplodrassus eunis Chamberlin, 1922 AB SK MBP
Haplodrassus hiemalis (Emerton, 1909) AB SK MB
Haplodrassus signifer (C.L. Koch, 1839) AB SK MB
Herpyllus ecclesiasticus Hentz, 1832 AB SK MB
Spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) of the Canadian Prairies 85
Herpyllus hesperolus Chamberlin, 1928 AB SK MBP
Herpyllus propinquus (Keyserling, 1887) ABPSKPMBP
Micaria aenea Thorell, 1877 AB SK MB
Micaria alpina L. Koch, 1872 --MB
Micaria coloradensis Banks, 1896 AB SK MBP
Micaria constricta Emerton, 1894 AB SKPMB
Micaria emertoni Gertsch, 1935 AB SK -
Micaria foxi Gertsch, 1933 AB SK -
Micaria gertschi Barrows and Ivie, 1942 AB SK MB
Micaria idana Platnick and Shadab, 1988 AB SKPMBP
Micaria laticeps Emerton, 1909 AB SK MBP
Micaria longipes Emerton, 1890 AB SK MBP
Micaria longispina Emerton, 1911 AB SK MBP
Micaria medica Platnick and Shadab, 1988 AB SKPMBP
Micaria mormon Gertsch, 1935 AB SK MBP
Micaria porta Platnick and Shadab, 1988 ABPSKPMBP
Micaria pulicaria (Sundevall, 1831) AB SK MB
Micaria riggsi Gertsch, 1942 AB SK -
Micaria rossica Thorell, 1875 AB SK MB
Micaria tripunctata Holm, 1978 ABPSKPMB
Micaria utahna Gertsch, 1933 ABP--
Nodocion eclecticus Chamberlin, 1924 ABP--
Nodocion mateonus Chamberlin, 1922 --MB
Nodocion rufi thoracicus Worley, 1928 AB SKPMBP
Nodocion voluntarius (Chamberlin, 1919) AB SKP-
Orodrassus canadensis Platnick and Shadab, 1975 AB SK MB
Orodrassus coloradensis (Emerton, 1877) AB SK MB
Sergiolus angustus (Banks, 1904) AB SK -
Sergiolus bicolor Banks, 1900 --MB
Sergiolus capulatus (Walckenaer, 1837) MB
Sergiolus columbianus (Emerton, 1917) ABPSKPMBP
Sergiolus decoratus Kaston, 1945 ABPSK MB
Sergiolus iviei Platnick and Shadab, 1981 AB SKPMBP
Sergiolus montanus (Emerton, 1890) AB SK MB
Sergiolus ocellatus (Walckenaer, 1837) AB SK MBP
Sosticus loricatus (L. Koch, 1866)* ABPSKPMB
Urozelotes rusticus (L. Koch, 1872) ABPSKPMBP
Zelotes exiguoides Platnick and Shadab, 1983 --MB
Zelotes fratris Chamberlin, 1920 AB SK MBP
Zelotes hentzi Barrows, 1945 --MB
P
Zelotes laccus (Barrows, 1919) -SKMB
P
Zelotes lasalanus Chamberlin, 1928 AB SK MB
Zelotes puritanus Chamberlin, 1922 AB SK MB
Zelotes sula Lowrie and Gertsch, 1955 AB SK MBP
HAHNIIDAE
Antistea brunnea (Emerton, 1909) AB SK MB
Cryphoeca exlineae Roth, 1988 AB - -
Cryphoeca montana Emerton, 1909 -SK-
Ethobuella tuonops Chamberlin and Ivie, 1937 AB SKPMBP
Hahnia cinerea Emerton, 1890 AB SK MB
86 H. Cárcamo, J. Pinzón, R. Leech, and J. Spence
Hahnia glacialis Sørensen, 1898 AB SKPMB
Hahnia ononidum Simon, 1875 AB SK MB
Neoantistea agilis (Keyserling, 1887) AB SK MB
Neoantistea gosiuta Gertsch, 1934 ABPSK MB
Neoantistea magna (Keyserling, 1887) AB SK MB
LINYPHIIDAE
Agnyphantes arboreus (Emerton, 1915) AB - -
Agyneta allosubtilis Loksa, 1965 AB SK MB
Agyneta amersaxatilis Saaristo and Koponen, 1998 AB SK MB
Agyneta danielbelangeri Dupérré, 2013 AB - -
Agyneta fabra (Keyserling, 1886) AB SK MB
Agyneta girardi Dupérré, 2013 ABPSK MB
Agyneta lophophor (Chamberlin and Ivie, 1933) AB SK MBP
Agyneta olivacea (Emerton, 1882) AB SK MB
Agyneta ordinaria (Chamberlin and Ivie, 1947) AB - -
Agyneta perspicua Dupérré, 2013 AB - -
Agyneta protrudens (Chamberlin and Ivie, 1933) AB SK MBP
Agyneta simplex (Emerton, 1926) AB SK MB
Agyneta unimaculata (Banks, 1892) AB SKPMB
Agyneta watertoni Dupérré, 2013 AB - -
Allomengea dentisetis (Grube, 1861) AB SK MB
Allomengea scopigera (Grube, 1859) ABPSKPMB
Allomengea vidua (L. Koch, 1879) AB SKPMBP
Aphileta microtarsa (Emerton, 1882) AB SKPMBP
Aphileta misera (O. P.-Cambridge, 1882) AB SK MB
Arcuphantes fragilis Chamberlin and Ivie, 1943 AB SKPMBP
Baryphyma gowerense (Locket, 1965) AB SK MB
Baryphyma trifrons affi ne (Schenkel, 1930) AB SK MB
Bathyphantes alascensis (Banks, 1900) AB SKPMBP
Bathyphantes brevipes (Emerton, 1917) AB SKPMBP
Bathyphantes brevis (Emerton, 1911) AB SK MB
Bathyphantes canadensis (Emerton, 1882) AB SK MB
Bathyphantes eumenis (L. Koch, 1879) AB SKPMB
Bathyphantes gracilis (Blackwall, 1841) AB SK MB
Bathyphantes pallidus (Banks, 1892) AB SK MB
Bathyphantes pogonias Kulczynski, 1885 ABPSKPMB
Bathyphantes reprobus Kulczynski, 1916 AB SKPMB
Caviphantes saxetorum (Hull, 1916) AB SKPMBP
Centromerus longibulbus (Emerton, 1882) AB SK MB
Centromerus persolutus (O. P.-Cambridge, 1875) ABPSK MB
Centromerus sylvaticus (Blackwall, 1841) AB SK MB
Ceraticelus alticeps (Fox, 1891) ABPSKPMB
Ceraticelus atriceps (O. P.-Cambridge, 1874) AB SK MB
Ceraticelus bulbosus (Emerton, 1882) AB SK MB
Ceraticelus crassiceps Chamberlin and Ivie, 1939 AB SK MB
Ceraticelus fi ssiceps (O. P.-Cambridge, 1874) AB SK MB
Ceraticelus laetabilis (O. P.-Cambridge, 1874) AB SK MB
Ceraticelus laetus (O. P.-Cambridge, 1874) ABPSK MB
Ceraticelus laticeps (Emerton, 1894) AB SKPMB
Ceraticelus limnologicus Bishop and Crosby, 1925 ABPSKPMB
Spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) of the Canadian Prairies 87
Ceraticelus minutus (Emerton, 1882) --MB
Ceraticelus rowensis Levi and Levi, 1955 AB SKPMBP
Ceraticelus similis (Banks, 1892) ABPSKPMB
Ceratinella alaskae Chamberlin and Ivie, 1947 AB SK MB
Ceratinella brunnea Emerton, 1882 AB SK MB
Ceratinella ornatula alaskana Chamberlin, 1949 AB SKPMBP
Ceratinella parvula (Fox, 1891) AB SK MB
Ceratinops annulipes (Banks, 1892) ABPSKPMB
Ceratinops crenatus (Emerton, 1882) ABPSKPMB
Ceratinops infl atus (Emerton, 1923) AB SKPMBP
Ceratinops latus (Emerton, 1882) ABPSK MB
Ceratinops littoralis (Emerton, 1913) ABPSKPMB
Ceratinops sylvaticus (Emerton, 1913) ABPSKPMB
Ceratinopsis interpres (O. P.-Cambridge 1974) --MB
Ceratinopsis labradorensis Emerton, 1925 AB SK MB
Ceratinopsis nigriceps Emerton 1882 --MB
Cheniseo sphagnicultor Bishop and Crosby, 1935 ABPSKPMB
Cnephalocotes obscurus (Blackwall, 1834) AB SK MB
Collinsia ksenia (Crosby and Bishop, 1928) AB SKPMBP
Collinsia perplexa (Keyserling, 1886) AB - -
Collinsia plumosa (Emerton, 1882) AB SK MB
Coloncus siou Chamberlin, 1949 AB SK MBP
Dicymbium elongatum (Emerton, 1882) AB SKPMB
Diplocentria bidentata (Emerton, 1882) AB SK MB
Diplocentria perplexa (Chamberlin and Ivie, 1939) AB SKPMBP
Diplocentria rectangulata (Emerton, 1915) AB SK MB
Diplocephalus subrostratus (O. P.-Cambridge, 1873) AB SK MB
Diplocephalus cristatus (Blackwall, 1833) AB SKPMBP
Diplostyla concolor (Wider, 1834) AB SKPMBP
Disembolus hyalinus Millidge, 1981 AB - -
Disembolus implicatus Millidge, 1981 AB - -
Disembolus phanus (Chamberlin, 1949) AB - -
Dismodicus alticeps Chamberlin and Ivie, 1947 AB SK MB
Dismodicus decemoculatus (Emerton, 1882) AB SK MB
Drapetisca alteranda Chamberlin, 1909 AB SK MB
Entelecara sombra (Chamberlin and Ivie, 1947) AB SK MB
Eridantes erigonoides (Emerton, 1882) -SK
PMB
Eridantes utibilis Crosby and Bishop, 1933 AB SKPMBP
Erigone aletris Crosby and Bishop, 1928 AB SK MBP
Erigone alsaida Crosby and Bishop, 1928 AB SK MB
Erigone atra Blackwall, 1833 AB SK MB
Erigone autumnalis Emerton, 1882 ABPSKPMB
Erigone blaesa Crosby and Bishop, 1928 AB SK MB
Erigone cristatopalpus Simon, 1884 AB SK MB
Erigone dentigera O. P.-Cambridge, 1874 AB SK MB
Erigone dentosa O. P.-Cambridge, 1894 AB SKPMBP
Erigone psychrophila Thorell, 1871 --MB
Erigone whymperi O. P.-Cambridge, 1877 ABPSKPMB
Estrandia grandaeva (Keyserling, 1886) AB SK MB
Eulaira arctoa Holm, 1970 AB SKPMBP
88 H. Cárcamo, J. Pinzón, R. Leech, and J. Spence
Eulaira chelata Chamberlin and Ivie, 1939 AB SKPMBP
Floricomus rostratus (Emerton, 1882) AB SKPMB
Frederickus wilburi (Levi and Levi, 1955) AB SKPMBP
Frontinella communis (Walckenaer, 1841) AB SK MB
Glyphesis idahoanus (Chamberlin, 1949) ABPSK MB
Glyphesis scopulifer (Emerton, 1882) AB SK MB
Gnathonarium suppositum (Kulczynski, 1885) AB SK MB
Gnathonaroides pedalis (Emerton, 1923) AB SK MB
Gonatium crassipalpum Bryant, 1933 AB SK MB
Grammonota angusta Dondale, 1959 AB SK MB
Grammonota capitata Emerton, 1924 --MB
Grammonota gentilis Banks, 1898 AB SK MB
Grammonota gigas (Banks, 1896) AB SK MB
Grammonota inornata Emerton, 1882 ABPSKPMB
Grammonota maritima Emerton, 1925 AB SK MBP
Grammonota pictilis (O.P.-Cambridge, 1875) ABPSK MB
Grammonota vittata Barrows, 1919 AB SK MB
Helophora insignis (Blackwall, 1841) AB SK MB
Helophora tunagyna Chamberlin and Ivie, 1943 AB SKPMBP
Hilaira canaliculata (Emerton, 1915) AB SK MB
Hilaira herniosa (Thorell, 1875) AB SKPMBP
Horcotes quadricristatus (Emerton, 1882) AB SKPMB
Hybauchenidium cymbadentatum (Crosby and Bishop, 1935) AB SK MB
Hybauchenidium gibbosum (Sørensen, 1898) AB SK MB
Hypomma marxi (Keyserling, 1886) AB SK MB
Hypselistes fl orens (O. P.-Cambridge, 1873) AB SK MB
Hypselistes jacksoni (O .P.-Cambridge, 1902) AB SKPMBP
Idionella anomala Gertsch and Ivie, 1936 ABPSK MBP
Idionella formosa (Banks, 1892) ABPSK MB
Idionella rugosa (Crosby, 1905) ABPSKPMB
Improphantes complicatus (Emerton, 1882) AB SK MB
Incestophantes duplicatus (Emerton, 1913) AB SK MB
Incestophantes lamprus Chamberlin, 1920 AB SKPMBP
Incestophantes mercedes Chamberlin and Ivie, 1943 AB SKPMBP
Islandiana fl aveola (Banks, 1892) AB SK MB
Islandiana longisetosa (Emerton, 1882) AB SKPMB
Islandiana princeps Braendegaard, 1932 AB SK MB
Kaestneria pullata (O. P.-Cambridge, 1863) AB SK MB
Kaestneria rufula (Hackman, 1954) AB SK MB
Lepthyphantes aldersoni Levi and Levi, 1955 AB - -
Lepthyphantes alpinus (Emerton, 1882) AB SK MB
Lepthyphantes chamberlini Schenkel, 1950 AB - -
Lepthyphantes intricatus (Emerton, 1911) AB SK MB
Lepthyphantes leprosus (Ohlert, 1865)* AB SK MBP
Lepthyphantes rainieri Emerton, 1926 AB - -
Lepthyphantes turbatrix (O. P.-Cambridge, 1877) AB SK MB
Lepthyphantes washingtoni Zorsch, 1937 AB SK MB
Lophomma depressum (Emerton, 1882) --MB
Lophomma vaccinii (Emerton, 1926) AB SKPMBP
Macrargus multesimus (O. P.-Cambridge, 1875) AB SK MB
Spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) of the Canadian Prairies 89
Maro amplus Dondale and Buckle, 2001 AB SK MB
Maso sundevalli (Westring, 1851) AB SK MB
Masoncus dux Chamberlin, 1949 --MB
Mecynargus paetulus (O. P.-Cambridge, 1875) AB SKPMB
Megalepthyphantes nebulosus (Sundevall, 1830) AB SK MB
Mermessus denticulatus (Emerton, 1909) ABPSKPMB
Mermessus mediocris (Millidge, 1987) --MB
Mermessus tridentatus (Emerton, 1882) --MB
Mermessus trilobatus (Emerton, 1882) AB SK MB
Mermessus undulatus (Emerton, 1914) AB SK MB
Metapobactrus pacifi cus (Emerton, 1923) AB - -
Metapobactrus prominulus (O. P.-Cambridge, 1872) AB SK MBP
Micrargus longitarsus (Emerton, 1882) AB - -
Microlinyphia impigra (O. P.-Cambridge, 1871) AB SK MB
Microlinyphia mandibulata mandibulata (Emerton, 1882) AB SK MB
Microlinyphia pusilla (Sundevall, 1829) AB SK MB
Microneta viaria (Blackwall, 1841) AB SK MB
Montilaira uta (Chamberlin, 1919) AB - -
Mythoplastoides erectus (Emerton, 1915) AB - -
Neodietrichia hesperia (Crosby and Bishop, 1933) ABPSK MB
Neriene clathrata (Sundevall, 1829) AB SK MB
Neriene radiata (Walckenaer, 1841) AB SK MB
Oedothorax alascensis (Banks, 1900) AB SKPMBP
Oedothorax trilobatus (Banks, 1896) AB SKPMB
Oreoneta banffkluane Saaristo and Marusik, 2004 AB - -
Oreonetides fi licatus (Crosby, 1937) AB - -
Oreonetides fl avus (Emerton, 1915) AB - -
Oreonetides rectangulatus (Emerton, 1913) AB SK MB
Oreonetides vaginatus (Thorell, 1872) AB SK MB
Oreophantes recurvatus (Emerton, 1913) AB SK MB
Oryphantes aliquantulus Dupérré and Paquin, 2007 AB SK MB
Pelecopsis bishopi Kaston, 1945 AB SKPMB
Pelecopsis mengei (Simon, 1884) AB SK MB
Pelecopsis moesta (Banks, 1892) AB SK MB
Pelecopsis sculpta (Emerton, 1917) AB - -
Perregrinus deformis (Tanasevitch, 1982) -SK-
Phlattothrata fl agellata (Emerton, 1911) AB SK MBP
Phlattothrata parva (Kulczynski, 1926) AB SK MB
Pityohyphantes alticeps Chamberlin and Ivie, 1943 AB - -
Pityohyphantes costatus (Hentz, 1850) AB SK MB
Pityohyphantes cristatus Chamberlin and Ivie, 1942 AB SK -
Pityohyphantes limitaneus (Emerton, 1915) AB SK MB
Pityohyphantes subarcticus Chamberlin and Ivie, 1943 AB SK MB
Pocadicnemis americana Millidge, 1976 AB SK MB
Pocadicnemis pumila (Blackwall, 1841) AB - -
Poeciloneta aggressa (Chamberlin and Ivie, 1943) AB - -
Poeciloneta calcaratus (Emerton, 1909) AB SK MB
Poeciloneta fructuosa (Keyserling, 1886) AB - -
Poeciloneta lyricus (Zorsch, 1937) AB SKPMBP
Poeciloneta theridiformis (Emerton, 1911) -SK-
90 H. Cárcamo, J. Pinzón, R. Leech, and J. Spence
Poeciloneta variegata (Blackwall, 1841) AB SK -
Porrhomma terrestre (Emerton, 1882) AB SK MB
Praestigia kulczynskii Eskov, 1979 AB SK MB
Saaristoa sammamish (Levi and Levi, 1955) AB - -
Satilatlas carens Millidge, 1981 -SK-
Satilatlas gertschi Millidge, 1881 ABPSK MB
Satilatlas marxi Keyserling, 1886 ABPSK MB
Sciastes dubius (Hackman, 1954) --MB
Sciastes hastatus Millidge, 1984 --MB
Sciastes mentasta (Chamberlin and Ivie, 1947) AB SKPMB
Sciastes truncatus (Emerton, 1882) AB SK MB
Scirites pectinatus (Emerton, 1911) AB SK MB
Scironis tarsalis (Emerton, 1911) AB SK MB
Scotinotylus alienus (Kulczynski, 1885) AB - -
Scotinotylus alpinus (Banks, 1896) AB SKPMB
Scotinotylus boreus Millidge, 1981 AB SK MB
Scotinotylus exsectoides Millidge, 1981 AB SK MB
Scotinotylus pallidus (Emerton, 1882) AB SK MB
Scotinotylus sacer (Crosby, 1929) AB SK MB
Scotinotylus sacratus Millidge, 1981 AB - -
Scotinotylus sanctus (Crosby, 1929) AB - -
Scotinotylus sinatulus Millidge, 1981 -SK-
Scotinotylus vernalis (Emerton, 1882) ABPSK MB
Scyletria infl ata Bishop and Crosby, 1938 AB SK MB
Semljicola obtusus (Emerton, 1915) AB - -
Silometopoides pingrensis (Crosby and Bishop, 1933) AB - -
Sisicottus crossoclavis Miller, 1999 AB - -
Sisicottus montanus (Emerton, 1882) AB SK MB
Sisicottus nesides (Chamberlin, 1921) AB - -
Sisicottus orites (Chamberlin, 1919) AB - -
Sisicottus panopeus Miller, 1999 AB - -
Sisicus apertus (Holm, 1939) AB SK MB
Sisicus penifusifer Bishop and Crosby, 1938 AB SK MB
Sisicus volutasilex Dupérré and Paquin, 2007 AB - -
Sisis rotundus (Emerton, 1925) AB SK MB
Smodix reticulata (Emerton, 1915) AB - -
Soucron arenarium (Emerton, 1925) AB SK MB
Sougambus bostoniensis (Emerton, 1882) ABPSK MB
Spirembolus monticolens (Chamberlin, 1919) AB - -
Spirembolus prominens Millidge, 1980 AB - -
Spirembolus spirotubus (Banks, 1895) AB SK MBP
Stemonyphantes blauveltae Gertsch, 1951 AB SK MB
Styloctetor stativus (Simon, 1881) AB SK MB
Subbekasha fl abellifera Millidge, 1984 ABPSK MB
Symmigma minimum (Emerton, 1923) AB - -
Tachygyna haydeni Chamberlin and Ivie, 1939 AB - -
Tachygyna pallida Chamberlin and Ivie, 1939 AB - -
Tachygyna ursina (Bishop and Crosby, 1938) AB - -
Tapinocyba bicarinata (Emerton, 1913) AB SKPMB
Spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) of the Canadian Prairies 91
Tapinocyba cameroni Dupérré and Paquin, 2007 AB SKPMB
Tapinocyba dietrichi Crosby and Bishop, 1933 AB - -
Tapinocyba minuta (Emerton, 1909) AB SK MB
Tapinocyba prima Dupérré and Paquin, 2005 AB SKPMB
Tapinocyba simplex (Emerton, 1882) AB SK MB
Tapinopa bilineata Banks, 1893 --MB
Tennesseellum formicum (Emerton, 1882) AB SK MB
Tenuiphantes sabulosus (Keyserling, 1886) AB SKPMB
Tenuiphantes zebra (Emerton, 1882) AB SK MB
Tenuiphantes zelatus Zorsch, 1937 AB SKPMBP
Tmeticus affi nis (Blackwall, 1855) AB - -
Tmeticus ornatus (Emerton, 1914) AB SK MB
Tunagyna debilis (Banks, 1892) AB SK MB
Tusukuru hartlandianus (Emerton, 1913) --MB
Vermontia thoracica (Emerton, 1913) AB SK MB
Wabasso cacuminatus Millidge, 1984 AB SKPMB
Wabasso quaestio (Chamberlin, 1949) --MB
Walckenaeria arctica Millidge, 1983 AB SK MB
Walckenaeria atrotibialis (O. P.-Cambridge, 1878) AB SK MB
Walckenaeria auranticeps (Emerton, 1882)AB SK MB
Walckenaeria breviaria (Crosby and Bishop, 1931) --MB
Walckenaeria castanea (Emerton, 1882) AB SK MB
Walckenaeria communis (Emerton, 1882) AB SK MB
Walckenaeria cornuella (Chamberlin and Ivie, 1939) AB - -
Walckenaeria cuspidata brevicula (Crosby and Bishop, 1931) AB SK MBP
Walckenaeria digitata (Emerton, 1913) AB SK MB
Walckenaeria directa (O. P.-Cambridge, 1874) AB SK MB
Walckenaeria dondalei Millidge, 1983 AB SK MBP
Walckenaeria exigua Millidge, 1983 AB SK MB
Walckenaeria fallax Millidge, 1983 AB - -
Walckenaeria helenae Millidge, 1983 AB - -
Walckenaeria karpinskii (O. P.-Cambridge, 1873) AB - -
Walckenaeria kochi (O. P.-Cambridge, 1872) AB SK MB
Walckenaeria lepida (Kulczynski, 1885) AB SK MB
Walckenaeria pallida (Emerton, 1882) --MB
Walckenaeria pinocchio (Kaston, 1945) ABPSK MB
Walckenaeria prominens Millidge, 1983 AB SK MB
Walckenaeria pullata Millidge, 1983 AB - -
Walckenaeria redneri Millidge, 1983 ABPSK MB
Walckenaeria spiralis (Emerton, 1882) ABPSK MB
Walckenaeria subdirecta Millidge, 1983 --MB
Walckenaeria subspiralis Millidge, 1983 AB SK MB
Walckenaeria tibialis (Emerton, 1882) --MB
Walckenaeria tricornis (Emerton, 1882) AB SK MBP
Walckenaerianus aimakensis Wunderlich, 1995 AB - -
Wubana atypica (Chamberlin and Ivie, 1936) AB - -
Zornella armata (Banks, 1906) AB SK MB
Zornella cryptodon (Chamberlin, 1920) AB - -
92 H. Cárcamo, J. Pinzón, R. Leech, and J. Spence
LIOCRANIDAE
Agroeca ornata Banks, 1892 AB SK MB
Agroeca pratensis Emerton, 1890 AB SK MB
LYCOSIDAE
Acantholycosa solituda Levi and Levi, 1951 AB - -
Alopecosa aculeata (Clerck, 1757) AB SK MB
Alopecosa hirtipes (Kulczynski, 1907) --MB
Alopecosa kochi (Keyserling, 1877) AB SK MBP
Arctosa alpigena (Doleschall, 1852) AB SK MB
Arctosa emertoni Gertsch, 1934 AB SK MB
Arctosa insignita (Thorell, 1872) --MB
Arctosa littoralis (Hentz, 1844) ABPSK MB
Arctosa raptor (Kulczynski, 1885) AB SK MB
Arctosa rubicunda (Keyserling, 1877) AB SK MB
Geolycosa missouriensis (Banks, 1895) AB SK MB
Geolycosa wrighti (Emerton, 1912) --MB
Hogna frondicola (Emerton, 1885) AB SK MB
Pardosa altamontis Chamberlin and Ivie, 1946 AB SKPMBP
Pardosa anomala Gertsch, 1933 AB - -
Pardosa bucklei Kronestedt, 1975 AB SK -
Pardosa concinna (Thorell, 1877) AB SK MB
Pardosa distincta (Blackwall, 1846) AB SK MB
Pardosa dorsalis Banks, 1894 AB - -
Pardosa dorsuncata Lowrie and Dondale, 1981 AB SKP-
Pardosa dromaea (Thorell, 1878) AB SK MB
Pardosa furcifera (Thorell, 1875) ABPSKPMB
Pardosa fuscula (Thorell, 1875) AB SK MB
Pardosa glacialis (Thorell, 1872) --MB
Pardosa groenlandica (Thorell, 1872) AB SK MB
Pardosa hyperborea (Thorell, 1872) AB SK MB
Pardosa lapponica (Thorell, 1872) -SKMB
Pardosa mackenziana (Thorell, 1877) AB SK MB
Pardosa metlakatla Emerton, 1917 AB - -
Pardosa modica (Blackwall, 1846) AB SK MB
Pardosa moesta Banks, 1892 AB SK MB
Pardosa mulaiki Gertsch, 1934 AB SK MB
Pardosa ontariensis Gertsch, 1933 AB SK MB
Pardosa palustris (Linnaeus, 1758) ABP--
Pardosa pedia Dondale, 2007 -SK-
Pardosa podhorskii (Kulczynski, 1907) --MB
Pardosa sinistra (Thorell, 1877) AB - -
Pardosa sternalis (Thorell, 1877) AB SKPMBP
Pardosa steva Lowrie and Gertsch, 1955 AB - -
Pardosa tesquorum (Odenwall, 1901) AB SK MB
Pardosa tetonensis Gertsch, 1933 ABPSKPMBP
Pardosa uintana Gertsch, 1933 AB SK MB
Pardosa wyuta Gertsch, 1934 ABPSKP-
Pardosa xerampelina (Keyserling, 1877) AB SK MB
Pirata aspirans Chamberlin, 1904 --MB
Spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) of the Canadian Prairies 93
Pirata bryantae Kurata, 1944 AB SK MB
Pirata montanus Emerton, 1885 --MB
Pirata piraticus (Clerck, 1757) AB SK MB
Pirata praedo Kulczynski, 1885 ABPSK MB
Pirata sedentarius Montgomery, 1904 AB SK -
Piratula canadensis (Dondale and Redner, 1980) AB SKPMB
Piratula cantralli (Wallace and Exline, 1978) AB SKPMB
Piratula insularis (Emerton, 1885) AB SK MB
Piratula minuta (Emerton, 1885) -SKMB
Schizocosa avida (Walckenaer, 1837) --MB
Schizocosa bilineata (Emerton, 1985) ABPSKPMB
Schizocosa cespitum Dondale and Redner, 1978 ABPSK MBP
Schizocosa crassipalpata Roewer, 1951 ABPSKPMB
Schizocosa mccooki Montgomery, 1904 AB SK MBP
Schizocosa mimula (Gertsch, 1934) AB SK MB
Schizocosa minnesotensis Gertsch, 1934 AB SK -
Schizocosa retrorsa (Banks, 1911) AB SKPMB
Trochosa terricola Thorell, 1856 AB SK MB
MIMETIDAE
Ero canionis Chamberlin and Ivie, 1935 AB SK MB
Mimetus epeiroides Emerton, 1882 AB SK MB
MITURGIDAE
Cheiracanthium inclusum (Hentz, 1847) AB SK MBP
OXYOPIDAE
Oxyopes scalaris Hentz, 1845 ABPSKPMB
PHILODROMIDAE
Apollophanes margareta Lowrie and Gertsch, 1955 ABP--
Ebo bucklei Platnick, 1972 AB SK MB
Ebo dondalei (Sauer, 1968) AB SK MBP
Ebo iviei Sauer and Platnick, 1972 AB SK MB
Ebo latithorax Keyserling, 1884 AB SK MBP
Ebo parabolis (Schick, 1965) AB - -
Ebo pepinensis Gertsch, 1933 AB SK MB
Philodromus alascensis Keyserling, 1884 AB SK MB
Philodromus cespitum (Walckenaer, 1802) AB SK MB
Philodromus histrio (Latreille, 1819) AB SK MB
Philodromus imbecillus Keyserling, 1880 AB SK MB
Philodromus infuscatus infuscatus Dondale and Redner, 1969 ABPSKPMBP
Philodromus mysticus Dondale and Redner, 1975 AB SK MB
Philodromus oneida Levi, 1951 AB SK MB
Philodromus peninsulanus Gertsch, 1934 --MB
Philodromus pernix Blackwall, 1846 AB SK MB
Philodromus placidus Banks, 1892 AB SK MB
Philodromus praelustris Keyserling, 1880 AB SK MB
Philodromus rufus quartus Dondale and Redner, 1968 AB SK MB
Philodromus rufus vibrans Dondale, 1964 AB SKPMBP
Philodromus spectabilis Keyserling, 1880 AB SK MB
Philodromus vulgaris (Hentz, 1847) AB SK MB
Thanatus altimontis Gertsch, 1934 ABPSK MBP
94 H. Cárcamo, J. Pinzón, R. Leech, and J. Spence
Thanatus bungei (Kulczynski, 1908) ABPSKPMBP
Thanatus coloradensis Keyserling, 1880 AB SK MB
Thanatus formicinus (Clerck, 1757) AB SK MB
Thanatus rubicellus Mello-Leitão, 1929 AB SK MB
Thanatus striatus C.L. Koch, 1845 AB SK MB
Thanatus vulgaris Simon, 1870*ABPSKPMBP
Tibellus asiaticus Kulczynski, 1908 AB SK MB
Tibellus duttoni (Hentz, 1847) ABPSKPMB
Tibellus maritimus (Menge, 1875) AB SK MB
Tibellus oblongus (Walckenaer, 1802) AB SK MB
PHOLCIDAE
Pholcophora americana Banks, 1896 AB - -
Pholcus phalangioides (Fuesslin, 1775)* AB SK -
PISAURIDAE
Dolomedes scriptus Hentz, 1845 --MB
Dolomedes striatus Giebel, 1869 AB SK MB
Dolomedes tenebrosus Hentz, 1844 --MB
Dolomedes triton (Walckenaer, 1837) AB SK MB
SALTICIDAE
Admestina wheeleri Peckham and Peckham, 1888 -SK
PMB
Chalcoscirtus alpicola (L. Koch, 1876) AB SK MBP
Chalcoscirtus carbonarius Emerton, 1917 AB - -
Eris militaris (Hentz, 1845) AB SK MB
Euophrys monadnock Emerton, 1891 AB SK MB
Evarcha proszynskii Marusik and Logunov, 1998 AB SK MB
Habronattus altanus (Gertsch, 1934) AB SK MB
Habronattus americanus (Keyserling, 1885) AB SK MB
Habronattus amicus (Peckham and Peckham, 1909) AB SK MBP
Habronattus borealis (Banks, 1895) -SK
PMB
Habronattus captiosus (Gertsch, 1934) AB SKPMB
Habronattus cognatus (Peckham and Peckham, 1901) AB SK MB
Habronattus cuspidatus Griswold, 1987 AB SK MBP
Habronattus decorus (Blackwall, 1846) AB SK MB
Habronattus oregonensis (Peckham and Peckham, 1888) AB SKP-
Habronattus sansoni (Emerton, 1915) AB SKP-
Habronattus texanus (Chamberlin, 1924) ABPSK MB
Hentzia palmarum (Hentz, 1832) -SK
PMB
Maevia inclemens (Walckenaer, 1837) -SK
PMB
Naphrys pulex (Hentz, 1846) -SK
PMB
Neon ellamae Gertsch and Ivie, 1955 --MB
Neon nelli Peckham and Peckham, 1888 AB SK MB
Peckhamia picata (Hentz, 1846) ABPSK MB
Pelegrina proterva (Walckenaer, 1837) AB SK MB
Pelegrina aeneola (Curtis, 1893) AB SKP-
Pelegrina arizonensis (Peckham and Peckham, 1901) AB SK MBP
Pelegrina clemata (Levi and Levi, 1951) AB SK MBP
Pelegrina fl avipes (Peckham and Peckham, 1888) AB SK MB
Pelegrina insignis (Banks, 1892) AB SK MB
Pelegrina montana (Emerton, 1891) AB SK MB
Spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) of the Canadian Prairies 95
Pellenes ignifrons (Grube, 1861) AB SKP-
Pellenes lapponicus (Sundevall, 1833) AB SK MBP
Pellenes wrighti Lowrie and Gertsch, 1955 ABPSK MB
Phidippus audax (Hentz, 1843) ABPSK MBP
Phidippus borealis Banks, 1895 AB SK MB
Phidippus clarus Keyserling, 1885 -SKMB
P
Phidippus comatus Peckham and Peckham, 1901 -SK-
Phidippus cryptus Edwards, 2004 AB SK MB
Phidippus johnsoni (Peckham and Peckham, 1883) AB SK MBP
Phidippus princeps (Peckham and Peckham, 1883) ABPSK MB
Phidippus purpuratus Keyserling, 1885 AB SK MB
Phidippus whitmani Peckham and Peckham, 1909 -SK
PMB
Platycryptus undatus (De Geer, 1778) -SK
PMB
Salticus scenicus (Clerck, 1757)* AB SK MB
Sassacus vitis (Cockerell, 1894) AB SKP-
Sibianor aemulus (Gertsch, 1934) AB SK MB
Sitticus cutleri Proszynski, 1980 AB SK MBP
Sitticus fasciger (Simon, 1880)* ABPSKPMB
Sitticus fi nschi (L. Koch, 1879) AB SK MB
Sitticus fl oricola palustris (Peckham and Peckham, 1883) AB SK MB
Sitticus ranieri Peckham and Peckham, 1909 AB SK MB
Sitticus striatus Emerton, 1911 AB SK MB
Synageles occidentalis Cutler, 1988 AB SK MB
Talavera minuta (Banks, 1894) AB SK MB
Tutelina harti (Peckham, 1891) -SK
PMB
Tutelina similis (Banks, 1895) AB SK MB
TETRAGNATHIDAE
Metellina curtisi (McCook, 1894) ABPSKPMBP
Metellina mimetoides Chamberlin and Ivie, 1941 ABPSKPMBP
Metellina segmentata (Clerck, 1757)* ABPSKPMBP
Pachygnatha clercki Sundevall, 1823 AB SK MB
Pachygnatha dorothea McCook, 1894 AB SK MB
Pachygnatha tristriata C.L. Koch, 1845 AB SKPMB
Pachygnatha xanthostoma C.L. Koch, 1845 AB SK MB
Tetragnatha caudata Emerton, 1884 AB SK MB
Tetragnatha dearmata Thorell, 1873 AB SK MB
Tetragnatha elongata Walckenaer, 1841 AB SK MB
Tetragnatha extensa (Linnaeus, 1758) AB SK MB
Tetragnatha laboriosa Hentz, 1850 AB SK MB
Tetragnatha pallescens F.O.P.-Cambridge, 1903 AB SK MB
Tetragnatha shoshone Levi, 1981 AB SK MB
Tetragnatha straminea Emerton, 1885 AB SK MB
Tetragnatha versicolor Walckenaer, 1841 AB SK MB
THERIDIIDAE
Achaearanea globosus (Hentz, 1850) --MB
Asagena americana Emerton, 1882 AB SK MB
Asagena fulva (Keyserling, 1884) AB SKPMBP
Asagena medialis (Banks, 1898)^1 AB SKP-
Canalidion montanum Emerton, 1882 AB SK MB
96 H. Cárcamo, J. Pinzón, R. Leech, and J. Spence
Chrysso albomaculata O. P.-Cambridge, 1882 --MB
Chrysso nordica (Chamberlin and Ivie, 1947) -SK-
Chrysso pelyx (Levi, 1957) --MB
Crustulina sticta (O. P.-Cambridge, 1861) AB SK MB
Dipoena nigra (Emerton, 1882) -SKMB
Enoplognatha caricis (Fickert, 1876) AB SK MB
Enoplognatha intrepida (Sørensen, 1898) AB SK MB
Enoplognatha joshua Chamberlin and Ivie, 1942 AB SK -
Enoplognatha marmorata (Hentz, 1850) AB SK MB
Euryopis argentea Emerton, 1882 AB SK MB
Euryopis funebris (Hentz, 1850) -SK
PMB
Euryopis gertschi Levi, 1951 ABPSK MB
Euryopis pepini Levi, 1954
Euryopis saukea Levi, 1951 AB SK MB
Euryopis scriptipes Banks, 1908 AB SK MBP
Lasaeola prona Menge, 1868 ABPSK MBP
Latrodectus hesperus Chamrberlin and Ivie, 1935 AB SK -
Neottiura bimaculata (Linnaeus, 1767)* AB SKPMBP
Ohlertidion ohlerti Thorell, 1870 AB SK MB
Parasteatoda tepidariorum (C.L. Koch, 1841) AB SK MB
Phylloneta impressa L. Koch, 1881 AB SK MBP
Rhomphaea fi ctilium (Hentz, 1850) ABPSKPMB
Robertus arcticus Chamberlin and Ivie, 1947 AB SK MB
Robertus banksi (Kaston, 1946) AB SK MB
Robertus borealis (Kaston, 1946) AB SK MBP
Robertus crosbyi (Kaston, 1946) AB SKPMB
Robertus fuscus (Emerton, 1894) AB SK MB
Robertus riparius (Keyserling, 1886) AB SKPMB
Robertus vigerens (Chamberlin and Ivie, 1933) AB SKP-
Rugathodes aurantius (Emerton, 1915) AB SK MB
Rugathodes sexpunctatus (Emerton, 1882) AB SK MB
Steatoda albomaculata (De Geer, 1778) AB SK MB
Steatoda borealis (Hentz, 1850) AB SK MB
Steatoda castanea (Clerck, 1757)* AB - MB
Theonoe stridula Crosby, 1906 ABPSK MB
Theridion differens Emerton, 1882 AB SK MB
Theridion frondeum Hentz, 1850 AB SK MB
Theridion glaucescens Becker, 1879 -SK
PMB
Theridion hemerobium Simon, 1914 -SK
PMB
Theridion murarium Emerton, 1881 AB SK MB
Theridion petraeum L. Koch, 1872 AB SK MB
Theridion pictum (Walckenaer, 1802) AB SK MB
Theridion rabuni Chamberlin and Ivie, 1944 -SK-
Theridula emertoni Levi, 1954 AB SK MB
Thymoites minnesota Levi, 1964 AB SK MB
Thymoites unimaculatus (Emerton, 1882) ABPSK MB
THOMISIDAE
Bassaniana utahensis (Gertsch, 1932) AB SK MB
Coriarachne brunneipes Banks, 1893 AB - MB
Spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) of the Canadian Prairies 97
Mecaphesa asperata (Hentz, 1847) AB SK MB
Mecaphesa celer (Henz, 1847) AB - -
Mecaphesa sierrensis Schick, 1965 ABP--
Misumena vatia (Clerck, 1757) AB SK MB
Misumenoides formosipes (Walckenaer, 1837) AB - -
Ozyptila beaufortensis Strand, 1916 AB - -
Ozyptila conspurcata Thorell, 1877 AB - MB
Ozyptila curvata Dondale and Redner, 1975 --MB
Ozyptila gertschi Kurata, 1944 AB SK MB
Ozyptila pacifi ca Banks, 1985 ABP--
Ozyptila sincera canadensis Dondale and Redner, 1975 AB SK MB
Xysticus acquiescens Emerton, 1919 AB SK MB
Xysticus alboniger Turnbull, Dondale and Redner, 1965 ABPSKPMBP
Xysticus ampullatus Turnbull, Dondale and Redner, 1965 --MB
Xysticus auctifi cus Keyserling, 1880 -SK-
Xysticus banksi Bryant, 1930 AB SKPMBP
Xysticus benefactor Thorell, 1880 AB SKPMBP
Xysticus bicuspis Keyserling, 1887 -SK
PMBP
Xysticus britcheri Gertsch, 1934 AB SK MB
Xysticus canadensis Gertsch, 1953 AB SK MB
Xysticus chippewa Gertsch, 1953 AB SK MBP
Xysticus cunctator Thorell, 1877 AB SK MBP
Xysticus discursans Keyserling, 1880 AB SK MB
Xysticus elegans Keyserling, 1880 AB SK MB
Xysticus ellipticus Turnbull, Dondale and Redner, 1965 AB SK MB
Xysticus emertoni Keyserling, 1880 AB SK MB
Xysticus ferox (Hentz, 1847) AB SK MB
Xysticus fervidus Gertsch, 1953 ABPSK -
Xysticus gertschi Schick, 1965 AB SKPMBP
Xysticus gosiutus Gertsch, 1933 ABP--
Xysticus gulosus Keyserling, 1880 AB SK MB
Xysticus locuples Keyserling, 1880 ABP--
Xysticus luctans (C.L. Koch, 1845) AB SK MB
Xysticus luctuosus (Blackwall, 1836) AB SK MB
Xysticus montanensis Keyserling, 1887 AB SK MB
Xysticus nigromaculatus Keyserling, 1884 AB SK MB
Xysticus obscurus Collett, 1877 AB SK MB
Xysticus pellax O. P.-Cambridge, 1894 ABPSK MBP
Xysticus posti Sauer, 1968 ABP--
Xysticus punctatus Keyserling, 1880 AB SK MB
Xysticus triguttatus Keyserling, 1880 AB SK MB
Xysticus triangulosus Emerton 1894 --MB
Xysticus winnipegensis Turnbull, Dondale and Redner, 1965 --MB
TITANOECIDAE
Titanoeca nigrella (Chamberlin, 1919) AB - MB
Titanoeca nivalis Simon, 1874 AB SK MB
ULOBORIDAE
Hyptiotes gertschi Chamberlin and Ivie, 1935 ABPSK MB
98 H. Cárcamo, J. Pinzón, R. Leech, and J. Spence
Spiders of the Prairies
In this section, we provide a short overview of all the families found in the Prairie Provinces
and highlight some of the species most commonly reported in biodiversity studies in the
ecozone (summarized in Table 4). Families are listed alphabetically, but for each family,
we indicate its rank in parentheses, on the basis of the number of species recorded in the
Prairie Provinces, and provide the number of genera (from Table 1). We use the term
“Prairies” to refer to the three Prairie Provinces and the term “shortgrass prairie” for the
Mixed Grasslands Ecoregion within the Prairies Ecozone. Throughout the rest of this
chapter (and in Table 4), we refer to the relative abundances of species by using the
standardized proportionate ACFOR designation that has been proposed as an international
standard for a common framework in discussions of species conservation (Holliday et al.,
see Chapter 1, Volume 4). The standard is reproduced below and available in numerical
form at http://www.glaucus.org.uk/watch3.htm#STANDARD%20ACFOR:
ACFOR standard categories used in Table 4 and throughout the text.
Designation Abbreviation Proportion of Total Collection (%)
Abundant A ≥50
Common C ≥5 and <50
Frequent F ≥0.5 and <5
Occasional O ≥0.05 and <0.5
Rare R <0.05
Agelenidae, Funnel Web Spiders (13th, 3 genera: 9 species; Fig. 3A)
The funnel web spiders are common ground dwellers in both grasslands and forests of
the region. Agelenopsis, with four species, is the only native genus present in the region.
Agelenopsis oklahoma occurs in shortgrass prairie, whereas A. actuosa occurs in more
moist grasslands and Aspen Parkland. Agelenopsis utahana is a boreal species that has
been collected mainly in forested transition ecoregions (Table 4). Four adventive species
from the genus Tegenaria have been collected in some urban centres. This genus includes
some of the most “feared” spiders (Vetter and Antonelli 2002) such as the hobo spider
(T. agrestis); despite common folklore, numerous scientifi c tests have failed to show that
this species is a necrotic lesion biter (Bennett and Vetter 2004). Tegenaria domestica is
widespread, whereas the giant house spider T. duellica (formerly T. gigantea––a true
giant with a 100 mm leg span and one of the largest spiders in Canada) is spreading
east from British Columbia and has now been recorded in Saskatchewan (Buckle and
Randell 1995). Tegenaria agrestis has been reported from cities in Alberta (Edmonton
and Grande Cache (RL, unpublished data) and Lethbridge (HC, unpublished data)),
whereas another species, T. atrica, is known only from Saskatchewan (Paquin et al.
2010; D. Buckle, pers. comm. to HC).
Amaurobiidae, Tangle Nest Spiders (15th, 4 genera: 8 species)
The tangle nest spiders are represented by fi ve genera and 10 species in the Prairie Provinces,
but none have been reported from grassland ecoregions within the ecozone. Amaurobius
borealis and Cybaeopsis euopla are common spiders in litter of southern boreal aspen
Spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) of the Canadian Prairies 99
Fig. 3. A–I, Examples of spiders found in the Prairie Provinces. A, Characteristic funnel web of family Agelenidae
(Photo: D. Giberson). B, Garden spider, Argiope trifasciata (Araneidae) (Photo: H. Goulet). C, Castianeira sp., a
grassland ant mimic (probably C. descripta) (Photo: J. Acorn). D, Micaria pulicaria, a widespread gnaphosid ant
mimic (Photo: M. Howe, www.Spiders.us). E, Hypselistes fl orens (Erigoninae), a male dwarf sheet spider (Photo:
T. Murray). F, Pityohyphantes subarcticus (Linyphiinae), mating pair on web (Photo: J. Pinzón). G, Wolf spider
(Schizocosa sp., Lycosidae) eating a green grass bug in a wheat fi eld in southern Alberta (Photo: D. Pittman). H,
Pardosa female wolf spider (Lycosidae) carrying spiderlings on her back (Photo: H. Goulet). I, Dolomedes triton,
a fi shing spider (Pisauridae) common on prairie ponds (Photo: J. Pinzón).
A
D
G
B
E
H
C
F
I
100 H. Cárcamo, J. Pinzón, R. Leech, and J. Spence
forests (Buddle et al. 2000), in the foothills (Cárcamo 1997), in boreal forests (Pinzón et al.
2012), in the Boreal Transition Ecoregion (JP and JS, unpublished data), and in the Aspen
Parkland Ecoregion (Graham 2002).
Araneidae, Orb Weavers (8th, 16 genera: 37 species; Fig. 3B)
The orb-weaving spider family is a relatively large family, but only few species with low
relative abundances have been collected in prairie habitats. This is likely, at least in part,
a methodological artifact associated with pitfall or pan trapping, since most species build
their webs in layers above the ground level. For example, Neoscona arabesca was common
in canola foliage sampled by sweeping in southern Alberta, but absent from pitfall catches
in similar sites (HC, unpublished data). Araneus is the most speciose genus in the family,
but is more common in forested transition zones than in grassland habitats, where only
juveniles have been collected (Table 4). Araneus marmoreus and Cyclosa conica were
among the most common orb weaver species in the understory of the Boreal Transition
Ecoregion (JP and JS, unpublished data). Hypsosinga funebris is frequently collected in
shortgrass reserves in both Alberta and Saskatchewan, but other araneid species seem to be
only occasional residents of these habitats.
Clubionidae, Sac Spiders (10th, 1 genus: 20 species)
The clubionid sac spiders are represented in the region by the genus Clubiona; the only
other North American genus, Elaver, has not yet been recorded in the Prairies. Four species
have been reported from biodiversity studies in the grassland ecoregions and three from
transition forested zones (Table 4). Clubiona mutata is a common element of shortgrass
prairie habitats, and Clubiona canadensis is frequent in foothills and aspen forests. The
latter species has been commonly collected from ground, bark, and foliage habitats in the
boreal forest (Pinzón and Spence 2010).
Corinnidae, Corinnid Sac Spiders (14th, 3 genera: 9 species; Fig. 3C)
The Corinnidae were formerly included in the Clubionidae and are now the largest family
of sac spiders worldwide. The corinnid sac spiders are poorly represented in the Prairies
Ecozone in terms of diversity, but the genus Castianeira, with species that mimic ants,
occurs in the region. Castianeira descripta is the only species frequently recorded from
grassland habitats (Table 4). Castianeira longipalpa inhabits tallgrass prairie in southern
Manitoba, but is more common in aspen habitats (Roughley et al. 2006). Three other
species also have been reported in faunistic studies, but only in transition forests adjacent
to the Prairies Ecozone.
Dictynidae, Mesh Web Weavers or Meshweavers (5th, 11 genera: 53 species)
These spiders build irregular webs in various places, including buildings and vegetation
in tree canopies, in understories, and at the ground level (Pinzón et al. 2011). The
genus Dictyna is the most speciose of the family, with 25 species recorded in the three
provinces. The genus is well represented in the Prairies Ecozone, both in diversity (15
spp.) and relative abundance (Tables 3 and 4). Dictyna major, for example, was the
dominant species in canola foliage in 2010 in a canola study near Lethbridge (HC and
RL, unpublished data). Dictyna terrestris was common in grassland reserves in southern
Alberta and Saskatchewan (Finnamore and Buckle 1999; Finnamore et al. 2000) (Table
4), and D. brevitarsa was frequently collected from the understory vegetation in the
Boreal Transition Ecoregion (JP and JS, unpublished data). Emblyna completoides, E.
Spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) of the Canadian Prairies 101
cornupeta, and E. horta are also frequent in the Mixed Grassland Ecoregion. Tricholathys
dakota appears to be more common in the Moist Mixed Grassland Ecoregion than in the
drier shortgrass prairies (Table 4).
Gnaphosidae, Ground Spiders (2nd, 14 genera: 61 species; Fig. 3D)
With notable exceptions, the ground spiders are nocturnal wandering predators that do not
build webs, but spin silk retreats where they spend the day. Of the 61 species recorded in the
three provinces, 35 have been collected in biodiversity studies in the Prairies Ecozone and
13 of them at relatively high frequencies (>1%) (Table 4). Zelotes lasalanus represented
13% of the entire spider catch at Grasslands National Park in southern Saskatchewan
(Finnamore et al. 2000). Micaria, the most speciose genus (17 spp.), appears to be
predominantly a grassland genus. Fifteen species were collected from the Prairies Ecozone
(Table 4): 12 only from the Mixed Grassland Ecoregion, one only from the Moist Mixed
Grassland (Micaria sp.), one only from aspen habitats (M. aenea), and one widespread (M.
pulicaria, Fig. 3D). Many Micaria species are active diurnally and are also ant mimics
(Pekar and Jarab 2011).
Hahniidae, Dwarf Sheet Spiders (12th, 5 genera: 10 species)
The dwarf sheet spiders build webs close to the ground in the leaf litter in small depressions,
or on low vegetation (Opell and Beatty 1976). Hahniids are usually small- to medium-
sized spiders (2–5 mm) and can be recognized easily by the transverse arrangement of
their spinnerets. They are seldom collected in arid prairie habitats of the Mixed Grassland
Ecoregion (Table 4). Pepper (1999) reported Neoantistea gosiuta and N. magna as rare
components of grazed rangeland in southwestern Saskatchewan, but N. magna was
a frequent species farther north in the Moist Mixed Grassland near Clavet (Doane and
Dondale 1979). Hahnia cinerea is a frequent spider in tallgrass prairie in southern Manitoba
(Roughley et al. 2006) and was collected, albeit rarely, in the Boreal Transition Ecoregion
(JP and JS, unpublished data).
Linyphiidae, Linyphiids (1st, 112 genera: 295 species; Fig. 3E and F)
This is by far the largest family in Canada and in the Prairie Provinces and is the
second most diverse spider family worldwide after the Salticidae (jumping spiders). In
fact, linyphiids accounted for 39% of all spider species recorded in the three provinces
(Table 1). Depending on the sampling method or habitat, they can also dominate spider
assemblages in terms of frequency of captures, as shown by Dondale (1970) for a meadow
in southern Ontario. The subfamily Erigoninae (dwarf spiders) contains the bulk of the
diversity (Table 3). Erigonines are small, generally less than 3 mm, and inhabit the leaf
litter, where they feed on microarthropods such as collembolans (Aitchison 1984). Males
of some genera have ornate head protuberances (Fig. 3E) and highly complex emboli
(genitalia), whereas females are frequently undifferentiated and are diffi cult to identify
by using morphological traits. Most genera require revision, and comprehensive keys are
currently available to identify males only (Draney and Buckle 2005). Intensive collecting
and sorting by experts is expected to generate new species in most areas, as shown in the
biodiversity studies summarized in Table 4. For example, Dupérré (2013) described four
new species of the 13 Agyneta species (Linyphiidae) in the Prairies Ecozone, demonstrating
the high number of new species to be described in this family. All 295 species from the
112 genera reported in Table 3 have been collected in at least one of the Prairie Provinces.
Around 65 species from 36 genera were reported in the eight biodiversity studies from the
102 H. Cárcamo, J. Pinzón, R. Leech, and J. Spence
Prairies Ecozone reviewed here, including several individuals that could not be identifi ed
to species (Table 4). Ceraticelus and Walckenaeria were the most diverse in the Prairies
Ecozone, with eight and nine described species, respectively (at least three Walckenaeria
noted were undescribed; Don Buckle, pers. comm.). Most species have been collected
infrequently, which is probably an artifact of pitfall trapping. Erigonines can balloon as
immatures and adults, and many either do not fall onto traps or can escape from them
by using their draglines (RL, fi eld obs.). Furthermore, because of their small size and
somewhat fragile nature, careful sorting is required to retrieve them from samples. The
most frequently collected species at any of the grassland sites within the Prairies Ecozone
(Table 4) was Erigone aletris, which was collected by sweeping canola (HC and RL,
unpublished data) near Lethbridge, where it reached 4% frequency. It was collected at
lower frequencies in pitfall traps at other grassland sites and in the Boreal Transition
Ecoregion under aspen forest at George Lake (Table 4). Islandiana holmi, Tennesseellum
formicum, and Coloncus siou have also been frequently reported in some dry grassland
sites. Centromerus sylvaticus was frequent (7%) in the more humid tallgrass grassland
and the adjacent aspen habitat studied by Roughley et al. (2006); Goneatara nasutus and
Pelecopsis mengei were also frequent in these habitats. In transition aspen forests in the
foothills and at George Lake, Allomengea dentisetis (38%) and Bathyphantes pallidus
(14%) were far more common (Table 4). However, Helophora insignis, Dismodicus
alticeps, and Pityohyphantes subarcticus were also common components of the understory
foliage fauna at George Lake. Pityohyphantes (Fig. 3F) has not been reported in any of the
Prairies Ecozone biodiversity studies reviewed here.
Liocranidae, Liocranid Sac Spiders (18th, 1 genus: 2 species)
Two species in the genus Agroeca (formerly under Clubionidae) occur in the Prairie
Provinces, and both have been reported from the Prairies Ecozone. Agroeca ornata is a
common species in tallgrass prairie and in aspen forests, but it was not reported from any
of the drier grassland sites (Table 4). Agroeca pratensis was frequent in some of the same
humid habitats and an occasional species at the site within the Moist Mixed Grassland
Ecoregion of Saskatchewan studied by Doane and Dondale (1979).
Lycosidae, Wolf Spiders (3rd, 9 genera: 59 species; Fig. 3G and H)
This is the third largest family in the region in terms of number of reported species,
although its diversity is close to that of the Dictynidae and Gnaphosidae. However, wolf
spiders are generally the most common spiders collected in pitfall traps in grassland
prairie habitats because of their ground-dwelling habits. At 28 species, the genus
Pardosa is also the most speciose of any spider family within the Prairie Provinces.
However, it will likely be surpassed in the Prairie Provinces by the linyphiid genus
Walckenaeria (Erigoninae), currently at 27 species, and which probably harbours more
undescribed species than Pardosa. Lycosidae represented 13–72% of the spider catches
in the studies reported in Table 4. Several Pardosa species are common and widespread
across various prairie ecoregions. In particular, Schizocosa mccooki is common in
the more arid regions of the southern prairies of Alberta and Saskatchewan and the
grassland reserves within the Aspen Parkland Ecoregion of southern Manitoba (Table
4). Part of the dominance of S. mccooki may be a sampling artifact related to its active
wandering lifestyle that makes individuals prone to falling in pitfall traps. Aspects of
the life history of the more common Pardosa species have been discussed by Dondale
(1977), Doane and Dondale (1979), and Buddle (2000, 2002).
Spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) of the Canadian Prairies 103
Mimetidae, Pirate Spiders (19th, 2 genera: 2 species)
Only two mimetid species occur in the Prairie Provinces and both have been reported from
the Prairies Ecozone. Ero canionis has been collected in tallgrass and aspen habitats in
the ecozone and forest transition ecoregions. Mimetus epeiroides has been recorded from
grassland habitats of southern Alberta and Saskatchewan (Table 4).
Philodromidae, Running Crab Spiders (9th, 4 genera: 29 species)
Philodromidae share the common name of crab spiders with Thomisidae because of their
laterigrade legs and gait resembling that of crabs. Four of the fi ve Canadian genera are
represented in the ecozone, but only 13 of the 28 species known from the three Prairie
Provinces were collected in the faunistic studies within the ecozone reviewed here (Table
4). All 13 species appear to be mainly grassland inhabitants, as they were not reported from
forested sites. Thanatus coloradensis was one of the more common species in the Mixed
Grassland Ecoregion, but it was not reported in the more humid tallgrass or aspen sites.
The grassland members of this family appear to be reasonably diverse in the west, as only
one of the fi ve species reported from southern Ontario (Dondale 1970) was not found in
the Prairies.
Pisauridae, Fishing or Nursery Web Spiders (16th, 1 genus: 4 species; Fig. 3I)
The fi shing or nursery web spiders are widespread semi-aquatic inhabitants of ponds and
lakes, where they prey on small vertebrates (tadpoles, minnows, sticklebacks) and many
species of invertebrates (Zimmermann and Spence 1989). They do not wander far from
standing water (Graham et al. 2003) and therefore are rarely collected in faunistic studies
in terrestrial habitats. Dolomedes is the only genus in the Prairie Provinces, and four species
are known to occur here. Four species occur in Manitoba but only D. triton (Fig. 3I) and
D. striatus have been reported in Alberta and Saskatchewan. Dolomedes triton is one of
the few spider species in the Prairie Provinces whose population dynamics, life cycle, and
sexual behaviour have been studied thoroughly (Zimmermann and Spence 1989, 1992,
1998; Spence et al. 1996).
Salticidae, Jumping Spiders (4th, 22 genera: 56 species; Fig. 4A)
The jumping spiders can be considered as the “charismatic” taxon (the group with
the most public appeal) among the spiders, and several workers (e.g., Bennett 1999;
Buddle and Shorthouse 2000) have commented on their public appeal. This is the largest
family worldwide, but ranks only fourth in terms of number of described species in
the Prairie Provinces. Despite their public appeal, lack of taxonomic resources hinders
their identifi cation to species; only keys to genus are available (e.g., Richmand et
al. 2005). Three species in the genus Habronattus (H. altanus, H. americanus, H.
cuspidatus) and two undescribed Pellenes species were frequently represented in the
faunistic studies of the Mixed Grassland Ecoregion in Alberta and Saskatchewan, but
not reported from the other more humid sites of the Prairies Ecozone (Table 4). Seven
of the 22 putative species reported from the ecozone in Table 4 were undetermined
because of taxonomic challenges.
Tetragnathidae, Long-Jawed Orb-Weavers (11th, 2 genera: 13 species; Fig. 4B)
The long-jawed orb-weavers are represented by the genera Tetragnatha and Pachygnatha
in the Prairies Ecozone (Table 4). The genus Metellina occurs in British Columbia
and Montana and likely occurs in the Prairies as well. Pachygnatha tristriata and P.
104 H. Cárcamo, J. Pinzón, R. Leech, and J. Spence
xanthostoma were collected occasionally in the more humid habitats of the tallgrass and
aspen sites within the ecozone, but not in the more arid or mesic grassland sites. In contrast,
Tetragnatha laboriosa, a known grassland species, was the most common species (37%)
in canola foliage and was also present in all three Mixed Grassland studies summarized
here (Table 4). Tetragnatha versicolor was collected at Grasslands National Park in a
river riparian zone (Finnamore et al. 2000) and, together with Tetragnatha straminea, was
also commonly collected from the foliage of the understory at George Lake in the Boreal
Transition Ecoregion (JP and JS, unpublished data). Tetragnatha versicolor is widespread
and frequent in humid habitats that support shrubs or trees.
Theridiidae, Comb-Footed Spiders (6th, 23 genera: 51 species; Fig. 4C)
The comb-footed spiders build small webs of various irregular shapes and are also called
tangle-web or cobweb spiders (Levi 1957a). Only 16 of the 51 species that occur in the
Fig. 4. A–E, Additional examples of spiders found in the Prairie Provinces. A, Phidippus sp., a jumping spider,
with mites on body (Photo: H. Goulet). B, Tetragnatha sp., an orb-weaving spider common in grasslands (Photo:
H. Goulet). C, Black widow (Latrodectes hesperus) (Theridiidae), female with characteristic red arrow marking
(Photo: H. Goulet). D, Flower spider (Misumena vatia, Thomisidae), male about to eat a lygus bug (Photo:
H. Goulet). E, Misumenoides formosipes (Thomisidae), close-up of immature female (Photo: M. Keeling,
www.Spiders.us); newly recorded outside Ontario in a canola fi eld near Lethbridge.
A
D
B
E
C
Spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) of the Canadian Prairies 105
three provinces were reported in the faunistic studies within the Prairies Ecozone, and two
species of Euryopis and one of Theridion were undetermined (Table 4). Most species were
collected infrequently (<0.5%), except for Enoplognatha marmorata, which accounted for
2% of the collection in a site within the Moist Mixed Grassland Ecoregion. This species
was reported from most sites within and outside the ecozone, including the meadow site in
southern Ontario (Table 4). Collecting Theridiidae by beating or vacuuming did not result
in an increase in relative abundance of comb-footed spiders. For example, only three of 13
species in an aspen site at George Lake had sampled frequencies between 0.5 and 5% (JP
and JS, unpublished data). Similar results were obtained by Dondale (1970), who found
only two frequent species, but nine others that were rare or occasional at the Heasman’s
meadow site in southern Ontario.
Thomisidae, Crab Spiders (7th, 7 genera: 38 species; Fig. 4D and E)
Crab spiders (both in Thomisidae and Philodromidae) are ambush predators that are
well camoufl aged in fl owers or in leaf litter (Dondale and Redner 1978). Twenty-fi ve
of the 36 thomisid species (and all genera other than Coriarachne) recorded from the
Prairie Provinces have been collected in the Prairies Ecozone (Table 4). Misumenoides
formosipes was collected from canola foliage near Lethbridge, constituting a new
record for a locality outside Ontario. The genus Xysticus ranks third in species richness
(26 species) among all spider genera after Pardosa (28) and Walckenaeria (27) for the
three Prairie Provinces (Table 3), but the genus Xysticus is the most speciose within
the Prairies Ecozone, with 17 species reported (Table 4). Xysticus acquiescens, and
to a lesser extent X. cunctator, were common species in all grassland sites in Alberta
and Saskatchewan, including the site under canola cultivation. Xysticus ferox was more
widespread than the former two species, as it was also collected in various grassland and
aspen habitats in Manitoba (Roughley et al. 2006; Stjernberg 2011) and in the Aspen
Parkland Ecoregion of Alberta (Graham 2002). Ozyptila sincera canadensis (8.6%),
X. obscurus (4.9%), X. luctuosus (4.7%), and X. canadensis (2.7%) were frequently
collected from the ground at George Lake in the Boreal Transition Ecoregion (JP and
JS, unpublished data).
Titanoecidae, No Common Name (21st, 1 genus: 2 species)
This small family, formerly considered part of the Amaurobiidae (Leech 1972), is
represented by the genus Titanoeca with two species. Titanoeca nigrella is common in
grassland sites of southern Saskatchewan and frequent in grassland sites of southern
Alberta. Titanoeca nivalis, however, has been collected only as an occasional species from
the tallgrass reserve in Manitoba (Table 4).
Other Families (22nd to 26th, 1 or 2 genera: 1 or 2 species)
The remaining small families each have one or two species in the Prairie Provinces, but
were not reported in the biodiversity studies within the Prairies Ecozone reviewed here.
The fauna of the Prairies Ecozone includes two genera of Cybaeidae and Pholcidae
and one genus each of the Anyphaenidae, Miturgidae, Oxyopidae, and Uloboridae
(Table 3). The family Oxyopidae, represented by Oxyopes scalaris, has been collected
in Manitoba, Montana, Idaho, and British Columbia; therefore, it should occur in
the rest of the Prairie Provinces. Metaltella simoni (Amphinectidae) is an adventive
from southern South America reported from urban habitats in Alberta (Leech and
Steiner 1992).
106 H. Cárcamo, J. Pinzón, R. Leech, and J. Spence
Table 4. Frequencies (%) or qualitative ACFOR abundance categories (Abundant, Common, Frequent, Occasional, Rare (see page 98 in text) from selected biodiversity surveys
in the Prairies Ecozone or transition ecoregions. Studies 1–9 are in the Prairies Ecozone (Pr), Studies 10–13 are from Forest Transition ecoregions (FT), and Study 14 is from an
eastern mixedwood forest in southern Ontario. Question mark (?) denotes species determinations that require confi rmation by a taxonomist. Labels for undescribed species were
retained from the original works.
Habitat types: MMG = Moist Mixed Grassland; MG = Mixed Grassland; AP = Aspen Parkland; TGG = Tallgrass Prairie grassland; TGA = Tallgrass Prairie aspen; BT = Boreal
Transition; WAU = Western Alberta Uplands; MEF = mixed eastern forest. Study details (see Fig. 5 for site locations): 1 = HC and RL (unpublished), sweeping data with ACFOR
designations for preliminary pitfall data from Mauduit (2012); 2 = Finnamore and Buckle (1999); 3 = Pepper (1999); 4 = Finnamore et al. (2000); 5 = Doane and Dondale (1979);
6 = Stjernberg (2011), including ACFOR designations for sweeping data; 7, 8 = Roughley et al. (2006); 9 = Graham (2002), including ACFOR designations for fl oating traps; 10
= Graham et al. (2003); 11 = JP and JS (unpublished data), with ACFOR designations for beating data; 12, 13 = Cárcamo (1997); 14 = Belleville meadow, southern Ontario mixed
forest (Dondale 1970).
Family Pr1 Pr2 Pr3 Pr4 Pr5 Pr6 Pr7 Pr8 Pr9 FT10 FT11 FT12 FT13 FT14
Species MMG MG MG MG MMG AP TGG TGA AP BT BT WAU WAU MEF
AGELENIDAE
Agelenopsis actuosa ----1.40.081 0.04 0.14 ------
Agelenopsis oklahoma - - 0.13 -----------
Agelenopsis potteri -----0.024 -------0.04
Agelenopsis sp. immat. - - - 0.47 ----------
Agelenopsis utahana ----0.50.069 - - 0.01 - 0.53, O 0.14 0.71 -
AMAUROBIIDAE
Amaurobius borealis ----------1.86 2.78 1.09 -
Arctobius agelenoides ----------0.18 - 0.26 -
Callobius bennetti -------------0.04
Callobius nomeus -----------0.28 0.19 -
Cybaeopsis euopla --------0.14 0.49 8.41 14.19 7.92 -
Cybaeopsis sp. -------------0.04
ANYPHAENIDAE
Wulfi la saltabundus -------------0.04
ARANEIDAE
Acanthepeira stellata -------------0.04
Aculepeira packardi - - - 0.02 ----------
Spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) of the Canadian Prairies 107
Araneus corticarius ----------O---
Araneus iviei ----------0.04, O - 0.06 -
Araneus marmoreus ----------F0.14 0.06 -
Araneus nordmanni ----------R---
Araneus pratensis -----0.004, F --------
Araneus saevus -----0.004 ----0.04, R - 0.06 -
Araneus sp. 0.61 ---------O--0.04
Araneus trifolium -----0.024 --------
Araniella displicata -----0, F---0.04 - - - 0.04
Araniella sp. 0.3-------------
Argiope trifasciata - 0.06 - - - 0, C -------0.34
Cercidia prominens -----0, F---- ---
Cyclosa conica -----0,R----0.04, F - - -
Hypsosinga funebris - 0.77 - 0.32 ----------
Hypsosinga pygmaea ----0.05 - - 0.05 ------
Hypsosinga rubens -----0.04, R ----O---
Hypsosinga sp. (immature) 0.3----0.000 --------
Larinia borealis - 0.18 - - - 0.01, R --------
Larinioides cornutus -----0.000 - - 0.03 0.04 R - - -
Larinioides sclopetarius -----0, R--------
Mangora gibberosa -------------0.04
Mangora placida -------------0.04
Metepeira palustris - 0.18 - - - 0, R --------
Neoscona arabesca 5.48 - 0.03 - - 0.004, F - - - - R - - 0.04
Parazygiella dispar --------0.01 -----
Zygiella nearctica ----------R---
CLUBIONIDAE
Clubiona abboti - - 0.03 ----------1.22
Clubiona bryantae --------0.14 -----
Clubiona canadensis --------
0.04, O - 1.28, F 0.42 1.35 -
Clubiona norveica ------- 0.04, F -----
Clubiona johnsoni ------0.04 0.36 - - - 1.86
Clubiona katsoni -------0.09 - 0.04 -
Clubiona kiowa -----0.41, R --------
108 H. Cárcamo, J. Pinzón, R. Leech, and J. Spence
Family Pr1 Pr2 Pr3 Pr4 Pr5 Pr6 Pr7 Pr8 Pr9 FT10 FT11 FT12 FT13 FT14
Species MMG MG MG MG MMG AP TGG TGA AP BT BT WAU WAU MEF
Clubiona kulczynskii ---------0.04 0.04, O 0.56 0.32 -
Clubiona moesta -----0.004 --------
Clubiona mutata - 0.53 1.39 9.25 ----------
Clubiona obesa -----0.008 --------
Clubiona opeongo ------------0.06 -
Clubiona riparia ----0.05 ---------
CORINNIDAE
Castianeira cingulata ------0.04 -------
Castianeira descripta - 0.47 0.19 0.18 - 0.271 -------0.04
Castianeira gertschi -------------0.04
Castianeira longipalpa -----0.741 0.31 1.49 -----0.04
Phrurotimpus alarius -----0.000 -------0.04
Phrurotimpus borealis -----0.024 0.04 0.18 ------
Phrurotimpus certus -----0.065 --------
Scotinella pugnata -----0.024 - 0.14 - 0.04 - - - 0.04
DICTYNIDAE
Argenna obesa ----0.05 0.000 0.09 0.18 -----3.2
Cicurina arcuata -----0.547 0.09 0.54 ------
Cicurina robusta -----0.008 --------
Dictyna alaskae ------------0.06 -
Dictyna arundinacea ----------R---
Dictyna bostoniensis - 1.24 ------------
Dictyna brevitarsa ----------F---
Dictyna coloradensis 0.3 0.95 - 0.08 ---------0.04
Dictyna foliacea -------------0.04
Dictyna major 21.34 -------------
Dictyna minuta ----------0.04, F - - -
Dictyna personata - 1.36 - 0.03 ----------
Dictyna sp. immat. ----0.08 ---------
Spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) of the Canadian Prairies 109
Dictyna sp. 1- 0.36 0.78 -----------
Dictyna terrestris - 2.54 0.52 4.58 - 0.045 -------3.33
Dictyna volucripes 0.61 ----0.004, C -------0.04
Emblyna annulipes ----------O--0.04
Emblyna completoides - 1.07 0.13 0.66 ----------
Emblyna consulta - 0.59 ------------
Emblyna cornupeta - 1.01 ------------
Emblyna hentzi -------------0.34
Emblyna horta - - - 2.08 ----------
Emblyna maxima ----------F---
Emblyna phylax ----------O---
Emblyna sublata ----------R---
Iviella reclusa ---0.2----------
Tricholathys spiralis - 0.41 0.03 0.07 3.38 - - - 0.01 -----
GNAPHOSIDAE
Callilepis imbecilla -------------0.04
Callilepis pluto -----0.036 --------
Drassodes neglectus - 2.78 0.42 0.56 0.08 0.777 --------
Drassodes saccatus - 0.59 0.19 0.19 ----------
Drassyllus depressus - - 0.03 0.01 - - - 0.27 -----0.04
Drassyllus lamprus - 0.3 0.03 1.03 ----------
Drassyllus nannellus - - - 0.06 ----------
Drassyllus niger ------0.48 0.36 0.01 0.11 - - - 0.04
Drassyllus notonus - - - 0.04 ----------
Gnaphosa borea --------0.03 0.04 0.04 - 0.32 -
Gnaphosa brumalis - - 0.13 0.19 ------0.09 - 0.06 -
Gnaphosa clara - 2.96 - 0.54 ----------
Gnaphosa microps ----------1.06 - 0.84 -
Gnaphosa muscorum - 1.6 0.49 3.1 0.25 0.247 ------0.06 -
Gnaphosa parvula - 0.3 0.1 - - 0.045 0.44 0.45 2.41 0.72 0.49 - 0.06 0.04
Gnaphosa sp. - - 0.03 -----------
Gnaphosidae immat. ------0.18 -------
Haplodrassus bicornis - 0.06 1 0.51 0.68 0.053 --------
110 H. Cárcamo, J. Pinzón, R. Leech, and J. Spence
Family Pr1 Pr2 Pr3 Pr4 Pr5 Pr6 Pr7 Pr8 Pr9 FT10 FT11 FT12 FT13 FT14
Species MMG MG MG MG MMG AP TGG TGA AP BT BT WAU WAU MEF
Haplodrassus chamberlini - 1.54 0.26 -----------
Haplodrassus eunis -----0.000 ----0.04 - - -
Haplodrassus hiemalis -----0.032 0.66 0.54 0.03 0.23 0.49 0.06 0.04
Haplodrassus signifer - 1.72 0.64 0.16 0.93 0.668 - - 0.09 ----0.04
Haplodrassus immat. ------0.23 -------
Micaria aenea ----------0.31, R - 0.06 -
Micaria coloradensis - 0.71 0.65 -----------
Micaria emertoni - 2.54 ------------
Micaria foxi - - - 0.03 ----------
Micaria gertschi - 0.12 0.81 0.59 - 0.004 -------0.04
Micaria laticeps -----0.935 --------
Micaria longipes - 0.06 0.13 - - 0.008 --------
Micaria longispina - 0.06 - 0.47 ----------
Micaria medica - 0.12 ------------
Micaria mormon - 0.77 - 0.66 ----------
Micaria porta -1.3------------
Micaria pulicaria - - 0.65 - - 0.004 0.7 0.09 - 0.27 0.31 - - 0.04
Micaria riggsi - 0.06 2.55 0.61 ----------
Micaria rossica - - 1.16 ----0.05 ------
Micaria sp. ----0.95 ---------
Micaria sp. 1- - 0.13 1.05 ----------
Nodocion mateonus ---- 0.004 --------
Nodocion rufi thoracicus - 0.41 0.1 0.54 ----------
Orodrassus canadensis ----------0.04 - 0.19 -
Sergiolus capulatus -----0.024 -------0.04
Sergiolus decoratus -------------0.04
Sergiolus montanus ----------0.04 - 0.06 -
Sergiolus ocellatus -------0.05 ------
Zelotes exiguoides -----0.061 --------
Zelotes fratris - - 0.06 - 0.23 0.061 1.79 3.3 0.12 1.18 1.46 - 0.26 0.04
Spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) of the Canadian Prairies 111
Zelotes hentzi -----0.530 --------
Zelotes laccus - - - 0.28 ----------
Zelotes lasalanus - 2.13 1.03 13.61 - 1.506 --------
Zelotes puritanus - 1.07 0.55 1.73 - 0.008 ----0.13 - - -
Zelotes immat. -------0.43 - - 0.13 - - -
Zelotes sula - -0.1-----------
HAHNIIDAE
Cryphoeca exlineae -----------0.14 1.42 -
Hahnia cinerea -----0.709 0.87 0.5 - - 0.09 - - -
Neoantistea agilis -----0.016 -------0.86
Neoantistea gosiuta - - 0.06 -----------
Neoantistea magna - - 0.03 - 2.15 - 0.17 0.05 2.62 7.68 - - - 0.04
LINYPHIIDAE
Agyneta allosubtilis -----0.020 0.7 0.27 - - 0.53 - 0.13 -
Agyneta fabra - - 0.06 ----------0.04
Agyneta lophophor - - 0.03 -----------
Agyneta olivacea - - 0.06 -------0.27 - 3.73 -
Agyneta simplex - 0.06 0.58 0.27 ---------0.04
Agyneta sp. A ---------0.04 ----
Agyneta unimaculata ------------0.04 0.04
Allomengea dentisetis ------0.39 0.09 - 2.21 10.27 37.69 1.09 -
Aphileta misera ---------0.04 ----
Bathyphantes canadensis -----0.004, R 0.09 -------
Bathyphantes gracilis --------0.12, O -----
Bathyphantes pallidus ------0.22 0.05 0.28, F 1.94 13.55 3.89 2.19 -
Centromerus sylvaticus ----0.08 0.024 6.87 4.52 - 0.38 0.49 - - 0.04
Ceraticelus atriceps ----------R--0.04
Ceraticelus bulbosus ----------R--0.04
Ceraticelus crassiceps - - 0.23 0.02 - 0.045 --------
Ceraticelus emertoni -------------20.46
Ceraticelus fi ssiceps ------0.04 0.05 - - 0.04, F 0.19 -
Ceraticelus fi ssiceps group sp. 1 --- 0.06 ----------
112 H. Cárcamo, J. Pinzón, R. Leech, and J. Spence
Family Pr1 Pr2 Pr3 Pr4 Pr5 Pr6 Pr7 Pr8 Pr9 FT10 FT11 FT12 FT13 FT14
Species MMG MG MG MG MMG AP TGG TGA AP BT BT WAU WAU MEF
Ceraticelus laetabilis ------------0.06 -
Ceraticelus laetus - - 0.06 - - 0.097 1.62 1.08 -----0.04
Ceraticelus laticeps ------0.04 -------
Ceraticelus minutus -----0.004 --------
Ceraticelus micropalpis -------------1.02
Ceraticelus paschalis -------------0.04
Ceraticelus similis -------------3.53
Ceraticelus sp. 1- - 0.13 0.04 ----------
Ceraticelus sp. 2 - - 0.03 0.17 ----------
Ceratinella brunnea - - 0.03 - 0.05 0.073 - - 0.03 0.04 0.13 0.14 0.06 -
Ceratinella ornatula -------------0.04
Ceratinella sp. 0.012
Ceratinella sp. 1- - - 0.03 ----------
Ceratinops crenatus -----0.045 -------0.34
Ceratinops latus -----0.105 -------0.04
Ceratinops sp. 1- - 0.78 0.27 ----------
Ceratinopsis auriculata -------------0.04
Ceratinopsis interpres -----0.004 --------
Ceratinopsis labradorensis ----------0.09 - - -
Ceratinopsis nigriceps -----0.012 --------
Collinsia plumosa -----0.024, R 0.31 0.09 -----0.34
Coloncus siou - 2.6 - 1.95 - 1.510 --------
Diplocentria bidentata --------0.03 0.11 1.95 0.97 11.91 -
Diplocentria rectangulata ------------1.16 -
Diplocephalus subrostratus ----------0.18 - - -
Diplostyla concolor -------------0.04
Disembolus sp. - - 1.03 -----------
Dismodicus alticeps ----------0.18, C - - -
Entelecara sombra ----------R---
Eridantes erigonoides -------------4.1
Spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) of the Canadian Prairies 113
Eridantes utibilis ------0.09 -------
Erigone aletris 3.95 0.36 - 0.02 - 0.15, F ----R---
Erigone atra -----0.05, F 0.09 0.05 0.04, O 0.57 - - - 0.04
Erigone autumnalis -------------24.1
Erigone blaesa ----1.53 -----
Erigone dentigera -----0.004 ----R
Erigone psychrophila -----0.008 --------
Erigone sp.1.72 - - - 0.08 -----
Erigone sp. 1 --0.03 -------
Erigoninae immature) ------0.43 -----0.06 -
Erigoninae sp. 1 - -0.06 0.04 -------
Erigoninae sp. A --------0.01 -
Erigoninae sp. B --------0.01 -
Erigoninae sp. C--------0.01 -
Estrandia immat. ------0.08 -------
Floricomus nasutus ----------- 0.04
Frontinella communis ----------O 0.04
Gonatium crassipalpum - - 0.06 - - 0.004 - - - 0.08 -
Goneatara nasutus ------2.93 4.2 - - -
Grammonota angusta ----------0.13, F 0.06
Grammonota capitata -----0.583 --------
Grammonota gentilis - 0.77 1.84 - 0.3 - - - 0.01 - -
Grammonota gigas ------1.01 - 0.01 4.11 -
Grammonota nr. inornata ----------- 0.04
Grammonota ornata ----------- 0.04
Grammonota pictilis -------0.5---
Helophora insignis ----------
0.49, C 1.11 0.26
Hilaira herniosa ----------0.04 - 0.39
Hybauchenidium
cymbadentatum
---------0.04 0.13 - 0.26 -
Hybauchenidium gibbosum -----------1.53 0.19 -
Hypselistes fl orens --------0.01 - 0.04, F 0.14 - -
114 H. Cárcamo, J. Pinzón, R. Leech, and J. Spence
Family Pr1 Pr2 Pr3 Pr4 Pr5 Pr6 Pr7 Pr8 Pr9 FT10 FT11 FT12 FT13 FT14
Species MMG MG MG MG MMG AP TGG TGA AP BT BT WAU WAU MEF
Idionella anomala - - 0.03 0.35 ----------
Idionella rugosa -------------0.04
Improphantes complicatus ----------0.22, O - 1.48 -
Incestophantes duplicatus ----------R---
Islandiana fl aveola - 0.59 0.13 2.21 - - 1.01 0.41 -----0.04
Islandiana holmi 0.6-------------
Islandiana longisetosa -----0.077 --------
Islandiana princeps - 1.24 0.03 0.02 - 0.000 ----R---
Kaestneria pullata -----0.004 - - 0.06 - R - - -
Lepthyphantes alpinus -----1.207 ----1.02, R 0.14 3.67 -
Lepthyphantes intricatus ----------0.80.28 0.39 -
Lepthyphantes nr. washingtoni ------------0.06 -
Lepthyphantes sp. (undet.) ------------0.06 -
Lepthyphantes sp. 10 ------------0.52 -
Lepthyphantes sp. 5------------0.13 -
Lepthyphantes turbatrix ----------0.04, O - - -
Linyphiidae sp. 1----------0.04, R - - -
Linyphiidae sp. 2----------0.04, R - - -
Linyphiidae sp. 3----------0.04 - - -
Linyphiinae sp. 1- - 0.03 -------0.04 - - -
Lophomma vaccinii --------------
Maso sp. -------------0.04
Maso sundevallii -----0.040 ----R---
Meioneta C. sp.A --------
0.01 -----
Mermessus tridentatus 0.008
Mermessus trilobatus -----0.077 0.09 0.36 - 0.04 - - - 5.74
Metopobactrus prominulus - - - 0.07 ----------
Micrargus longitarsus ----------0.04 - - -
Microlinyphia mandibulata - 0.06 - - - 0.008, R ----0.27, R - - -
Microlinyphia pusilla - - 0.03 ------0.27 ----
Spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) of the Canadian Prairies 115
Microneta viaria ---------0.15 0.13 0.42 0.32 -
Neriene clathrata ------0.31 0.09 0.04 - 0.22, R - - 0.04
Neriene radiata ---------0.04 0.04, F - - -
Oreonetides sp. A------------0.32 -
Oreonetides vaginatus ----------1.2-0.45 -
Oreophantes recurvatus ----------0.04 - - -
Oryphantes aliquantulus ----------0.04 - - -
Pelecopsis mengei ------2.32 0.18 0.01 -----
Pelecopsis sp. A--------O-----
Pityohyphantes costatus ---------0.04 ----
Pityohyphantes subarcticus ----------0.62, C - 0.13 -
Pocadicnemis americana - - 0.03 0.01 - 0.38, F 0.04 0.09 - 0.04 0.09 - 1.22 -
Pocadicnemis pumila -------------0.04
Poeciloneta sp. A------------0.06 -
Porrhomma terrestre ----------0.09 - - 0.04
Sciastes truncatus ----------0.53 0.42 2.51 -
Scotinotylus alpinus -----0.008 --------
Scotinotylus exsectoides ---------0.04 ----
Scotinotylus pallidus -----0.101 ------0.13 -
Scylaceus pallidus -------------0.04
Scyletria infl ate --------0.01 -----
Sisicottus montanus --------- 0.31 0.14 1.35 -
Sisicottus nesides ------------0.32 -
Sisicus apertus ------------0.13 -
Sisis rotundus ------------0.13 -
Soucron arenarium -----0, R--------
Souessa spinifera -------------0.04
Spirembolus spirotubus 0.91 - 0.1 -----------
Stemonyphantes blauveltae - - 0.13 -----------
Styloctetor stativus --------0.01 - 0.09 - - -
Tapinocyba cameroni ----------0.18 - - -
Tapinocyba minuta ------0.04 -------
Tapinocyba simplex -------------0.04
116 H. Cárcamo, J. Pinzón, R. Leech, and J. Spence
Family Pr1 Pr2 Pr3 Pr4 Pr5 Pr6 Pr7 Pr8 Pr9 FT10 FT11 FT12 FT13 FT14
Species MMG MG MG MG MMG AP TGG TGA AP BT BT WAU WAU MEF
Tapinocyba sp. 1- - 1.49 1.11 ----------
Tapinocyba sp. 2- - 0.39 -----------
Tapinocyba sp. A--------0.01 - - - 0.19 -
Tapinopa bilineata -------------0.04
Tenneseellum formicum - 1.66 0.87 2.57 - 0.020 --------
Walckenaeria arctica ------------0.39 -
Walckenaeria atrotibialis ---------0.110.58 - 0.64 -
Walckenaeria auranticeps ----------0.04 - - -
Walckenaeria castanea -----0.012, R ----0.22 0.28 1.67 -
Walckenaeria communis - - 0.03 - - 0.202 - - - 1.29 0.13 - 0.06 -
Walckenaeria digitata -----0.028 --------
Walckenaeria directa - - 0.1 - - 0.008 0.04 0.09 - - 0.18 0.14 0.64 0.04
Walckenaeria exigua ------0.04 -------
Walckenaeria fusciceps --------0.06 0.04 ----
Walckenaeria indirecta -------------0.04
Walckenaeria karpinskii ------------0.06 -
Walckenaeria lepida ------------0.06 -
Walckenaeria pallida -----0.012 --------
Walckenaeria palustris ------0.04 0.09 ------
Walckenaeria sp. ------------0.13 -
Walckenaeria sp. 1 - - 0.03 0.09 ----------
Walckenaeria sp. 2- - 0.03 -----------
Walckenaeria sp. 3- - 0.03 -----------
Walckenaeria sp. C ------- - --0.52 -
Walckenaeria spiralis -----
0.040 0.31 0.09 O 0.04 ----
Walckenaeria tricornis ------------0.13 -
Walckenaeria vigilax -------------0.83
Wubana atypica -----------0.14 - -
Zornella armata ---------0.04 1.15 - 1.55 -
Spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) of the Canadian Prairies 117
LIOCRANIDAE -
Agroeca ornata -----0.004 10.19 3.25 0.01 0.04 6.33 0.28 5.73 -
Agroeca pratensis ----0.25 0.121 0.48 2.71 0.16 0.61 ----
Agroeca immat. ------ 0.05 -------
LYCOSIDAE
Alopecosa aculeata - 0.12 4.11 0.07 0.8 9.492 3.59 7.64 5.95 0.87 1.59 1.11 1.16 -
Alopecosa kochi - - - 0.04 ----------
Arctosa alpigena ------------0.19 -
Arctosa emertoni - 0.24 - - 20.4 - - - 0.07 0.42 - - - 0.34
Arctosa rubicunda - - - 0.03 - 0.616 0.13 2.12 - - 0.62 - - -
Geolycosa missouriensis -----0.004 --------
Hogna frondicola - 0.41 0.49 - 7.1 1.020 - 1.27 -----0.34
Hogna helluo -------------0.04
Pardosa coloradensis ----2.53 ---------
Pardosa concinna ? - 7.05 0.03 0.05 ---------
Pardosa distincta F 6.33 27.04 5.31 2.88 60.12, F 0.09 17.17 0.04 0.11 - - - 0.34
Pardosa dromaea C 0.06 0.03 - 21.1 ---------
Pardosa fuscula - - 0.03 - 1.08 0.012 0.31 - 53.97, F 5.86 0.04 - - -
Pardosa groenlandica --------4.63, O -----
Pardosa hyperborea ----------0.04 - 0.77 -
Pardosa mackenziana -----0.012 0.17 - - 0.19 5.05, R 23.92 16.81 -
Pardosa milvina -------------0.04
Pardosa modica R 4.26 0.55 0.02 0.75 0.000 0.04 0.36 15.43 ----0.04
Pardosa moesta - 0.06 - - 0.1 0.903 54.02 33.03 4.09, O 41.67 1.02 1.81 1.03 0.34
Pardosa mulaiki F 0.18 0.26 0.06 ----0.12 -----
Pardosa nr. tesquorum ----6.93 ---------
Pardosa ontariensis - 0.83 12.06 0.29 - 0.004 --------
Pardosa pedia - - - 0.04 ----------
Pardosa saxatilis -------------2.26
Pardosa sternalis F-------------
Pardosa spp. (undet. juveniles) - - - 0.03 - - 3.4 -------
Pardosa tesquorum F - - 0.08 ----0.14 -----
Pardosa uintana ----------0.04 - 0.64 -
118 H. Cárcamo, J. Pinzón, R. Leech, and J. Spence
Family Pr1 Pr2 Pr3 Pr4 Pr5 Pr6 Pr7 Pr8 Pr9 FT10 FT11 FT12 FT13 FT14
Species MMG MG MG MG MMG AP TGG TGA AP BT BT WAU WAU MEF
Pardosa xerampelina -------0.05 0.01 1.1 1.06 0.14 0.13 -
Pirata aspirans -------------0.04
Pirata bryantae ------------0.39 -
Pirata canadensis --------------
Pirata insularis ------0.52 0.18 - 0.19 0.09 - - 0.04
Pirata minutus -----0.008 0.09 0.5 -----6.79
Pirata montanus ------0.04 0.05 ------
Pirata piraticus ----4.18 - 0.7 0.27 2.49, A 16.84 - - - 0.04
Schizocosa avida -------------1.15
Schizocosa cespitum - - 2.88 0.5 0.88 - - 0.05 ------
Schizocosa communis -------------0.34
Schizocosa crassipalpata -------0.36 -----0.95
Schizocosa mccooki C 17.87 0.36 7.09 - 2.357 --------
Schizocosa minnesotensis - 0.53 0.19 0.13 0.18 0.008 --------
Schizocosa saltatrix -------------0.04
Schizocosa sp. - - 0.03 -----------
Trebacosa marxi -------------0.04
Trochosa terricola ? - - - 0.08 0.134 2.27 2.62 1.74 3.73 5.36 4.17 8.76 0.04
MIMETIDAE
Ero canionis -----0.004 0.31 0.09 - 0.04 0.31, O - 0.06 -
Mimetus epeiroides - 0.41 - 0.27 - 0.004 --------
PHILODROMIDAE
Ebo bucklei - 0.41 0.81 0.11 0.1 ---------
Titanebo dondalei - 0.06 ------------
Ebo iviei - - - 0.06 - - - 0.05 ------
Ebo pepinensis - 0.06 ------------
Philodromus cespitum 0.61 1.54 -----------0.04
Philodromus exilis -------------0.04
Philodromus histrio - 0.06 0.13 0.06 - 0.016, F - 0.09 ------
Spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) of the Canadian Prairies 119
Philodromus imbecillus - - - 0.01 ----------
Philodromus oneida ----------0.09, F - - -
Philodromus placidus ----------0.04, O - 0.06 -
Philodromus rufus -----------0.14 - 0.04
Philodromus rufus vibrans ----------0.13, F - - -
Thanatus coloradensis - 3.49 0.91 11.22 0.08 0.867 --------
Thanatus formicinus - - 0.06 - 0.1 0.454 - 0.68 0.01 - 0.04 - - 0.34
Thanatus rubicellus - - 0.71 0.15 - 0.769 --------
Thanatus striatus - 0.83 0.39 0.05 0.1 0.016, R 0.04 0.59 0.01 ----0.04
Thanatus sp. (immature) 0.3-------------
Tibellus duttoni -----0.004 --------
Tibellus maritimus 0.3 - - - 0.08 - 0.04 - 0.01 -----
Tibellus oblongus 0.91 0.95 - 0.08 - 0.004, F - 0.09 - - R - - 0.04
PISAURIDAE -
Dolomedes striatus -------0.05 ------
Dolomedes triton - - 0.03 - - - 0.04 - 0.09, C 2.17 ----
Pisaurina mira -------------0.04
SALTICIDAE -
Chalcoscirtus alpicola - - - 0.97 ----------
Dendryphantes sp. - - 0.03 0.05 ----------
Eris militaris -----0.004, F ----0.04, F - - 0.04
Euophrys monadnock -----0.020 -------0.04
Evarcha hoyi - - 0.06 - - 0.089, F - 0.18 -----0.04
Evarcha proszynskii ----------0.04, O - - -
Habronattus altanus - 2.19 1.07 3.03 - 0.31, R --------
Habronattus americanus - 1.89 - 0.07 - 0.024 --------
Habronattus borealis 0.3----0.31, R --------
Habronattus cognatus - 0.12 - - - 0.121 --------
Habronattus cuspidatus - 1.01 0.94 0.13 ----------
Habronattus decorus -----0.008 - 0.05 -----0.9
Habronattus viridipes -------------0.34
Hentzia sp. -------------0.04
120 H. Cárcamo, J. Pinzón, R. Leech, and J. Spence
Family Pr1 Pr2 Pr3 Pr4 Pr5 Pr6 Pr7 Pr8 Pr9 FT10 FT11 FT12 FT13 FT14
Species MMG MG MG MG MMG AP TGG TGA AP BT BT WAU WAU MEF
Icius sp. -------------0.04
Maevia inclemens 0.004
Neon nelli ----------0.04 - - -
Peckhamia picata -------------0.04
Pelegrina fl avipes ----------0.09, O - - -
Pelegrina galathea -------------0.04
Pelegrina insignis - 0.06 ------------
Pelegrina proterva -------------0.04
Pellenes sp. - - 0.16 - 0.2 ---------
Pellenes sp. 1- 0.24 2.26 0.06 ----------
Pellenes sp. 2- - 2.81 1.93 ----------
Pellenes wrighti -----0.004 --------
Phidippus borealis -----0.109 --------
Phidippus clarus -------------0.34
Phidippus johsonii 0.3----1.053 --------
Phidippus princeps -------------0.34
Phidippus purpuratus - 0.12 0.1 0.43 - 0.15, R ----0.04 - - -
Phidippus sp. ----0.08 ---------
Phidippus sp. 1- - 0.16 0.01 ----------
Phidippus whitmani -----0.036 - 0.14 ------
Salticidae sp. --0.1---------0.26 -
Salticus scenicus -------------0.04
Sitticus fl oricola -------------0.04
Synageles occidentalis - - - 0.01 ----------
Talavera minuta - - - 0.21 - - - 0.09 -----2.5
Tutelina similis - 0.12 - - - 0.024, R - 0.05 ------
Tutelina sp. 1- - - 0.02 ----------
TETRAGNATHIDAE
Pachygnatha clercki --------1.17, C 0.04 ----
Pachygnatha dorothea --------0.03, C ----0.04
Spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) of the Canadian Prairies 121
Pachygnatha immat. ----- -0.08 -------
Pachygnatha sp. A ---------0.11----
Pachygnatha tristriata ------0.04 0.14 - 0.08 - - - 0.34
Pachygnatha xanthostoma ------0.22 -------
Tetragnatha cf. dearmata ----------R---
Tetragnatha laboriosa 37.8 0.18 - 0.08 - 0.020, C --------
Tetragnatha sp. ----0.05 ---------
Tetragnatha straminea ----------F---
Tetragnatha versicolor - 0.24 --------0.04, F - - 0.04
THERIDIIDAE
Asagena americana -----0.040 0.13 ------0.81
Asagena medialis 0.3-------------
Canalidion montanum ----------O---
Chrysso pelyx -----0.020 --------
Crustulina sticta -------------0.04
Enoplognatha caricis -------------0.04
Enoplognatha intrepida ----------0.27, F - - -
Enoplognatha joshua - 0.06 0.03 -----------
Enoplognatha marmorata - 0.12 0.06 0.02 2.28 0.032 - 0.05 0.01 ----1.44
Enoplognatha ovata 0.3------------0.04
Euryopis argentea --------0.04, O 0.04 0.09 - - -
Euryopis funebris - - 0.06 ----0.27 ------
Euryopis funebris group sp.1 - - 1.36 -----------
Euryopis gertschi - - - 0.3 - 0.494 --------
Euryopis pepini -----0.563 --------
Euryopis saukea - 0.18 0.13 0.1 ----------
Euryopis sp. (immatures) ------0.23 -------
Euryopis sp. 1- - 1.52 0.75 ----------
Lasaeola prona - - 0.16 -----------
Neospintharus trigonum -------------0.04
Neottiura bimaculata - 0.06 ------------
Parasteatoda tepidariorum ----------R---
Robertus banksi ------1.22 0.09 ------
122 H. Cárcamo, J. Pinzón, R. Leech, and J. Spence
Family Pr1 Pr2 Pr3 Pr4 Pr5 Pr6 Pr7 Pr8 Pr9 FT10 FT11 FT12 FT13 FT14
Species MMG MG MG MG MMG AP TGG TGA AP BT BT WAU WAU MEF
Robertus fuscus ----------0.31 0.28 0.06 -
Robertus riparius --------0.17 -----
Rugathodes aurantius ----------0.53, F - 0.19 -
Rugathodes sexpunctatus ----------0.13 - 0.26 -
Steatoda albomaculata - 0.77 0.13 0.03 1.03 ---------
Steatoda borealis ----------R--0.04
Theridion differens -----0, F----0.04, O - - 0.04
Theridion frondeum ----------O--0.04
Theridion murarium ----------R--0.04
Theridion petraeum - 0.24 0.03 0.13 - 0.077 -------0.04
Theridion pictum ----------F---
Theridion sp. 1- - - 0.01 ----------
Theridiidae sp. 1 ----------O---
Thymoites minnesota --------0.07 -----
THOMISIDAE
Bassaniana utahensis ------------0.19 -
Coriarachne versicolor -------------0.04
Mecaphesa asperata - - 0.03 - - 0, F -------0.04
Mecaphesa celer 0.3-------------
Misumena vatia -----0, F----O--0.04
Misumenoides formosipes 0.3-------------
Misumenops celer - - - 0.04 - 0.012, C --------
Ozyptila americana -------------0.34
Ozyptila conspurcata R - 0.03 0.04 - - 0.09 0.23 -----0.34
Ozyptila gertschi ----0.05 - - - 0.32 -----
Ozyptila sincera canadensis -----0.049, R 0.09 0.05 - 1.06 8.59, O - 1.03 -
Tmarus angulatus -------------0.04
Xysticus acquiescens F 4.79 4.69 3.94 0.23 --------
Xysticus alboniger -------------0.34
Spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) of the Canadian Prairies 123
Xysticus ampullatus -----2.14, R - 0.9 -----0.34
Xysticus auctifi cus - 0.3 0.91 0.7 0.05 0.04, R --------
Xysticus banksi 0.3-------------
Xysticus benefactor - 0.18 - 0.04 ----------
Xysticus britcheri --------0.01 0.15 0.27, R - - -
Xysticus canadensis -----0.008 ----2.74, O 0.56 2.51 -
Xysticus chippewa --------0.01 -----
Xysticus cunctator 0.3, C 0.89 0.36 0.05 1.9 0.073 --------
Xysticus discursans ----1.85 - - 0.09 0.06 ----1.14
Xysticus elegans R ----0.020 0.09 - 0.04 0.04 0.31 - - 0.04
Xysticus ellipticus ---------0.72 - - -
Xysticus emertoni ----0.10.040 0.35 1.04 1.71 0.91 0.93, R - - 0.04
Xysticus ferox R 3.67 1.52 0.11 0.88 0.138 0.04 1.45 0.77 0.19 - - -
Xysticus fervidus R----0, R-------
Xysticus gulosus -----1.15, R -------0.34
Xysticus luctans - 0.18 0.36 - - 1.575 - 0.45 -----0.34
Xysticus luctuosus -----0.004 ----4.65, R 0.56 0.26 -
Xysticus montanensis ? 0.18 0.97 0.31 0.05 0.271 --------
Xysticus nigromaculatus - 0.89 - - - 0.036 --------
Xysticus obscurus ----------4.87, O 0.97 2.64 -
Xysticus pellax ----2.38 0.64, R -------0.34
Xysticus punctatus ----------0.04 - - 0.04
Xysticus sp. - - 0.13 - 0.43 ---------
Xysticus triangulosus 0.008
Xysticus triguttatus - - 0.06 - - 0.085, C -------0.04
Xysticus winnipegensis -----0.004 0.13 0.41 ------
TITANOECIDAE
Titanoeca nigrella - 1.01 0.29 7.09 ----------
Titanoeca nivalis -----0.057 0.09 -------
ULOBORIDAE
Uloborus sp. -------------0.04
124 H. Cárcamo, J. Pinzón, R. Leech, and J. Spence
Overview of Biodiversity Studies
In this section, we summarize the biodiversity studies conducted in the Prairies Ecozone,
together with a few studies from bordering transition ecoregions that may share some of
the spider species (Fig. 5). A meadow site from southern Ontario is included as an example
of a comprehensive biodiversity study that uses a method other than pitfall trapping; it
also demonstrates the difference in species composition of eastern and western spider
assemblages. All of the studies discussed are summarized in Table 4, where the relative
abundances (%) or the ACFOR designations are provided.
There have been several faunistic surveys of spiders in the boreal forests of Alberta,
but few published studies from the Prairies Ecozone portion of the province. One study that
is close (<20 km; Fig. 5) to the Aspen Parkland Ecoregion of the ecozone (Graham et al.
2003) reported on habitat affi nities of a spider assemblage in a Boreal Transition Ecoregion
meadow. Graham et al. (2003) demonstrated high spider species richness along a transect
Fig. 5. Locations (red circles) of all the study sites summarized in Table 4 where spiders have been studied in
the Prairies Ecozone (1–9) and adjacent transition ecoregions (10–13). Map modifi ed from Shorthouse (2010).
Spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) of the Canadian Prairies 125
from a freshwater pond into riparian grassland at George Lake (about 85 km northwest of
Edmonton). In a relatively short period (21 May to 6 September 1998), they collected 60
species in 14 families from only 3,141 specimens collected with pitfall traps. The study
demonstrated clear habitat associations for a number of spider species along the pond-to-
grassy habitat transect. For example, the lycosid Pirata piraticus was positively associated
with high moisture levels, whereas Pardosa moesta and the linyphiid Bathyphantes pallidus
were more abundant in the drier habitats.
Additional spider collections have been made at the George Lake fi eld study site of the
University of Alberta during the frost-free seasons between 2011 and 2013 (JP and JRS,
unpublished data). The study focused on spiders from the ground and low understory forest
layers, which were collected by using pitfall traps (20 m apart in a grid pattern in 1 ha of
mixedwood forest) and by beating understory vegetation onto a canvas sheet, respectively.
The 140 species collected included 104 species (from 2,259 individuals) at the ground and
75 species (from 11,434 individuals) at the foliage layers; 40 species were collected both
at the ground and foliage layers. Twenty-two species were frequent and eight common (on
the ACFOR scale) in pitfall traps, accounting for 27.9% and 62.2% of the total number
of individuals collected, respectively. The eight common species were Bathyphantes
pallidus, Allomengea dentisetis, Ozyptila sincera canadensis, Cybaeopsis euopla, Agroeca
ornata, Trochosa terricola, Pardosa mackenziana, and Xysticus luctuosus. Similarly, from
the understory vegetation, 18 species were frequent, but only three (Helophora insignis,
Dismodicus alticeps, Pityohyphantes subarcticus) were common, accounting, respectively,
for 26.7% and 67.7% of the total sample of individuals.
The George Lake studies mentioned earlier are relevant to the Aspen Parkland Ecoregion,
since George Lake is located only about 20 km west of the northern edge of the Aspen
Parkland (Fig. 5), and the assemblages cluster with other aspen parkland assemblages (Fig.
6). However, Graham (2002) documented the spider assemblages directly inside the Aspen
Parkland Ecoregion in and around natural and restored ponds near Camrose from mid-May
to August 2004 (Fig. 5, Table 4). Much of this ecoregion has been converted to agriculture,
as it is ideal for growing canola and very little pristine aspen habitat remains in any of the
three Prairie Provinces. Graham collected 65 species from 6,902 adults from pitfall traps
adjacent to ponds and 15 species from 812 individuals from fl oating traps on the ponds.
In the pitfall trap sample, Pardosa fuscula was abundant and was clearly the dominant
species, with a frequency of 54%; P. modica and Alopecosa aculeata were common (Table
4). Nine species were frequent, including four other lycosids (P. groenlandica, P. moesta,
Pirata piraticus, Trochosa terricola), along with Gnaphosa parvula, Neoantistea magna,
Pachygnatha clercki, Xysticus emertoni, and X. ferox. Samples from the fl oating traps were
dominated by Pirata piraticus, but Dolomedes triton, Tetragnatha clercki, and T. dorothea
were also common (see ACFOR designations in Table 4). Pardosa fuscula represented
only 4% of the spider catch in the fl oating traps, which was clearly far less common than in
riparian habitats. Two other species were frequently captured by fl oating traps in the pond
microhabitat: Bathyphantes pallidus and Clubiona norvegica.
Studies in the Suffi eld National Wildlife Area (within the Canadian Forces Base) are
among the few to provide information on spiders in the Mixed Grassland Ecoregion in
Alberta. This site comprises one of the few remaining patches of pristine grassland habitat
in Canada. The reserve is 2,690 km2 and is located northwest of Medicine Hat. Finnamore
and Buckle (1999) documented the spider assemblages from the reserve as part of a multi-
agency effort to document its wildlife. They sampled a gradient from black soils with
relatively high moisture and tall vegetation, to aeolian (wind-deposited) drier soil types and
126 H. Cárcamo, J. Pinzón, R. Leech, and J. Spence
shorter vegetation from 17 July to 15 August 1995, using mainly pitfall traps. Ninety-seven
species were identifi ed from 1,700 specimens (Table 4). In addition to high richness, the
assemblage was characterized by high evenness: 40 species were frequent and no species
was considered abundant (>0.5% and >50%, respectively). Only two (Lycosidae) were
common in the collections (5–50%): Schizocosa mccooki (18%) and P. distincta (6%). Five
species were undescribed. High evenness of Carabidae (Coleoptera) from this same study
is also reported in Chapter 1 of Volume 4.
Another grassland ecoregion in Alberta where spiders have been studied is within the
Moist Mixed Grassland Ecoregion, near Lethbridge in the southern part of the province
(HC and RL, unpublished data). The spider fauna was studied in and adjacent to canola
(Brassica napus L.) as part of a larger effort led by L. Dosdall (unpublished data) to
improve knowledge of arthropod biodiversity in this crop and to integrate natural enemies
into sustainable pest management systems. Spiders were collected from over 4,000 sweeps
taken from May to August 2010–2012 at various canola fi elds or plots around Lethbridge.
Only 328 specimens (ca. 23 species) were collected from the canola canopy despite the
large number of sweeps. The three common species were Tetragnatha laboriosa (38%),
Dictyna major (21%), and Neoscona arabesca (5%). A number of species collected from
the crop were not reported in the other prairie studies and some new records are noted:
D. major, Islandiana holmi (Alberta), Araniella sp., Habronattus borealis (Alberta),
Hypsosinga sp., Mecaphesa celer, Misumenoides formosipes (new record outside Ontario),
Phidippus johnsoni, Asagena (Steatoda) medialis (new record for Canada), Thanatus sp.
(immature), and Xysticus banksi. Spiders were also collected from pitfall traps in adjacent
wheat fi elds, a tree shelter, and a grassy alkaline margin to identify potential predators of
diamond back moth in the canola crop (Mauduit 2012). Only some of the more common
spiders from these samples, which included 756 spiders, had been identifi ed to species from
the latter study at the time of writing this chapter. Nevertheless, based on the identifi cations
to date, the most common species in pitfall traps were Pardosa dromaea (20%), Xysticus
cuncactor (13%), and Schizocosa mccooki (12%). These species were also reported from
the drier Mixed Grassland Ecoregion at Suffi eld in Alberta (Finnamore and Buckle 1999)
and Grasslands National Park (Finnamore et al. 2000 and see below in this section) in
Saskatchewan. Other frequent species were Pardosa tesquorum (3%) and P. sternalis (1%);
the latter species was not reported in the other faunistic investigations in the ecozone listed
in Table 4. The crab spider, Xysticus cuncactor, was the only species that was collected
by both methods used in the study; it was frequent in sweep nets and common in traps.
Stjenrberg (2011) also collected far fewer spiders by sweeping than by pitfall trapping in a
mixed prairie reserve in southern Manitoba.
In Saskatchewan, two studies have provided information about spiders in the Mixed
Grassland Ecoregion. Pepper (1999) conducted pitfall trapping from May to August 1995
to assess effects of pasture size on spiders as well as on ground-dwelling beetles (see
Chapter 1, Volume 4) in the Shaunavon area, west of Val Marie. She reported 118 species
in a collection of 3,092 spiders. Thirty-two species were frequent and three were common
(Pardosa distincta, P. ontariensis, P. concinna). Species richness increased with pasture
size, and the characteristics of the spider assemblages were associated with range condition.
In addition, many species were classifi ed as “rare” (using the ACFOR classifi cation),
and only two species were found in all seven pastures. Finnamore et al. (2000) assessed
arthropod diversity patterns at Grasslands National Park, located just north of the USA
border, east of Val Marie. They used similar collecting methods as those reported for their
Suffi eld study (Finnamore and Buckle 1999) and selected the spiders collected in July of
Spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) of the Canadian Prairies 127
1996 for quantitative diversity analysis. They found 109 species in a sample of 25,594
spiders (Table 4). The assemblage included 24 frequent species (>0.5%) and six common
(>5%). The two most common species were Zelotes lasalanus (14%) and Thanatus
coloradensis (11%); the two most common lycosids at Suffi eld (Schizocosa mccooki and
P. distincta) ranked fi fth and sixth in this study. About 20 of the species recorded could not
be determined accurately because of the lack of taxonomic resources or because they were
new to science (Table 4).
Spiders have also been studied in the Moist Mixed Grassland Ecoregion in
Saskatchewan. Doane and Dondale (1979) found 47 species among 1,125 spiders collected
in and adjacent to a wheat fi eld near Clavet in central Saskatchewan from April to October
in 1975 and 1976. Twenty-two species were frequent and four were common. Pardosa
dromaea and Arctosa emertoni ranked fi rst and second overall, at 21 and 20%, respectively,
while Hogna frondicola and Pardosa nr. tesquorum ranked third and fourth at 7%. Another
lycosid, Pirata piraticus, was frequent (4%) and favoured the border of the fi eld, perhaps
refl ecting a similar moisture gradient as that observed by Graham et al. (2003). Peak
seasonal activity for A. emertoni adults occurred from late April to mid-July and about a
week later for P. dromaea. No known spider biodiversity studies have been conducted in
the Aspen Parkland Ecoregion of Saskatchewan or in the Cypress Uplands.
In Manitoba, Stjernberg (2011) studied spider assemblages in 2005 and 2006 in the
Yellow Quill Mixed Grass Prairie Preserve, located in the Aspen Parkland Ecoregion, in
relation to cattle grazing (30 km SE of Brandon; Fig. 5). She reported 143 species from
24,685 spiders in pitfall traps and 41 species from 274 spiders in sweep nets. Ten of the
species were found only by sweeping, including Argiope trifasciata, which was common
at the site. Tetragnatha laboriosa, Dictyna volucripes, and Misumenops celer were the
three most common species collected by sweeping (34, 12, and 11% of the sweep total
net catch, respectively); they were also caught in pitfalls but at low frequencies (<0.05%).
Only Xysticus triguttatus was frequent in sweep net samples and common in pitfalls (Table
4). Pardosa distincta was by far the most abundant species caught in traps (60%), and
it was associated with ungrazed grass paddocks; Alopecosa aculeata (9% of trap catch)
was associated with grazed paddocks (Stjernberg 2011). Schizocosa mccooki, a species
common in the Mixed Grassland Ecoregion, was frequently collected in this prairie reserve
in southwestern Manitoba (Stjernberg 2011; Table 4). Farther northeast, in tallgrass prairie
habitat near Winnipeg, this species was absent (Wade 2002; Roughley et al. 2006; Wade
and Roughley 2010).
Although tallgrass prairie once covered thousands of square kilometres in southeastern
Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and southern Ontario, <1% remains (Noss et al. 1995). A detailed
account of the effect of fi re on tallgrass prairie spiders near Winnipeg can be found in Wade
(2002) and in a summary in Wade and Roughley (2010). In a related study summarized
here, these authors (Roughley et al. 2006) used pitfall trap sampling to study the spider
(and ground beetle) fauna in a tallgrass reserve near Winnipeg along a tallgrass–aspen
ecotone from 1998 to 2000. They identifi ed 92 species from a catch of 4,999 individuals.
Twenty species were frequent, and three lycosids were common in the tallgrass habitat:
P. moesta (33%), P. distincta (17%), and Alopecosa aculeata (8%). In the adjacent aspen
habitat, P. moesta was abundant (54%), but P. distincta was captured only occasionally
(0.09%). Agroeca ornata (10%) and Centromerus sylvaticus (7%) were the other two
common species in the aspen site, with another 18 species considered frequent (0.5 to 5%).
Fifty-two species were shared between the two habitats, but 25 and 15 were restricted to
the tallgrass and aspen sites, respectively.
128 H. Cárcamo, J. Pinzón, R. Leech, and J. Spence
Although relatively few spider studies have been conducted in the Prairies Ecozone,
results from studies from outside this zone can help interpret patterns in the studies that
are available (Fig. 6). Dondale (1970) conducted a study using quick “trap and vacuum”
sampling from 1965 to 1970 in a meadow (Heasman fi eld) near Belleville in southern
Ontario. This is a departure from more standard pitfall or sweep sampling used in many
other studies, and so allows comparison of biodiversity obtained with different sampling
methods. A total of 150 species were collected, and the investigator estimated the total
density of all spiders at 53.3 individuals/m2 from the collections. The relative abundances
can be reconstructed as follows, based on the information presented in one of Dondale’s
(1970) tables: four species were common (Erigone autumnalis: 24%, Ceraticelus
emertoni: 20%, Pirata minutus: 7%, Eperigone trilobata: 6%), 17 frequent (0.5–5%), 21
occasional (average frequency of 0.33%), and 108 rare (average frequency of 0.04%).
Interestingly, none of the species considered common or frequent in Dondale’s (1970)
study was shared with any of the prairie grassland sites considered in our review, and the
Ontario site clustered well away from the Prairies sites (Fig. 6); this shows that eastern and
western spider communities are unique. Of the 41 species that were shared with the Prairies
Ecozone, 12 were considered occasional at the Heasman fi eld, with an estimated frequency
Fig. 6. Species composition patterns for spider assemblages from different habitats from the Prairies Ecozone,
adjacent transition ecoregions, and a meadow in southern Ontario. The dendrogram (average linkage cluster
analysis) depicts dissimilarities among assemblages collected through pitfall trapping (studies 1–13) and a
vacuum quadrat collection (study 14), so that sites that group most closely together have the most similar spider
community. Study references and ecoregion (numbers correspond to sites in Fig. 5 and Table 4): Grazed prairie
SW_SK (3) = Pepper (1999), Mixed Grassland; Mixed grass-prairie grazed reserve_MB (6) = Stjernberg (2011),
Aspen Parkland; Suffi eld_AB (2) = Finnamore and Buckle (1999), Mixed Grassland; GNP_SK (4) = Grasslands
National Park in Saskatchewan (Finnamore et al. 2000), Mixed Grassland; Clavet_SK (5) = Doane and Dondale
(1979); Tallgrass_aspen MB (8) and Tallgrass-grass_MB (7) = Roughley et al. (2006), Lake Manitoba Plain
Ecoregion; George Lake_AB = averages for Graham et al. (2003) (10) and Pinzón and Spence (unpublished data)
(11), Boreal Transition near Prairies Ecozone; Strachan-Pine (13) and Strachan-Aspen (12) = Cárcamo’s (1997)
pine and aspen sites in Western Alberta Uplands; Aspen Parkland riparian AB (9) = Graham (2002) prairie pond
studies, Aspen Parkland; Belleville_ON (14) = Heasman meadow (Dondale 1970), eastern mixedwood forest.
Spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) of the Canadian Prairies 129
of 0.34%, and the rest were rare, with a mean frequency of <0.05%. These differences
relate both to differences in sample methodology and in habitat, since Belleville is located
in the Mixedwood Plains Ecozone in Ontario.
The prairie grassland spider assemblage also showed considerable differences from
assemblages from the aspen and pine forests at the boreal foothills in the transition of the
Montane Cordillera and Prairies ecozones (Western Alberta Uplands) near Strachan (Fig.
6; see Fig. 4 for location) studied by Cárcamo (1997). Only two of the frequent lycosid
species (Pardosa moesta and Alopecosa aculeata) were shared with the assemblages from
the Mixed Grassland Ecoregion about 400 km to the southeast. The foothills assemblage
shared more species of frequent abundance with other transition ecoregions from Alberta
and Manitoba: Trochosa terricola, Bathyphantes pallidus, Agroeca ornata, and Diplocentria
bidentata. The aspen assemblage had low similarity with the pine assemblage, which could
be explained by higher frequencies of Allomengea dentisetis (38% vs. 1%) in aspen than in
pine and the reverse pattern with D. bidentata (1% vs. 11%) (both Linyphiidae) (HC and
D. Buckle, unpublished data).
Patterns of Species Assemblages
Although some ecoregions are understudied, distinct species assemblages are suggested
by the faunistic studies reported from the Prairies Ecozone, particularly for the drier or
mesic grassland regions (Table 4, Fig. 6). A high degree of affi nity was observed for the
Mixed Grassland sites. Twenty-nine frequent species were collected only in this ecoregion.
Schizocosa mccooki and Zelotes lasalanus were the two most commonly reported species
in this region. The only other site where they were reported, though at lower frequencies
(1–2%) was at the Yellow Quill Mixed Grass Prairie Preserve in southwest Manitoba
(Table 4). We found only two studies in the Moist Mixed Grassland Ecoregion. In both,
Pardosa dromaea and P. nr. tesquorum were commonly collected and these species appear
to be unique to this ecoregion. Only three other species qualifi ed as frequent residents
of this ecoregion, including another undetermined or undescribed Micaria sp. (Table 4).
Spider assemblages from these two grassland ecoregions are clearly distinctive from those
of the Boreal Ecozone. Only two of the 75 frequent grassland species (Pardosa fuscula and
Alopecosa aculeata, both widespread) were also frequent in an intensive boreal study site
near Peace River in northwestern Alberta (Pinzón 2011). Twelve other species among these
75 were shared but accounted for less than 0.5% of the boreal spiders in Pinzón’s data.
Assemblages from the transitional more humid ecoregion of Manitoba were less
distinct than those of the transition ecoregions of Alberta (Fig. 6). None of the common
spiders collected in either tallgrass or aspen habitat at the St. Charles Rifl e Range tallgrass
prairie reserve near Winnipeg were unique to that ecoregion (Table 4). However, some
of those considered frequent were not reported from other ecoregions. For example,
Grammonota pictilis was frequent in the tallgrass habitat and absent from the aspen habitat
in that reserve (Roughley et al. 2006). There were three other species that were shared
with the assemblage from the Heasman meadow in southern Ontario (Dondale 1970), and
these might prove to be characteristic of tallgrass habitats, but further study is required.
The Yellow Quill Mixed Grass Prairie Preserve, despite its location within the Aspen
Parkland Ecoregion in Manitoba, had a community that was more similar to that of the site
near Clavet in the Moist Mixed Grassland Ecoregion of Saskatchewan than the only other
Aspen Parkland site in central Alberta (Fig. 6). In addition, some of the frequent species,
such as S. mccooki and Z. lasalanus, were more typical of “true” prairie grassland. This
130 H. Cárcamo, J. Pinzón, R. Leech, and J. Spence
pattern is likely related to the fact that the Alberta study was conducted in riparian habitats,
whereas the Manitoba study took place in more arid, grassland habitats.
The riparian spider assemblage in the Aspen Parkland Ecoregion studied by Graham
(2002) appears to be more similar to those from the other transition forested ecoregions
than to those from grassland sites (Fig. 6). However, Graham’s study focused on riparian
habitats near ponds, and this may explain the higher similarity of the assemblage to those
from the more humid transition ecoregion. Although the pond riparian study shared
more species with the forested sites than with the grassland sites, none of these shared
species were frequent near the prairie ponds. The majority of the species near the prairie
pond aspen sites were shared between the grassland ecoregions and the forest transition
ecoregions within the Boreal Ecozone. The only exception was Pardosa modica, which
was the second most common species near ponds, and seems to favour grasslands. This
species was not reported from any of the other forested sites near the Prairies Ecozone
(Table 4) nor in Pinzón’s (2011) intensive boreal studies in northwestern Alberta, although
the species has been collected in the southern Yukon, and it occurs as far east as Nova
Scotia (Dondale and Redner 1990).
The transition forest habitats had several frequent species in common that were not
(or rarely) collected in the Prairies Ecozone (Table 4, Fig. 6). These species included
Bathyphantes pallidus, Ozyptila sincera canadensis, all Lepthyphantes, Xysticus luctuosus,
X. obscurus, X. ellipticus, X. canadensis, Allomengea dentisetis, Cybaeopsis euopla (and all
the other amaurobiids), Agroeca ornata, Trochosa terricola, and Pardosa mackenziana. The
latter six species are boreal elements that were frequent in Pinzón’s (2011) intensive study
in northwestern Alberta (near Peace River). The foothills (Boreal Ecozone) assemblage
southwest of Rocky Mountain House (Cárcamo 1997) had a typical boreal spider fauna:
all 30 species that represented at least 0.5% of the fauna were shared with the assemblage
reported from the more northern boreal site in Pinzón (2011). No studies from the Montane
Cordillera Ecozone are available for comparison, but some of the less frequent species in the
genera Lepthyphantes and Walckenaeria might be representatives of that ecozone. Although
transition ecoregions appear to lack a distinctive spider assemblage, the community structure
is certainly distinctive, as illustrated by the high abundance of Allomengea dentisetis in
mixedwood aspen habitats. A few spider species are widespread throughout the Prairies
Ecozone. Hogna frondicola was common in collections from at least one grassland site in
all ecoregions, including southern Ontario, but not in any of the sites under tree cover (Table
3). The only other common widespread grassland species was Pardosa distincta; however, it
also occurred in aspen habitats, although not apparently in the foothills region. Enoplognatha
marmorata, Xysticus ferox, Alopecosa aculeata, Pardosa modica, and Thanatus striatus
also occurred in all grassland sites, but at frequencies of less than 5%.
Research Needs
The highest priority to advance knowledge of spiders in the Prairies Ecozone (and
Canada), remains the same as that highlighted by Bennett (1999) more than a decade ago.
There remains a severe shortage of professional opportunities for systematic araneologists
in Canada. Although there are trained systematists and no shortage of urgent taxonomic
work required, there have been no recent opportunities in academia or public institutions
to support their work and replace retired systematists. Without basic alpha taxonomy and
revisionary work, advancing the understanding of biodiversity and conservation issues will
remain a serious challenge.
Spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) of the Canadian Prairies 131
The spider taxa that urgently require revision and development of keys to support
identifi cation are easy to discern from the number of undetermined species listed in Table
4. Most obvious among these is the Linyphiidae—by far the most speciose and least
understood family of spiders in Canada. Currently, identifying species in this family,
particularly in the Erigoninae, requires searching through species descriptions scattered in
various publications that span more than 150 years (Draney and Buckle 2005). For Alberta
linyphiids, Pinzón (2011) has compiled relevant images to identify the known species from
the province. However, no effective regional keys that include both sexes are available for
most genera. At least 15% of the linyphiids reported from biodiversity studies in the region
(Table 4) could not be determined to species, despite efforts by Don Buckle, one of the few
world experts of this family, who examined the specimens. In fact, assigning linyphiids
even to genus is a major challenge for non-taxonomists or even for taxonomists without
specifi c expertise for this family. Clearly the Linyphiidae should be the top priority for
future Canadian araneologists.
Surprisingly, the so-called charismatic megafauna of the spiders, the Salticidae,
are also poorly known. Of the 38 taxa reported from the biodiversity investigations in
the Prairies Ecozone (Table 4), 10 were not determined to species. Ongoing efforts are
targeting this group and it is hoped that this group of spiders will be identifi able in the
near future (Buddle and Shorthouse 2000). Two other families urgently require attention.
The Theridiidae, which also ranks among the top six families in terms of species richness,
also includes a large proportion of undescribed species. The last major family without
species keys is the Dictynidae—the third largest in the Prairies, but not a dominant group
in terms of species richness in the grassland ecoregions. Only 16 species were reported
from biodiversity studies in the ecozone, but some of the species (e.g., Dictyna major)
were common at some sites, and at least one Dictyna species could not be determined in
the sample of biodiversity of studies reported in Table 4.
The spider fauna in the Prairies Ecozone has been studied at only a few sites and
has been mostly based on pitfall trap samples. A key objective in the future should be
to supplement pitfalls with alternative methods that sample the web building or small
spiders better than pitfalls. George Lake (Alberta) studies, for example, demonstrated
large differences in species composition between the ground and understory layers of the
forest (JP and JS, unpublished data), and similar results have been observed for canola
near Lethbridge (HC and RL, unpublished data) and forested habitats in the boreal forest
where ground, understory, and overstory layers have been compared (Pinzón et al. 2011).
Key habitat types are also missing. Spider assemblages from the Cypress Hills Uplands
of Alberta and Saskatchewan, the Fescue Grasslands Ecoregion in southern Alberta, most
ecoregions in Manitoba, and the extensive Boreal Plains Lowlands of the Alberta Peace
River Region have received no attention. This latter region would make for an interesting
biogeographical study given the disjunct nature of the grasslands in that region (as shown
with Lepidoptera by Schmidt et al. in Chapter 6, Volume 4). The Moist Mixed Grasslands
are also poorly known, with only one study reported from Saskatchewan and one from
a cultivated site in Alberta. The spider fauna of Aspen Parkland within the ecozone has
also been poorly studied. However, the Boreal Transition Ecoregion, as studied at the
University of Alberta Field Site at George Lake near the Aspen Parkland Ecoregion, is
well-known. It would be of interest to see whether mesic habitats within the aspen forests
of the Prairies Ecozone have more species in common with adjacent grasslands than with
boreal mixedwood forests. Clearly, as with most invertebrates, there is no shortage of
geographical gaps to fi ll.
132 H. Cárcamo, J. Pinzón, R. Leech, and J. Spence
Much basic ecological work remains to be done with spiders from grassland habitats,
other than perhaps the fi shing spiders (e.g., Zimmerman and Spence 1989, 1992, 1998;
Spence et al. 1996), and little is known about spider assemblages, habitat associations,
interactions, and the functional role of spiders in grassland habitats. In contrast, forested
boreal habitats have been well studied (e.g., Buddle et al. 2000, 2006; Work et al. 2004;
Buddle and Shorthouse 2008; Pinzón and Spence 2008, 2010; Pinzón et al. 2011, 2012,
2013a, 2013b; Bergeron et al. 2013). For example, from the eight faunistic studies described
in this review from the Prairies Ecozone, just under 300 species have been reported
(Table 4). This compares to close to 300 species that have been reported from just one
locality in the forest foothills (Boreal Plains Ecozone) in northern Alberta (Pinzón 2011;
D. Shorthouse, unpublished data). This situation clearly shows the need for conducting
additional biodiversity research in the Prairies Ecozone that focuses on habitats that are
presently understudied in order to better understand patterns in species composition and
richness across this region.
Over the past several decades, there has been a strongly developing interest in sustainable
agriculture and alternative pest management methods that rely less on pesticides and more
on natural biological alternatives. Yet, other than a few groups of predators, such as carabid
beetles (Holliday et al.; Chapter 1, Volume 4) and some specialized parasitoid taxa (e.g.,
Ichneumonidae and Braconidae; Chapters 9 and 10, respectively, Volume 4), not much is
known about many of the generalist predators such as spiders, although ecological studies
suggest that they play signifi cant roles in bolstering natural resistance to pest damage (e.g.,
Snyder and Wise 1999). This knowledge gap stems from the lack of both human resources
and taxonomic tools. Knowledge about the diversity of spiders and their life histories is
essential to integrate them into pest control strategies for cropping systems, and doing this
will likely advance progress toward a more sustainable agriculture.
Conclusions
The most distinctive spider assemblage within the Prairies Ecozone occurs in the shortgrass
prairies (Mixed Grassland Ecoregion). At least 35 species were unique to this ecoregion
of Canada. These species are likely at the northern range of their larger geographical
distribution in the Great Plains of North America. Schizocosa mccooki and Zelotes
lasalanus are common representative species in these habitats. Seventy-fi ve species have
been collected frequently (>0.5% of the catches) in biodiversity studies from this grassland
ecoregion, and only two of these species are also frequent in the adjacent Boreal Plains
Ecozone. Other more humid ecoregions appear to harbour less distinctive assemblages, but
most have been too poorly studied to draw fi rm conclusions.
Spiders are fascinating, unique organisms among the arthropods—few people are
indifferent to them. It is this fascination that drives people (professionals, expert amateurs,
or “dabblers”) to study them and contribute to making the group well-known in many places.
Through the work of a small cadre of professional araneologists in Canada, considerable
progress has been made to our knowledge of spiders in the Prairies, so that much of the
prairie and Canadian spider fauna is known. Of the ca. 1,500 species expected to occur in
Canada, we already know the identity of over 1,400 or almost 95% of them! This makes
spiders one of the best known arthropod orders, comparable to the Lepidoptera, and far
better known than some groups such as soil arthropods (e.g., Myriapoda or Collembola;
see Chapters 2 and 6, respectively, this volume). But knowing the identity of the species in
a group is only the fi rst step along the road of biological knowledge, and that is as far as we
Spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) of the Canadian Prairies 133
have come with spiders. Although most spider species are known, studying their diversity
remains a major challenge due to the taxonomic challenges discussed earlier. Even basic
biodiversity surveys that include comprehensive sampling (more than just pitfall trapping)
and encompass diverse habitats (aquatic, riparian, sand dunes, grassy, forest, etc.) are
lacking within any ecoregion. Until we have keys for the most diverse taxa, especially
Linyphiidae, Salticidae, and Theridiidae, that dominate samples from most grassland
habitats, progress in conservation biology and other applied fi elds of spider ecology will be
limited in the Prairies Ecozone. Given the importance of spiders in ecological systems as
general predators, and their fascinating biology, further investment in the study of spiders
is warranted.
Acknowledgements
Like most arachnologists in the Prairies, we are indebted to Donald J. Buckle for his
generous, enthusiastic, indispensable assistance in determining species of the family
Linyphiidae (and many others). The senior author also thanks Robb Bennett for help
in determining Agelenidae and Cybaeidae. We gratefully acknowledge the taxonomic
contributions of C. Dondale, P. Paquin, N. Dupérré, and D. Buckle because their Canadian
checklist formed the basis for the preparation of the prairie checklist presented here.
Comments by D. Shorthouse, an anonymous reviewer, and especially one of the editors
(Donna Giberson), signifi cantly improved a draft of this chapter. Finally, a huge thanks
to C. Dondale and J. Redner for their numerous spider keys—without them, biodiversity
studies in Canada would be impossible.
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