| Agelenopsis pennsylvanica | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Agelenidae |
| Genus: | Agelenopsis |
| Species: | A. pennsylvanica
|
| Binomial name | |
| Agelenopsis pennsylvanica (C. L. Koch, 1843)
| |
Agelenopsis pennsylvanica, commonly known as the Pennsylvania funnel-web spider or the Pennsylvania grass spider, is a species of spider in the family Agelenidae. The common name comes from the place that it was described, Pennsylvania, and the funnel shape of its web.[1][2] Its closest relative is Agelenopsis potteri.[1]
Agelenopsis pennsylvanica lives primarily as a solitary spider across the United States, having been found in at least 21 different states. It is an ambush predator, sitting and waiting for prey in its funnel-shaped web. In this species, the female commonly cannibalizes the male during mating. This small species has been used to study pre-copulatory cannibalism, boldness, aggressive foraging behavior, and the influence of microbes in the reproductive cycle and mating behavior.
- ^ a b Whitman-Zai, J.; Francis, M.; Geick, M.; Cushing, P.E. (2015-04-01). "Revision and morphological phylogenetic analysis of the funnel web spider genus Agelenopsis (Araneae: Agalenidae)". The Journal of Arachnology. 49 (1): 1–25. doi:10.1636/K14-35.1. ISSN 0161-8202. S2CID 86141703.
- ^ Sweeney, K.; Gadd, R.D.H.; Hess, Z.L.; McDermott, D.R.; MacDonald, L.; Cotter, P.; Armagost, F.; Chen, J.Z.; Berning, A.W.; DiRienzo, N.; Pruitt, J.N. (2013-04-08). "Assessing the effects of rearing environment, natural selection, and developmental stage on the emergence of a behavioral syndrome". Ethology. 119 (5): 436–447. doi:10.1111/eth.12081. ISSN 1439-0310.