Agelenopsis aperta
| Desert grass spider | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Family: | Agelenidae |
| Genus: | Agelenopsis |
| Species: | A. aperta |
| Binomial name | |
| Agelenopsis aperta Gertsch, 1934 | |
The desert grass spider (Agelenopsis aperta) is a species of spider belonging to the family Agelenidae. It is found in dry regions across the southern United States and into Mexico.
This long-legged spider is rather similar to its congeners but the overall colour is grey rather than the more usual brown. The body length (excluding legs) is up to 19 mm, the female averaging slightly larger (otherwise the sexes are similar). The pale grey carapace is marked with two prominent dark stripes. The abdomen is darker grey with two narrow pale stripes.
The web is a non-sticky sheet on the ground: any insect landing on this causes A. aperta to rush out from a tubular retreat to try to seize the prey. Eggs are laid in the autumn, after which the females die.
References
Preston-Mafham, Ken (1998). Spiders: Compact Study Guide and Identifier. Angus Books. ISBN 978-1-904594-93-2.