Alopecosa (Tarentula) kochi Keyserling, 1877

Pape, Robert B., 2024, Biology and ecology of a deep cave nesting spider wasp, Ageniella evansi Townes, (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae), in Arizona, Journal of Natural History 58 (29 - 32), pp. 963-1054 : 998-999

Alopecosa (Tarentula) kochi Keyserling, 1877 – historical record ( Evans 1959)

There are only two historical records for lycosid spiders taken by A. evansi : a single specimen of Lycosa sp. at 2743 m AMSL from Cloudcroft, New Mexico mentioned in the original description of the wasp ( Townes 1957), and a penultimate-instar male Alopecosa (Tarentula) kochi from the Graham (now Pinaleño) Mountains, Arizona ( Evans 1959). Both of these spiders had all of their legs removed. Lycosids are a lesser element in the host base of A. evansi in the Park, comprising approximately 7% of the total spiders taken. All of the lycosid host spiders ( Figure 20C ) taken from wasps at Arkenstone Cave are juveniles and cannot confidently be identified beyond the family level.

Alopecosa has a global distribution, with seven species known in North America ( Dondale and Redner 1979; World Spider Catalogue [WSC] 2022). Ageniella kochi is mostly a western ( USA) species and is the southernmost distributed species in the genus in North America, reaching into northern Mexico ( Dondale and Redner 1979). A study of the species in San Bernardino National Forest south of Banning, California, at an elevation of 1645 m found the species had a 2-year life cycle and two concurrent populations that matured in alternate years ( Hagstrum 1970). Because of the lower elevation and longer clement (warmer) season in the Park, A. kochi may have only a single annual population here. A single adult male A. kochi was sampled in Arkentsone Cave on 9 March 1993, so the species is present on the cave hill and is likely taken by A. evansi . Ageniella kochi is also recorded as a host for Ageniella euphorbiae Viereck, 1903 in California, and possibly for Tachypompilus u. unicolour, Banks, 1919 in Nevada ( Kurczewski et al. 2020).

Figures

Figure 20. The four families of spider hosts taken by Ageniella evansi Townes, 1957 in Colossal Cave Mountain Park, Arizona. A, Selenopidae Selenops sp. Latreille, 1819. B, Gnaphosidae (Herpyllus schwarzi Banks, 1901). C, Lycosidae. D, Agelenidae (Melpomene sp. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1898).