Leucauge argyra

Leucauge argyra
	Leucauge argyra in Jamaica
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Chelicerata
Class:	Arachnida
Order:	Araneae
Infraorder:	Araneomorphae
Family:	Tetragnathidae
Genus:	Leucauge
Species:	L. argyra
Binomial name
	Leucauge argyra; (Walckenaer, 1842)
Synonyms
	Tetragnatha argyra Walckenaer, 1842; Linyphia aurulenta C.L. Koch, 1845; Linyphia ornata Taczanowski, 1874; Meta argyra; Argyroepeira argyra; Argyroepeira aurulenta; Plesiometa argyra; Leucauge aurulenta;

Leucauge argyra is a

Costa Rican or Puerto Rican parasitoid wasp.^[2]

Description

Leucauge argyra has three lines on the abdomen that run parallel only about halfway across the abdomen, where the outer two bend inward before continuing parallel again through the rest of the abdomen. These markings can be somewhat variable, and different from L. venusta, where the abdomen has inverted V-markings.^[3]

Females have an

ventral

projection that is unique in the genus.

The web of juveniles has an upper tangle with threads connecting it to the hub and occasionally another tangle below the orb web, but these tangles are absent in webs of adults. The upper tangle consists of a few threads that cover only a narrow section across the middle of the orb.^[4]

A similar species to L. argyra is Leucauge mariana.

Gallery

L. argyra in web
Female of L. argyra showing the projection of the epigyne (click to enlarge)

References

^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-02-04. Retrieved 2015-10-09.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
^ Eberhard, W. (2001) Under the influence: Webs and building behavior of Plesiometa argyra (Araneae, Tetragnathidae) when parasitized by Hymenoepimecis argyraphaga (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae). The Journal of Arachnology 29:354–366.
^ Walckenaer, C.A. (1842) Histoire naturelle des Insects. Aptères. Paris, 2:1-549.
^ Barrantes, G., Cuyckens E. (2011) Function of the upper tangle in webs of young Leucauge argyra (Araneae: Tetragnathidae). American Arachnological Society.

Platnick, Norman I. (2009): The world spider catalog, version 9.5. American Museum of Natural History.

External links

This

Tetragnathidae-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

[1] "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-02-04. Retrieved 2015-10-09.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

[Eberhard_2001-2] Eberhard, W. (2001) Under the influence: Webs and building behavior of Plesiometa argyra (Araneae, Tetragnathidae) when parasitized by Hymenoepimecis argyraphaga (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae). The Journal of Arachnology 29:354–366.

[Walckenaer1842-3] Walckenaer, C.A. (1842) Histoire naturelle des Insects. Aptères. Paris, 2:1-549.

[4] Barrantes, G., Cuyckens E. (2011) Function of the upper tangle in webs of young Leucauge argyra (Araneae: Tetragnathidae). American Arachnological Society.

[2]

[3]

[4]