A brief personal history with the morphological and

behavioral description of the Tigrosa grandis

(Lycosidae)

Chao L. Wu
Student of Biological Sciences
Boston University
July, 2014 (Edited September, 2014)

For My Parents

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would first like to thank my parents for the ever continued support of my biological research. Next, a
special appreciation goes out to Laura, Lynette, Mandy, Bill and many other members of BugGuide for
teaching me new perspectives about the arthropod world. Likewise, for the three who have
corresponded with me throughout my process, M. Steinert, J. Corbett and J. Walters, I give you my
highest gratitude. Also, I appreciate Boston University's biology department for allowing me to use
their adjustable dissecting scope, thus aiding me in taking my first photos of the Tigrosa grandis
epigynum and M. Steinert for allowing me to use the Auburn Washburn microscopes in helping me
take my first photos of the Tigrosa grandis pedipalps. Finally, I give my highest regards to all my
teachers, instructors and professors, both past and present, in shaping me to become who I am or what I
could become.

Abstract
Biological and morphological differences occur within the genus, Tigrosa; however, much of
these have yet to be studied. In this paper, some aspects of one species, T. grandis, will be analyzed,
both through a combination of field and lab research. First, a brief introduction and personal history on
the research of Tigrosa grandis followed by a description of the morphological characteristics of
females and males of said species. Next are proposed statements on behavioral and reproductive
aspects on the species, followed in part by the specific supporting images. Included, too, is an abrupt
mention of the burrowing tendencies of this species. Through past sources and personal observation, I
also minutely express the Tigrosa grandis' lifespan, unique characteristics and predation. In the end, the
main objective is to better understand this particular species' biological and, to an extent, ecological,
attributes.
Keywords: Lycosidae, Tigrosa, grandis, behavior, morphology, observation, Hogna, nomenclature

Introduction
Four species within the genus, Hogna and one species within the genus, Allocosa, were
retracted from their nomenclature to be placed in the new genus, Tigrosa (Brady 2012). One particular
transferee was the Tigrosa grandis. Aside from Brady's description of the morphological
characteristics, along with Slowik and Cushing's 2009 paper on a prior transfer from the genus,
Geoylcosa, relatively little is known of Tigrosa grandis. At that period in time, few confirmed images
of the Tigrosa grandis existed. This was mostly due to a lack of detailed shots (dorsal, ventral, lateral
and macro images of the reproductive organs). Throughout my years of high school, I dedicated a
decent portion of my time independently researching and observing the behaviors of various Lycosids,
including the Tigrosa grandis. However, it ultimately took four years before finally having
confirmation that a portion of those individuals were actually Tigrosa grandis.
The Personal History
In 2010, a large, black female Lycosid was captured in the halls of a Topekan middle school by
J. Walters. I had the opportunity to raise that particular individual and observe its behavior. At the time,
Brady has yet to publish his paper on the transfer of Lycosids into Tigrosa. Likewise, the genus
Tigrosa was nonexistent. Lacking resources and true intentional interest in the arachnids, I based my
identification on what little information was available. Due to the fact that the individual expressed
slight rustic banding on the legs, along with a faded medial stripe across the dorsal of the
cephalothorax, I concluded that it was Hogna aspersa (Tigrosa aspersa prior to transfer) based on
Pennsylvania State University's entomology extension page. The individual lived for approximately
one year under my care, passing away the following summer. After the death of this initial specimen, I
received yet another female lycosid from J. Walters in the fall of 2011. Since the two specimens
expressed similarity, the latter individual was also labeled as Hogna aspersa. In that same fall, I
obtained a male Lycosid which eventually mated successfully with the 2011 female. Again, the male
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was tentatively labeled as Hogna aspersa. Here are the images of the female (left) and the male (right).
Notice the unique dimorphism between the sexes.

The male passed away in February of 2012 while the female lived on, successfully producing
two eggsacs that spring and summer. While she consumed the first, the female successfully bore young
in the second. This particular female started all the following research within her species. I never
posted her photo onto BugGuide. Instead, I posted the male. At the time, the male was put into the
holding bin within the genus, Hogna. Unfortunately, I was unable to obtain a ventral image to support
my claims for the male. Likewise, I did not preserve the male's body, much to my ignorance. Learning
from this, I preserved the female's body upon her death in 70% isopropyl alcohol. It wasn't until June of
2013 that I published the photos of the female onto BugGuide. At the time, I had just recently collected
the first data point for Tigrosa georgicola in Kansas. Due to elevated interest, I pulled the female out of
storage and posted dorsal and ventral shots of her. These can still be viewed on the website. The images
were moved into Tigrosa aspersa and that was the way it was for a few months. It was not until the fall
of 2013 that I managed to find another pair of these now called Tigrosa wolf spiders for observation. I
also tentatively labeled them as Tigrosa aspersa; however, some interest appeared within one of my
past images on the guide of an unidentified male (which turned out to be T. grandis). This lead to the
official research that eventually initiated the development of the Tigrosa grandis web page. Before that
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occurred, hours upon hours of were spent in the field and the lab, gleaning over every single possible
source of information on the Tigrosa grandis. With a combination of luck, persistence, knowledge and
a few specimens, we successfully built the guide page for this unique species. And slowly, but surely,
new sightings are coming in from all across the United States. That's were it all began.
Morphological Characteristics
The Lycosids of North America often require a combination of lateral, dorsal and ventral images
for proper identification. Likewise, a number have yet to be properly described for species labeling. In
theory, a portion of Lycosid species may still be undescribed. Tigrosa grandis shares morphological
characteristics with various species of Lycosid, especially with other Tigrosa spiders; however, there
are differences. The main characteristics for the species are as follows. Note: The information is a
combination of my personal research, Brady's, Slowik's and Cushing's description, as well as
knowledge from BugGuide sources.
Females: Females are generally dark brown in color, becoming darker upon maturity. Immature
females often have a striking yellow coloration on the venter and anterior region of their legs. In
correlation, the pattern on her carapace may also be more pronounced. In particular specimens, the
females exhibit a bright gray to green tint on her cephalothorax and abdomen. As they reach their
penultimate molt, the chevron shaped pattern on their abdomens becomes more pronounced.
Immature females:

Upon maturity, the female's dorsal coloration darkens to a dark gray to black color. In some specimens,
the carapace patterning becomes less prominent. In others, the patterning stays moderately prominent.
According to Brady's 2012 paper, the dorsal medial stripe extends from the AME row to the posterior
declivity of the cephalothorax (185) in most Tigrosa spiders. From my experience, the medial stripe
declines in color saturation and vibrancy as it leaves the frontal section of the spider's carapace. The
venter of the females are extremely variable. However, it generally is a light orange cream color with a
mass of darker brown spots. Occasionally, the spots form into a converging pattern that declines into
the spinnerets. This species tends to express yellow patches above the chelicerae.

The characteristic yellow cheek patches above the chelicerae:

Image of a potential penultimate female. Image courtesy of V. Vallatharasan and L. Weingartner.

Tentative ventral image of a female's epigynum. Image available thanks to support from the Boston
University Biology Department:

Males: Males often retain a light tan to dark yellow coloration throughout their lives. At a relatively
young age, males often already express some of the chevron shapes on their abdomen (though,
variation in color intensity and prominence of this feature occurs). In combination with this, immature
male T. grandis are often seen (under my experience), with a bright yellow dorsal stripe that extends
directly from the first pair of eyes to the anterior section of the carapace, similar to that of T.
georgicola. However, unlike in T. georgicola, this dorsal stripe does fade, like that of the females, as it
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approaches the central region of the carapace. The following pictures show immature males:

Upon maturity, males tend to gain coloration to become more tan or yellow. The dorsal medial stripe is
still present but often fades and/or disappears partially due to natural phenomena (water, dirt, etc).
Banding on the legs often fades in the populations I've worked with; however, in some specimens, the
bands are still present.

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The following images show adult males. The image (lower right) is due in courtesy of J. Walters.

Ventrals of males are fairly variable. Generally, they appear to express a yellow or cream color with
brown spotting. Unlike those of females, male ventrals appear to not have as specific of a patterning,
often only a conglomeration of brown to black spots. Some specimens within the study did not appear
to express any spotting or only minor spotting, despite maturity within the male (more research will be
needed in this particular area).

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Images of the male ventrals:

Images of the pedipalps of the male T. grandis. Photos are ventral views of the left pedipalps.
Photographs are available thanks to Boston University's Biology Department and M. Steinert.

These photographs of sexual reproductive organs are only tentatively based on the physical
characteristics of the specimens on which they are located.

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Distribution and Behavior of the Tigrosa grandis

According to Brady, Slowik and Cushing, the Tigrosa grandis primarily resides within Western
North America. Generally, specimens are collected West of the 100th meridian; however, some
individuals have been collected in Missouri.1 BugGuide notes that this species ranges from Eastern
Kansas southwestward to Nevada and northwestward to Montana.
T. grandis are also sympatric with Hogna carolinensis (Carolina wolf spider) across much of its
range. They prefer dry grasslands with loam, to sandy-loam, soils. Presumably, the quality of the loam
soil allows them the ability to construct burrows. It may also explain why few individuals are found
within areas heavy with clay soil (personal inference). As mentioned, Tigrosa grandis are burrowers.
However, unlike Hogna carolinensis, which are often found in burrows, T. grandis are generally less
obligate. Because of this semi-obligate tendency to burrow, T. grandis are often located wandering in
search of prey. Individuals are known in the Northeastern Kansas area to venture into buildings at the
onset of fall (this is true for both males and females). For a period of time, the Tigrosa grandis was
labeled within the genus, Geolycosa. However, due to the fact that the Geolycosa often spend the
complete duration of their lives within a burrow (even more so than H. carolinensis), the systematic
nomenclature was ruled defunct in 2009.2 Burrow construction takes from one night to a few days,
depending on the size and vigor of the specimen, along with the quality of the soil. While many species
of Geolycosa (Floridian species specifically), and to a lesser extent, Hogna carolinensis, build their
burrows in sand or extremely sandy soil. Tigrosa grandis tends to avoid sandy, soft soils. A May, 2014
survey of specimens near Auburn Washburn's environmental area in Topeka, KS yielded twenty
specimens of Hogna carolinensis. Six of those specimens built burrows close to sandy, trodden areas.
1. Kaut, L. (2014, September 4). Wolf or Nursery Web? - Tigrosa grandis - BugGuide.Net. Retrieved September 5, 2014, from
http://bugguide.net/node/view/991040
2. Slowik, J., & Cushing, P. (2009). Redescription and transfer of Geolycosa grandis (Araneae, Lycosidae) to the genus Hogna. Journal of
Arachnology, 261-265.

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In the same survey, of the eight T. grandis witnessed, none of them built their burrows near sand-mixed
soils. A large number of various sizes, sexes and ages; however, dug burrows near the upper slopes of a
1.22 meter deep, grass filled, drainage ditch. However, while the burrows were near a potential source
of water, the area in which the spiders constructed the burrows was above the water line. Likewise, the
drainage valley stayed dry during the majority of the year in the specific location, barring the early
weeks of spring.
Immature female T. grandis inside her burrow at the elevated area of the drainage ditch. Photo taken
13 May 2014 during the spider survey.

According to Slowik and Cushing, Burrow depth is variable from 510 cm, with adults
preferring shallower burrows. The Burrow shape is straight with a small cavity at the base in deeper
burrows, and more lateral in shallower burrows. Burrow turrets were not observed. From various
surveys done across Northeastern Kansas, the latter fact holds true. While no research was done to
specifically measure the depth of every burrow, one stark fact is the lack of turrets on the burrow
entrances. Hogna carolinensis and Geolycosa sp. often construct a turret of grass and soil around the
entrance. Tigrosa grandis was not observed to partake in this behavior. However, they are sometimes

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seen to slightly flatten and web over individual grass stalks close to the mouth of their burrow entrance.
Here is a comparison of two burrows.
Burrows: The one on the left was built by Hogna carolinensis. The one on the right was built by a
Tigrosa grandis.

As noticed, the H. carolinensis burrow consists of a specifically made turret. Meanwhile, the T.
grandis only has flattened pieces of webbed-over vegetation.
There was one odd instance where a Tigrosa grandis had built a tent over its burrow using a
piece of leaf. The leaf was secured onto the ground and nearby vegetation using a few strands of silk. It
is not known whether this was intentional or accidental. However, the specimen which built this
particular burrow inhabited an area approximately 15 meters away from a large lake. Because there is
often water run off into the lake, the tent may aid in decreasing the amount of flooding inside the
burrow. However, this is just an inference. To an extent, perhaps more importantly so, the secured leaf
retards rain water, allowing the burrow to stay drier in humid or moist weather.

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Image of the T. grandis burrow with a tent:

Breeding and Reproduction:

Males are extremely active within the presence of a female. This activity is further heightened
in captivity, especially if the female has laid out large amounts of silk within her enclosure. Upon
contact with the silk, the male begins to drum his pedipalps and vibrate his abdomen. Upon
approaching the female, who usually is either under cover, in a burrow, or in the corner, the male
begins to pull up his first pair of limbs. In combination to this, the male often will lightly vibrate his
first pair of limbs and slowly attempt to court the female by tapping her limbs. Receptive females
will generally respond with taps while non-receptive females will often rear up and show her fangs to
the male. Likewise, non-receptive females may also run away from the courting male. Unlike Hogna
carolinensis, where the male was observed to vehemently vibrate his first pair of limbs in midair, the T.
grandis male tends to be more subtle, often gently stroking and prodding the female prior to mounting
(the prodding can be described almost as a typing motion). Males that have lost one of their
forelimbs may utilize a second limb to aid in the prodding. If female continues to be receptive, the male
will clamber onto her back and reach over her abdomen to make insertions. At this stage, the mating is
fairly similar to that of most Lycosids. Breeding often can last up to three or more hours if not
disturbed. Throughout the pairing, the male will alternate his left and right pedipalps during the
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insertion process, flipping the female's abdomen as he does. After he is finished, the male will often demount from the female and walk off quickly, presumably while the female is still dazed, to lower the
chance of potential cannibalism. Females generally only need one mating to fertilize two or three of her
eggsacs. After a female has mated, she has a much higher chance of rejecting future males (this appears
to be the case in many Lycosids, not just the T. grandis).
Females from the Northeastern Kansas area generally lay their first eggsac in Early to mid-May.
In warmer years, females have also been observed to lay in early April. In the specifically warm winter
of 2011 and 2012, one of the females under observation laid an eggsac around the 12th of April.
However, for one reason or another, she consumed her eggsac. A healthy female will often lay one or
two more eggsacs, generally in June and again in late July or early August. Specimens occasionally
have been found carrying eggsacs as late as the latter half of September (data all based on NE Kansas
specimens, behaviors elsewhere may be different). The eggs, if fertile, will often hatch one month post
deposition. Like most Lycosidae, female T. grandis will carry her eggsac where ever she goes. Or, in
the case of a burrowing specimen, the female will push the eggsac to the entrance of the burrow to
allow the warm sun to speed up the eggs' development. When the young hatch, they will cling to the
back of the female for up to two weeks before dispersing. The young, like many Lycosids, may tie
themselves to each other and to the female's legs and abdomen to prevent themselves from falling off.
Generally, there are approximately 120 to 200 young per eggsac +/- 10 individuals (average estimate).
The young often begin dispersing at around one and a half weeks old. By the end of three weeks, the
majority have left the female. Three weeks is also the approximate time when cannibalism occurs
between the spiderlings.

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Odd Male Breeding Behavior:

Male Tigrosa grandis expressed odd behaviors when exposed to the silk of various species of
Lycosidae. When one particular adult male was exposed to the silk of an immature female T. grandis,
he began to drum excitedly, preparing himself for breeding. When exposed to the silk of an adult
female, he expressed the same amount of interest. However, when the male was exposed to the silk of a
female Tigrosa georgicola, he also began drumming excitedly. The same result occurred when exposed
to the silk of a female Tigrosa helluo. It is not known whether this is just generalized behavior;
however, this proses the question of true speciation between the individuals within the genus, Tigrosa.
While the male did enact his courtship behavior after exposure to a different species' female's silk, the
male was never exposed to the females themselves. Thus, I cannot say that there indeed is hybridization
for I did not have the opportunity to witness the females' responses to the male's advances.
Interestingly, the male did not show any excitement when exposed to the silk of a female Hogna
carolinensis. In fact, he strayed away from the leaf which had the female H. carolinensis' silk, hiding
away in the opposite corner. Perhaps the interest is only limited to individuals within the same genus.
In this instance, the genus Tigrosa. However, no experiments were done on other Tigrosa males,
therefore, these statements are purely observational inferences.

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Gallery of female and young (Female was collected on the spider survey trip and kept under
observation for a few months):

The newborn spiderlings appear to show a wide dorsal stripe along with the chevron shape on the
abdomen. Also, they are dominantly yellow in color.

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Lifespan:
Little information is available as to the lifespan of T. grandis. Presumably, it has a similar
lifespan to other similar Lycosids. If this is the case, then males live for approximately one year and die
the year they mature, while females potentially can live two to three years, surviving the winter as both
immatures and as adults. While no specific study has been done to understand the longevity of T.
grandis, a similar species, Tigrosa georgicola, takes around one year +/- ~3 weeks, to reach maturity
from birth. This suggests that immature individuals will have to survive the winter to reach adulthood.
No statistics are available as to the survivability of T. grandis in the wild.
Predators:
Like most spiders and insects, T. grandis are hunted by various birds, mammals and reptiles.
Larger spiders may prey upon T. grandis. Similarly, T. grandis will often practice cannibalism. This is
heightened especially around the time when the young are about to disperse from the mother's back. T.
grandis also fall prey to spider hunting wasps (Family Pompilidae), which paralyze spiders for their
larvae to feed on. Finally, the eggsacs are sometimes parasitized by mantidflies (Family Mantispidae).
One particular female's eggsac produced a Dicromantispa interrupta which had been feeding on the
eggs.
Here is that exact individual which hatched from the T. grandis eggsac:

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Summary
The human knowledge of arthropods is still fairly low. New experiences and observations arise
each year and new species are being described. Despite multiple transfers, the T. grandis is still
identifiable as a Lycosid. While sharing many characteristics behaviorally and morphologically with
other Lycosids, minute differences set it aside from the whole of Order Araneae. Differences within
dorsal patterning, medial striping and reproductive discrepancies separate the T. grandis from species
within its genus. While still considered the least known of its genus to this point, perhaps, with skill,
care and continued research, we can further unravel the mystery and uniqueness behind this particular
species. Then, maybe, we can finally better comprehend the role in which this species play within the
ecological niche. In resolution, personally, the T. grandis begs the important question of: Why have one
species when another sympatric species appears to play the same role?

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Sources (Directly Or Indirectly Aided This Paper)

"Arachnological Research Fund."Journal of Arachnology 28.2 (2000): 256. Print.
Brady, Allen R. "AAS Homepage."AAS Homepage. American Journal of Arachnology, 2012. Web. 09
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Chamberlin, R.V. 1904. Three new Lycosidae. Canadian Entomologist36:286288.
Chamberlin, R.V. 1908. Revision of North American spiders of the family Lycosidae. Proceedings of
the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 60:158318.
Eaton, Eric R., Rick Bowers, and Kenn Kaufman.Kaufman Field Guide to Insects of North
America. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 2007. Print.
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http://bugguide.net/node/view/127720
Huber, B.A. & W.G. Eberhard. 1997. Courtship, copulation, and genital mechanics in Physocyclus
globosus (Araneae, Pholcidae). Canadian Journal of Zoology 74:905918.
Markle, Sandra. Wolf Spiders: Mothers on Guard. Minneapolis: Lerner Publications, 2011. Print.
P., L. (2014, January 6). Species Tigrosa grandis. Retrieved August 3, 2014, from
http://bugguide.net/node/view/881996
Slowik, J., & Cushing, P. (2009). Redescription and transfer of Geolycosa grandis (Araneae,
Lycosidae) to the genus Hogna. Journal of Arachnology, 261-265.
Wallace, H.K. 1942. A revision of the burrowing spiders of the genus
Geolycosa. American Midland Naturalist 27:162.

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