Utah Funnelweb Spider
Agelenopsis utahana
This record describes Agelenopsis utahana (species). Recorded family: Agelenidae. Recorded order: Araneae.
Identification and Appearance
Palp (ventral) Epigynum (ventral, ventral dissected, dorsal dissected)
Wikipedia reference for Agelenopsis utahana: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agelenopsis utahana.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Arachnida
- Order
- Araneae (Spiders)
- Family
- Agelenidae (Funnel Weavers)
- Subfamily
- Ageleninae
- Genus
- Agelenopsis (Grass Spiders)
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
Maine west to British Columbia and Alaska and south to Utah in the west and North Carolina in the east
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Etymology: Agelena utahana Chamberlin & Ivie, 1933
About Spiders: the wider group
Order-level background for Araneae, the group containing Agelenopsis utahana. Species-specific details appear above.
Group overview
As of 2023, 51,673 spider species in 136 families have been recorded, though an estimated 150,000 species exist. Spiders rank 7th in total species diversity among all organism orders. Only 0.5% of spider species pose any risk to human health.
Ecological role of the group
Spider venom contains complex peptides with diverse pharmacological activities, making them valuable for drug development research. Spiders produce up to 7 types of silk from specialized glands. Spider silk genes have been inserted into mammals and plants for biotech applications.
Economic and practical significance of the group
The global spider community kills an estimated 400-800 million tons of prey annually (2017 study). Spiders provide billions of dollars in natural pest control for agriculture. Spider silk is 5× stronger than steel of the same diameter, driving a biomaterials research industry.
Recorded sources for this group: World Spider Catalog, PNAS, Nature, ScienceDirect. Imported estimates may describe particular regions or reporting periods.
Photos of Utah Funnelweb Spider (7)
Photo credits: (c) Tom Murray, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Tom Murray | (c) cheins1, all rights reserved, uploaded by cheins1 | (c) Gergin Blagoev, Biodiversity Institute of Ontario, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) | Contributed by Charley Eiseman; Additional contributions by Jeff Hollenbeck , cheins
Frequently Asked Questions About Utah Funnelweb Spider
What is Utah Funnelweb Spider?
Utah Funnelweb Spider (Agelenopsis utahana) is a species in the family Agelenidae, within the order Araneae.
How do you identify Utah Funnelweb Spider?
Palp (ventral) Epigynum (ventral, ventral dissected, dorsal dissected)
Where is Utah Funnelweb Spider found?
Range: Maine west to British Columbia and Alaska and south to Utah in the west and North Carolina in the east