Geolycosa wrighti
This record describes Geolycosa wrighti (species). Recorded family: Lycosidae. Recorded order: Araneae.
Identification and Appearance
Geolycosa wrighti lines its burrows thickly with silk. The burrow entrance is not decorated with a turret, as is the case with many Geolycosa burrows.
Classification
Habitat and Range
Habitat
Bare inland sand dunes and beaches
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Etymology: Author: Emerton, 1912 wrighti vs. wrightii : from pers. comm. with Dr. Norm Platnick, "Under the current code, both spellings are correct. But for spiders, all the -ii endings that are properly -i in Latin were corrected in Bonnet's catalog, which thereby stabilized the names, and those corrections by Bonnet are therefore followed in the WSC." (the WSC uses wrighti )
About Spiders: the wider group
Order-level background for Araneae, the group containing Geolycosa wrighti. 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 Geolycosa wrighti (5)
Photo credits: Contributed by Charley Eiseman; Additional contributions by Mandy Howe