113/150: A Wolf Spider Like No Other

Animalia: Arthropoda: Arachnida: Araneae: Lycosidae: Alopecosa: Alopecosa koponeni sp. n. (Sundevall 1833, Simon 1885, and Blagoev & Dondale 2014)

Alopecosa koponeni sp. n. is a new species described in 2014 from the arctic tundra in the vicinity of Churchill, Manitoba! It was discovered by Centre for Biodiversity Genomics resident arachnologist Dr. Gergin Blagoev and Dr. Charles Dondale from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. This new species belongs to the family known as wolf spiders (Lycosidae) with body sizes ranging from 4mm to 35mm. They make their homes in a variety of places, from the open grasslands to marshes and swamps, while occasionally being found on lawns and forests as well. These are not your regular spiders because rather than spinning webs they rely on their excellent eyesight to chase down or ambush their prey. They also make great mothers because when it is time to lay their eggs they attach the egg sac to their spinneret and carry them around while hunting. The mother then carries them around for a couple more days after hatching and then the spiderlings disperse after that. #Canada150 #Biodiversity150

Here’s the barcode sequence information for this species:

Process ID: TWSC126-08

nucleotide sequence

GACTTTGTATTTAATATTAGGTGTTTGGTCAGCAATAATAGGTACTGCTATATCAGTATTAATTCGGATGGAATTAGGTAATCCTGGAAGTTTATTAGGAGATGATCATTTATATAATGTTATAGTTACTGCTCATGCTTTTGTTATAATTTTTTTTATAGTTATACCAATTCTTATTGGTGGTTTTGGTAATTGATTAGTTCCTTTAATGTTAGGAGCTCCTGATATATCTTTTCCTCGTATAAATAATCTTTCTTTTTGATTATTACCCCCTTCTTTATTTTTATTATGTATATCTTCTATAGTTGAAATAGGAGTAGGGGCTGGTTGAACTGTTTATCCTCCTTTAGCATCAAGAGTGGGACATATAGGAAGTTCTATAGATTTTGCTATTTTCTCTCTTCATTTAGCTGGAGCTTCTTCTATTATAGGTGCGGTGAATTTTATTTCTACAATTATTAATATACGGATGGTTGGAATATCAATAGAGAAAGTTCCTTTATTTGTTTGGTCAGTTTTAATTACAGCTGTTTTATTATTACTTTCTTTACCTGTTCTAGCAGGTGCCATTACTATATTATTAACAGATCGAAACTTTAATACTTCTTTTTTTGATCCAGCAGGTGGAGGGGATCCTATTTTATTTCAACATTTATTT

amino acid sequence

TLYLMLGVWSAMMGTAMSVLIRMELGNPGSLLGDDHLYNVMVTAHAFVMIFFMVMPILIGGFGNWLVPLMLGAPDMSFPRMNNLSFWLLPPSLFLLCMSSMVEMGVGAGWTVYPPLASSVGHMGSSMDFAIFSLHLAGASSIMGAVNFISTIINMRMVGMSMEKVPLFVWSVLITAVLLLLSLPVLAGAITMLLTDRNFNTSFFDPAGGGDPILFQHLF

Learn more about it’s BIN (Barcode Index Number): BOLD:ACF3224