Pirata (spider)
Pirata is a genus of wolf spiders, commonly known as pirate wolf spiders.
Distribution
Spiders in this genus have been described from Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, with few reaching down to Argentina.
They are found in most of Europe.
Lifestyle
Members of Pirata occur typically around bodies of water, upon which they run with great ease, or in bogs, swamps and marshes. The spiders dive into the water and an air bubble is trapped around the body for breathing. The water wolf spiders live on plants close to dams and rivers and in contrast with grass-living wolf spiders, they are more social and several spiders can live together on one water plant.
Description
Pirata species range from 6–7 mm in total length for females and 5–6 mm for males.
The carapace has a head region that is slightly flattened, and is as high in the thoracic region as in the cephalic region. The cephalic region has a dark V-shaped mark within the central pale region. The anterior eye row is not procurved. There is a narrow white band around the edge.
The abdomen is dark brown with two distinct rows of white spots. Legs are long, the same colour as the body, and strongly mottled. There are spots on the abdomen and pale brown to dark grey mottling.
Species
, this genus includes 49 species:Pirata affinis Roewer, 1960 – DR CongoPirata africanus – NamibiaPirata alachuus Gertsch & Wallace, 1935 – United StatesPirata allapahae Gertsch, 1940 – United StatesPirata apalacheus Gertsch, 1940 – United StatesPirata aspirans Chamberlin, 1904 – Canada, United StatesPirata brevipes – DR Congo Pirata browni Gertsch & Davis, 1940 – MexicoPirata bryantae Kurata, 1944 – Alaska, CanadaPirata chamberlini – DR Congo, TanzaniaPirata coreanus Paik, 1991 – KoreaPirata davisi Wallace & Exline, 1978 – United States, MexicoPirata digitatus Tso & Chen, 2004 – TaiwanPirata felix O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1898 – MexicoPirata hiteorum Wallace & Exline, 1978 – United StatesPirata indigena Wallace & Exline, 1978 – United StatesPirata iviei Wallace & Exline, 1978 – United StatesPirata mayaca Gertsch, 1940 – United States, Bahama Islands, CubaPirata montanoides Banks, 1892 – Canada, United StatesPirata montanus Emerton, 1885 – Russia, Canada, United StatesPirata nanatus Gertsch, 1940 – United StatesPirata niokolona Roewer, 1961 – SenegalPirata pagicola Chamberlin, 1925 – Mexico to PanamaPirata pallipes – AlgeriaPirata piratellus – JapanPirata piraticus – North America, Europe, Turkey, Caucasus, Russia, Kazakhstan, Iran, Central Asia, China, Japan Pirata piratimorphus – United StatesPirata piscatorius – Europe, Russia Pirata praedo Kulczyński, 1885 – Russia, Mongolia, China, Japan, Canada, United StatesPirata proximus O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1876 – EgyptPirata punctipes – IndiaPirata sagitta – ArgentinaPirata sedentarius Montgomery, 1904 – North America, Greater AntillesPirata seminolus Gertsch & Wallace, 1935 – United StatesPirata spatulatus Chai, 1985 – ChinaPirata spiniger – United StatesPirata subannulipes – EthiopiaPirata subpiraticus – Russia, Korea, China, Japan, Indonesia, PhilippinesPirata suwaneus Gertsch, 1940 – United States, Bahama Is.Pirata sylvanus Chamberlin & Ivie, 1944 – United StatesPirata tenuitarsis Simon, 1876 – Europe to MongoliaPirata timidus – AlgeriaPirata trepidus Roewer, 1960 – NamibiaPirata triens Wallace & Exline, 1978 – United StatesPirata turrialbicus Wallace & Exline, 1978 – Costa Rica, Panama, CubaPirata veracruzae Gertsch & Davis, 1940 – MexicoPirata welakae Wallace & Exline, 1978 – United StatesPirata werneri – MoroccoPirata zavattarii – Ethiopia