Wadicosa
Wadicosa is a genus of wolf spiders, with 19 described species found from the Canary Islands to Indonesia.
Etymology
The genus name Wadicosa is derived from the Arabic word واد "wadi" combined with the suffix "-cosa" commonly used in wolf spider genera. This name reflects the characteristic habitat preference of these spiders for dried-up riverbeds with clay deposits in desert and semi-desert regions.
Description
Wadicosa are medium-sized wolf spiders with a carapace length of 2.7–3.0 mm. They are characterized by having 2-2 ventral spines on the tibia and metatarsus of the first leg, and 3 teeth on the posterior margin of the cheliceral furrow. The distance between the anterior median eyes is 2.5–5.0 times greater than the distance between the median and lateral eyes of the same row.
Males have distinctive palpal structures with strongly sclerotized tegular processes directed outward, and a relatively large subtegulum displaced to the inner side of the bulbus. The abdomen displays a dark lanceolate spot dorsally with a series of light spots.
Habitat and distribution
Species of Wadicosa are distributed in desert and semi-desert regions of the Palearctic realm. They are characteristic inhabitants of dried-up riverbeds with clay deposits and are also found on clay riverbanks. They are active during daylight hours.
Species
, this genus includes nineteen species:Wadicosa arabica Kronestedt, Feulner & Roobas, 2024 – Oman, United Arab EmiratesWadicosa benadira – Somalia, KenyaWadicosa bleyi – Papua New Guinea Wadicosa cognata Kronestedt, 2015 – KenyaWadicosa commoventa Zyuzin, 1985 – Iran, TurkmenistanWadicosa enucleata – Ivory Coast, Togo, Nigeria, Central Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, South AfricaWadicosa fidelis – Macaronesia, North Africa, Southern Europe, Turkey, Caucasus, Middle East, Central Asia, China, Japan, Pakistan, India, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Philippines, Indonesia Wadicosa ghatica Kronestedt, 2017 – IndiaWadicosa intermediata Abhijith & Sudhikumar, 2024 – IndiaWadicosa jocquei Kronestedt, 2015 – Seychelles, Comoros, Mayotte, Madagascar, MauritiusWadicosa mabweana – Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, DR Congo, Angola, NamibiaWadicosa manubriata – DR Congo, Angola, Zambia, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, South AfricaWadicosa okinawensis – Japan, China, LaosWadicosa oncka – AfricaWadicosa paulyi Kronestedt, 2017 – MadagascarWadicosa prasantae Ahmed, Anam, Saikia, Manthen & Saikia, 2014 – IndiaWadicosa quadrifer – India, Sri LankaWadicosa russellsmithi Kronestedt, 2015 – MauritiusWadicosa sordidecolorata – Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Uganda