''Lutica'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

of zodariid

spider Spiders ( order Araneae) are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, chelicerae with fangs generally able to inject venom, and spinnerets that extrude silk. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species ...

s that occurs only in

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

on both the mainland

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

coast and the

Channel Islands The Channel Islands ( nrf, Îles d'la Manche; french: îles Anglo-Normandes or ''îles de la Manche'') are an archipelago in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They include two Crown Dependencies: the Bailiwick of Jersey, ...

. ''Lutica abalonea'' is known from the coast west of Oxnard, California, ''Lutica clementea'' is known from

San Clemente Island San Clemente Island (Tongva: ''Kinkipar''; Spanish: ''Isla de San Clemente'') is the southernmost of the Channel Islands of California. It is owned and operated by the United States Navy, and is a part of Los Angeles County. It is administered b ...

, ''Lutica maculata'' is known from Santa Rosa Island, and ''Lutica nicolasia'' is known from San Nicolas Island. It is believed that there is another species found on San Miguel Island, though it has not been described due to lack of adult specimens. These spiders are found living in

coastal sand dunes The coast, also known as the coastline or seashore, is defined as the area where land meets the ocean, or as a line that forms the boundary between the land and the coastline. The Earth has around of coastline. Coasts are important zones in n ...

in and around clumps of

foliage A leaf ( : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, ste ...

. Unlike many spiders, ''Lutica'' build web tubes that are covered in sand. These tubes are used to detect prey, such as

Coelus globosus ''Coelus globosus'' is a species of beetle in family Tenebrionidae. It is found in Mexico and the United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country prim ...

, when they cross the tube, similar to the hunting style of

purseweb spider Atypidae, also known as atypical tarantulas or purseweb spiders, is a spider family containing only three genera. They are accomplished ambush predators that spend most of their time in a sock-like, silken retreat on the ground from where they ki ...

s. ''Lutica'' also do not

balloon A balloon is a flexible bag that can be inflated with a gas, such as helium, hydrogen, nitrous oxide, oxygen, and air. For special tasks, balloons can be filled with smoke, liquid water, granular media (e.g. sand, flour or rice), or light so ...

as most spiders do but rather stay fairly close to their initial locations in their dune environment and non-reproductive terrestrial migration is uncommon.

Species

''Lutica'' comprises 4 species: *'' Lutica abalonea''

Gertsch Willis John Gertsch (October 4, 1906 – December 12, 1998) was an American arachnologist. He described over 1,000 species of spiders, scorpions, and other arachnids, including the Brown recluse spider and the Tooth cave spider. Gertsch was born ...

, 1961 — USA *''

Lutica clementea ''Lutica'' is a genus of zodariid spiders that occurs only in North America on both the mainland California coast and the Channel Islands. ''Lutica abalonea'' is known from the coast west of Oxnard, California, ''Lutica clementea'' is known fro ...

, 1961 — USA *'' Lutica maculata'' Marx, 1891 — USA *''

Lutica nicolasia ''Lutica'' is a genus of zodariid spiders that occurs only in North America on both the mainland California coast and the Channel Islands. ''Lutica abalonea'' is known from the coast west of Oxnard, California, ''Lutica clementea'' is known fro ...

, 1961 — USA

References

External links

Image(s) of ''Lutica'' spider
Zodariidae Spiders of North America Endemic fauna of California Fauna of the California chaparral and woodlands Natural history of the Channel Islands of California Natural history of Ventura County, California Araneomorphae genera {{Zodariidae-stub

Species

References

Further reading

External links