The spider genus ''Sosippus'' is, with other genera in the subfamily Hippasinae, unique among the spiders in the family

Lycosidae Wolf spiders are members of the Family (biology), family Lycosidae (), named for their robust and agile hunting skills and excellent eyesight. They live mostly in solitude, hunt alone, and usually do not spin spider web, webs. Some are opportunis ...

in producing a large funnel-web resembling that of the

Agelenidae The Agelenidae are a large family of spiders in the suborder Araneomorphae. Well-known examples include the common "grass spiders" of the genus ''Agelenopsis''. Nearly all Agelenidae are harmless to humans, but the bite of the hobo spider (''Era ...

. The posterior

spinnerets A spinneret is a silk-spinning organ of a spider or the larva of an insect. Some adult insects also have spinnerets, such as those borne on the forelegs of Embioptera. Spinnerets are usually on the underside of a spider's opisthosoma, and ar ...

are more elongate than in other wolf spiders. Their eyes are arranged in three rows, with four small eyes in the anterior (lowest), two large eyes in the second, and two smaller lateral eyes in the third row. ''Sosippus'' is found from

Central America Central America is a subregion of North America. Its political boundaries are defined as bordering Mexico to the north, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest. Central America is usually ...

to the southern

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. The closest relatives are found in the genus '' Aglaoctenus''. The species of ''Sosippus'' seem to have diverged relatively recently in geologic time.

Species

* '' Sosippus agalenoides'' Banks, 1909 (Mexico to Costa Rica) * '' Sosippus californicus'' Simon, 1898 (USA, Mexico) * '' Sosippus floridanus'' Simon, 1898 (USA) * '' Sosippus janus'' Brady, 1972 (USA) * '' Sosippus mexicanus'' Simon, 1888 (Mexico, Guatemala) * '' Sosippus michoacanus'' Brady, 1962 (Mexico) * '' Sosippus mimus'' Chamberlin, 1924 (USA) * '' Sosippus placidus'' Brady, 1972 (USA) * '' Sosippus plutonus'' Brady, 1962 (Mexico) * '' Sosippus texanus'' Brady, 1962 (USA)

References

* Brady, A.R. (1962). The Spider Genus ''Sosippus'' in North America, Mexico, and Central America (Araneae, Lycosidae). '' Psyche'' 69:129-164
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Lycosidae Spiders of North America Spiders of Central America Lycosidae genera Taxa named by Eugène Simon {{Lycosidae-stub