Schizocosa is a genus of wolf spiders (family Lycosidae) containing 56 species (as of 2025), distributed in North and South America, Africa, and East and Southeast Asia.

Description

Members of the genus Schizocosa are medium to large in size, usually ranging from 5 to 15 mm in body length, but potentially reaching as large as 28 mm. They are strong-legged spiders with relatively keen eyesight that carry their bodies high.

The carapace when viewed from above is truncate or somewhat concave at the posterior margin and smoothly convex along the lateral margins. It is narrowed and steeply sloped at the level of the first leg's coxa. When viewed laterally, the carapace is uniform in height from the dorsal groove to the level of the third row of eyes and slightly concave along the dorsal line.

The dorsal fovea is long, distinct, and shallow. The lateral areas are dark red-brown to nearly black, usually streaked with black, while pale submarginal bands are usually narrow but distinct and sometimes broken into spots. The eye area and the highest part of the carapace are black.

The eyes of the first row are uniform in size, or the anterior median eyes are slightly larger than the anterior lateral eyes. The first row of eyes is procurved and relatively narrow.

The abdomen in dorsal view is approximately ovoid, usually with a distinct dark heart mark that extends posteriorly one-half or more of the abdomen's length. The legs are moderately long and stout with strong macrosetae.

Life style Spiders in this genus are able to dart with great speed when pursuing prey or taking cover among the grasses which form their normal habitat. Individuals may wander long distances within a particular field or meadow.

In many species, mated females produce egg sacs in late spring or early summer and then guard or carry their egg sacs.

Distinct courting behaviors between species within Schizocosa may be resulting in assortative mating, where several species may co-exist within the same range without crossing genetic material.

Species

, this genus includes 56 species:

Schizocosa altamontis (Chamberlin, 1916) – Peru Schizocosa arua (Strand, 1911) – Indonesia (Aru Is.) Schizocosa astuta (Roewer, 1959) – Tanzania Schizocosa aulonia Dondale, 1969 – United States Schizocosa avida (Walckenaer, 1837) – Canada, United States, Mexico Schizocosa bilineata (Emerton, 1885) – Canada, United States Schizocosa cecili (Pocock, 1901) – Zimbabwe Schizocosa ceratiola (Gertsch & Wallace, 1935) – United States Schizocosa cespitum Dondale & Redner, 1978 – Canada Schizocosa chiricahua Dondale & Redner, 1978 – United States Schizocosa communis (Emerton, 1885) – Canada, United States Schizocosa concolor (Caporiacco, 1935) – Palistan (Karakorum) Schizocosa conspicua (Roewer, 1959) – Rwanda Schizocosa cotabatoana Barrion & Litsinger, 1995 – Philippines Schizocosa crassipalpata Roewer, 1951 – Canada, United States Schizocosa crassipes (Walckenaer, 1837) – United States Schizocosa darlingi (Pocock, 1898) – Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, South Africa Schizocosa duplex Chamberlin, 1925 – Canada, United States Schizocosa ehni (Lessert, 1933) – Angola Schizocosa floridana Bryant, 1934 – United States Schizocosa fragilis (Thorell, 1890) – Indonesia (Sumatra) Schizocosa hebes (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1885) – China (Yarkand), India? Schizocosa hewitti (Lessert, 1915) – DR Congo, Kenya, Tanzania Schizocosa humilis (Banks, 1892) – Canada, United States Schizocosa incerta (Bryant, 1934) – United States Schizocosa interjecta (Roewer, 1959) – Tanzania Schizocosa malitiosa (Tullgren, 1905) – Bolivia, Argentina, Uruguay Schizocosa maxima Dondale & Redner, 1978 – United States Schizocosa mccooki (Montgomery, 1904) – Canada, United States, Mexico Schizocosa mimula (Gertsch, 1934) – United States, Mexico Schizocosa minahassae (Merian, 1911) – Indonesia (Sulawesi) Schizocosa minnesotensis (Gertsch, 1934) – Canada, United States Schizocosa minor (Lessert, 1926) – East Africa Schizocosa obscoena (Rainbow, 1899) – Vanuatu Schizocosa ocreata (Hentz, 1844) – Canada, United States, Mexico (type species) Schizocosa parricida (Karsch, 1881) – China Schizocosa perplexa Bryant, 1936 – United States Schizocosa pilipes (Karsch, 1879) – West, Central Africa Schizocosa puebla Chamberlin, 1925 – United States Schizocosa retrorsa (Banks, 1911) – Canada, United States, Mexico Schizocosa rovneri Uetz & Dondale, 1979 – United States Schizocosa rubiginea (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1885) – China (Yarkand), India? Schizocosa salara (Roewer, 1960) – Afghanistan Schizocosa salsa Barnes, 1953 – United States Schizocosa saltatrix (Hentz, 1844) – Canada, United States, Mexico Schizocosa segregata Gertsch & Wallace, 1937 – United States Schizocosa semiargentea (Simon, 1898) – Peru Schizocosa serranoi (Mello-Leitão, 1941) – Brazil, Argentina Schizocosa stridulans Stratton, 1984 – United States Schizocosa subpersonata (Simon, 1910) – Namibia, South Africa Schizocosa tamae (Gertsch & Davis, 1940) – Mexico Schizocosa tenera (Karsch, 1879) – West, Central Africa Schizocosa tristani (Banks, 1909) – Costa Rica, Panama Schizocosa uetzi Stratton, 1997 – United States Schizocosa venusta (Roewer, 1959) – Tanzania Schizocosa vulpecula (L. Koch, 1865) – Wallis Is.

References