Virtual Spider Hunt

I've suspected a hole on the combined lapidicina-mercurialis range, so I took a virtual trip on iNat up the Texas coast, around to the Louisiana coast, and up the east side of the Mississippi River. The latter two sections are not well represented on iNaturalist, and the area west of the Mississippi is likely devoid of the lapidicina group for lack of habitat. Nevertheless, there wasn't a single lapidicina group spider to be found south of Memphis. So, there appear to be shore dwellers from Florida into Alabama, and upland dwellers in widely scattered locations from Texas through to Alabama. Since there are few uplands in Louisiana and Mississippi, and no shore dwellers west of the Mississippi there does appear to be a large area where there are no lapidicina group spiders. Vicksburg has a small amount of likely habitat that would be worth checking out, but unfortunately none of it is accessible.

Posted on 30 November, 2021 11:39 by eaneubauer