NEARCTIC SPECIES OF THE NEW WOLF SPIDER 
GENUS GLADICOSA (ARANEAE: LYCOSIDAE)* 
By Allen R. Brady 
Department of Biology, Hope College 
Holland, Michigan 49423 
This is the second paper in a projected series of systematic studies 
of the Nearctic Lycosidae described primarily in the genus Lycosa. 
Over 50 species of medium to large size wolf spiders from the Nearc- 
tic Region have been placed in this genus. However, recent studies 
indicate that several distinct genera are included under Lycosa. 
Matters have been complicated at the generic level by C. F. Roewer 
(1954) who listed 44 new genera of Lycosinae in the Katalog der 
Araneae. They are nomina nuda, lacking descriptions. Later Roewer 
(1959, 1960) defined these 44 genera, thus validating the names, and 
added seven more new ones to the Lycosinae as well. These genera 
were established primarily on the basis of differences in the number 
of posterior cheliceral teeth and eye arrangement (particularly eyes 
of the anterior row). Investigations of North American Lycosidae 
(Brady 1962, 1972, 1979) indicate that the number of posterior che- 
liceral teeth is an unreliable character in delimiting genera. Recent 
studies indicate that color patterns on the dorsal surface of the 
carapace, length of legs relative to body size, and particularly the 
structure of the male and female genitalia are most reliable in 
determining generic relationships. Certain features of the eye 
arrangement, as well as information about habitat, behavior, and 
life history are also useful. In the final analysis, it is the unique 
combination of all these features that should be employed to 
distinguish genera. 
Gladicosa gen. nov. 
Lycosa (part) Walckenaer 1837: 338. Emerton 1885: 485. Marx 1890: 562; 1892: 160. 
Stone 1890: 423, 426. Montgomery 1902: 538, 546, 566; 1904: 277-280; 1905: 
174; 1909: 514. Banks 1901: 184; 1910: 55, 57; 1911: 454. Chamberlin 1904: 147; 
1908: 225, 226, 265; 1924: 28. Petrunkevitch 1911: 560. Comstock 1913: 631, 639; 
* Manuscript received by the editor July 15, 1986 
285 
