Sd. Marshall, MECHANISMS OF THE FORMATION OF TERRITORIAL AGGREGATIONS OF THE BURROWING WOLF SPIDER GEOLYCOSA-XERA-ARCHBOLDI MCCRONE (ARANEAE, LYCOSIDAE), The Journal of arachnology, 23(3), 1995, pp. 145-150
It has long been proposed that aggregations of Geolycosa wolf spiders
form by limited dispersal from the maternal burrow. In this study I te
st for conspecific attraction and limited dispersal to account for the
formation and maintenance of aggregations of Geolycosa xera archboldi
McCrone, endemic to the scrub habitats of Highlands County in central
Florida, USA. I found no evidence for conspecific attraction in eithe
r field tests or observations of natural relocation. I did confirm tha
t hatchlings disperse a short distance from the maternal burrow. The d
istance hatchlings disperse is influenced by territorial interactions
with siblings. Older spiders which were experimentally released also e
xhibited limited dispersal.