Morphological separation of the Central European Trochosa females (Araneae, Lycosidae)

Abstract

Adult females of the five Central European wolf spiders Trochosa hispanica Simon, 1870, T. robusta (Simon, 1876), T. ruricola (De Geer, 1778), T. spinipalpis (F. O. P.-Cambridge, 1895), and T. terricola Thorell, 1856 were morphologically analysed. We defined sets of continuous and binary (presence/absence) variables. Continuous data of various epigynal and carapace dimensions were subjected to Principal Components Analysis (PCA). Using the PC loadings each individual was plotted along the PC axis in order to find gaps/overlaps between the species. The binary data sets were subjected to Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA) in order to find characters that clearly separate the five Trochosa species. Using PCA only individuals of T. robusta and T. ruricola and of T. robusta and T. hispanica could be separated from each other. Using HCA all five species could clearly be separated by epigynal and vulval characteristics