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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Chelicerates (Chelicerata) » Arachnids (Arachnida) » Spiders (Araneae) » True Spiders (Araneomorphae) » Entelegynae » Ground Spiders (Gnaphosidae) » Herpyllus » Eastern Parson Spider (Herpyllus ecclesiasticus)

Species Herpyllus ecclesiasticus - Eastern Parson Spider

Classification · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Explanation of Names · Size · Identification · Range · Print References · Works Cited
Parson Spider - Herpyllus ecclesiasticus - female Spider - Herpyllus ecclesiasticus Black and grey spider - Herpyllus ecclesiasticus Eastern Parson Spider? - Herpyllus ecclesiasticus Eastern Parson Spider with prey - Herpyllus ecclesiasticus uninvited guest - Herpyllus ecclesiasticus Herpyllus ecclesiasticus possible Eastern Parson Spider - Herpyllus ecclesiasticus
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Chelicerata (Chelicerates)
Class Arachnida (Arachnids)
Order Araneae (Spiders)
Infraorder Araneomorphae (True Spiders)
No Taxon (Entelegynae)
Family Gnaphosidae (Ground Spiders)
Genus Herpyllus
Species ecclesiasticus (Eastern Parson Spider)
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
See the World Spider Catalog.
Explanation of Names
The common name refers to the white dorsal stripe on the abdomen, which resembles a cravat worn by a parson or minister during the 1800's (Guarisco, 2007).
Size
Female 8-13mm, male 5.5-6.5mm - Howell and Jenkins, p. 274 (1)
Identification
H. ecclesiasticus is basically identical in appearance to H. propinquus, and examination of reproductive organs is needed for positive identification.

Palp
Range
H. ecclesiasticus generally occurs east of the Rocky Mountains, although its range overlaps with H. propinquus in several states (Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, western edge of Texas). Its range extends from southern Canada (AB, ON, QC) to northern Mexico.(2).
Print References
Checklist of Kansas Ground Spiders
The Kansas School Naturalist, Vol. 55 Dec. 2007
by Hank Guarisco

Howell and Jenkins, p. 273-274 (1)
Works Cited
1.Spiders of the Eastern US, A Photographic Guide
W. Mike Howell and Ronald L. Jenkins. 2004. pearson education.
2.A revision of the spider genera Herpyllus and Scotophaeus (Araneae, Gnaphosidae) in North America
Platnick and Shadab. 1977. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History.

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