AN ANNOTATED LIST OF THE SPIDERS (ARACHNIDA: ARANEIDA) FOUND IN FORT WASHINGTON AND PISCATAWAY NATIONAL PARKS, MARYLAND Theodore W. Suman Principal Investigator Theodore W. Suman, Ph.D. 7591 Polly's Hill Lane Easton, Maryland 21601 (410) 822 1204 [email protected] 1 AN ANNOTATED LIST OF THE SPIDERS (ARACHNIDA: ARANEIDA) FOUND IN FORT WASHINGTON AND PISCATAWAYNATIONALPARKS,MARYLAND Theodore W. Suman The spiders (Arachnida: Araneida) listed in this report represent the results of a two year (2002 - 2003) survey conducted in Fort Washington and Piscataway National Parks located in southwestern Prince Georges and northwestern Charles Counties, Maryland. This survey is part of the National Park Service's effort to broaden knowledge of the biodiversity occurring within the National Park system and was conducted under Permit # NACE - 2002 - SCI - 0005 and Park­ assigned Study Id # NACE - 00018. Table 1 is an alphabetical list (subfamily, genus, species) of all of the spiders found in both Parks. Information on the number of specimens collected, sex, date(s) collected, collecting location(s), and habitat(s) is also included. Table 2 lists the species found in only one or the other of the two Parks. General information on the collecting dates, collecting and extraction methods, and collecting sites is described below. COLLECTING DATES Collecting dates were spread throughout the spring to fall seasons of 2002 and 2003 to maximize the probability of finding all of the species present. Collecting dates for each Park are listed separately. FORT WASHINGTON 2002-27 March; 2,23 April; 20 May; 21,23 Aug.; 12,25 Sept. 2003 - 8 May; 12,26 June PISCATAWAY PARK 2002-9,16 April; 21 May; 24 June; 1 July 2003 - 20,30 May; 5 Nov. 2 COLLECTING AND EXTRACTING METHODS Specimens were collected on site by the following methods. - A standard insect sweep net used both for sweeping vegetation and beating vegetation as high as could be reached. - Hand sweeping about one square meter of leaf litter for later extraction of specimens in lab. - Pitfall traps using plastic drinking cups (15 cm. in dia.) with non-toxic antifreeze for a preservative. The traps were left in place about one week - Hand collecting specimens from webs, dead leaves, etc. Extraction in the lab. of specimens from leaf litter and ofller debris utilized Berlese funnels (15 watt light bulb hung over the top) and Winkler mesh bags. The funnels and mesh bags operated for several days each until no more specimens were recovered. COLLECTING SITES The collecting sites selected represent different types of habitats. Sites within each park are designated in Table 1 with the numbers I through 3 for Fort Washington and with numbers 4 through 7 for Piscataway Park. The specific habitats within each site are designated with letters. FORT WASIDNGTON 1. Southeastern part of Park, Includes gravel service road beyond locked chain to Bunker B. a. Open grass areas and young upland woods on west side of service road about halfway between locked chain and Bunker B. b. Deep gully adjacent to and north of Bunker B. c. In, around, and on top of Bunker B. 3 2. Western part of Park near public fishing area and lighthouse. Includes grass area and adjacent woods to parking lot, around old brick building, and edge of Potomac River near lighthouse. a. Beach and misc. debris used as bulk heading along Potomac River. b. Debris around foundation of old brick building near river. c. Young stand of trees about halfway between parking lot and river. d. Vegetation (grass, trees, edge veg.) adjacent to parking lot. 3. Northeastern part of Park. Includes sites west of service road/trail that begins on right (north) just before Entrance Station to park, and picnic area and adjacent woods on west side of site. · a. Wooded area and gully west of service road/trail. Located about 2/10 kilometer from locked chain at entrance to service road/trail. b. Area of mowed grass and edge vegetation on west side of service road/trail about halfway between entrance to road and site 3a. c. Grass area around picnic tables, adjacent woods, and gully in interior of woods. Site located on west side of site 3. PISCATAWAY PARK 4. Mockley Point and adjacent Indian grounds. a. Mockley Point. Includes agricultural field/meadow along dirt road leading to Point, and woods and beach area along Potomac River at end of dirt road. b. Areas adjacent to Indian grounds. Includes dry and swampy woods on eastern side of Accokeek Creek. 4 5. Park on west side of Accokeek Creek. Includes meadows along access road, woods adjacent to parking lot, and western bank of Accokeek Creek near mouth and western end of boardwalk. a. Meadows on both sides of access road leading to parking lot. b. Wooded bank along western side of Accokeek Creek near mouth. c. Dry woods adjacent to parking lot between lot and Potomac River. 6. National Colonial Farm grounds. a. Maintenance and storage buildings and museum barn. Includes area around foundation of buildings, in buildings, and nearby young patch of woods and dry stream bed. b. Area along Bluebird trail. Includes meadow just east of trail, woods just west of trail, and in gully adjacent to trail. 7. Marshall Hall. Collecting sites located just northeast of end of entrance road. a. Along Potomac River. Includes beach debris, and woody and herbaceous riparian vegetation. b. Wooded area northeast of historic cemetery. Includes vegetation in bottom of wet gully, sides of gully, and upland woods. 5 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Table 1 lists all of the spider species found during this survey. Table 2 lists the species occurring in only one or the other of the two Parks. A total of about 113 species belonging to 84 genera and 24 families were found. For comparison, the last comprehensive list of spiders in Maryland was published by Muma (1945). Muma listed 406 species belonging to 179 genera and 26 families. Since Muma's work in the 1940's however, there have been many changes in spider taxonomy at all levels (family, genus, species) making a comparison difficult. Spiders are solitary predators with few individuals of the different species collected. Further complicating this spider survey is that many individuals collected are immature making identifications very difficult. If immature specimens could be identified to at least genus, they were included. No threatened, endangered or invasive species were found. Most of the species are fairly common and probably would not require any special conservation measures beyond maintaining the Parks in at least their present condition. The only poisonous spider found was the Black Widow (Latrodectus mactans) A female was collected on the National Colonial Farm grounds by farm personnel. The Brown Recluse spider (Loxosceles reclusa) has been found in Maryland but was not found during this survey. Because specialized equipment and methods, not available for this survey, are required for sampling in the forest canopy, spiders from this habitat were not collected. Levi (1973), for example, indicated that numerous small orb-weavers (Araneidae: Araneus) may occur in the forest tree-crowns. Future surveys of the fauna in the Parks should include this habitat. 6 TABLEl Table 1 is an alphabetical list (by family, genus and species) of all of the spider species found in both Parks during this survey. Following the name of each species is information on: 1. The total number and sex of the specimens collected (m. = male; f = female; imm. = immature). 2. The National Park Service catalog numbers (FOWA ..... = Fort Washington; PISC ..... = Piscataway Park). 3. Site(s) and date(s) represent where the specimens were collected within the Parks and the day(s) and month(s) when the specimens were collected. 4. The habitat(s) of the specimens and the method(s) of collecting and extracting. AGELENIDAE Agelenopsis sp.; 1 imm.; FOWA - 13656; Site - 1b; 2002 - 23 April Habitat - leaf litter in gully; Berlese Cicurina brevis (Emerton); 1 f.; PISC-21476 Site - 4b; 2002 - 21 May Habitat - rotten wood in swampy woods Tegenaria domesticus (Clerck); 1 imm.; PISC-21477 Site - 6a; 2002 - 21 May Habitat - on web in museum biding. Tegenaria sp.; 2 imm.'s; PISC-21478 Site - 6a; 2002 - 21 May Habitat- in museum & hay storage hidings. 7 Wadotes calcaratus (Keyserling); 2 m. 's FOWA-13657 Site - 3a; 2002 - 2 April; 2003 - 8-20 May Habitat - leaf litter in woods; Berlese, Winkler Wadotes sp.; 2 imm.'s FOWA-13658; PISC-21479 Sites- lb, 6b; 2002- 9, 23 April Habitat - leaf litter in gully; Berlese AMAUROBIIDAE Amaurobius sp.; 1 imm. PISC 21480 Site - 6a; 2002 - 21 May Habitat - web in museum biding. ANYPHAENIDAE Anyphaena fraterna (Banks); I imm. FOWA-13659 Site - 3a; 2003 - 8-20 May Habitat - pitfall trap in woods Anyphaena sp.; 28 imm.'s FOWA-13660;PISC-21481 Sites - la, lb, le, 2d, 3a, 4a, 5c, 6b, 7a 2002 -2,9,16,23 April; 21 May; I July; 12,25 Sept. 2003 - 26 June; 5 Nov. Habitat - sweeping vegetation in woods Hibana gracilis (Hentz); 3 imm. 's FOWA- 13661; PISC-21482 Sites- la, 3a, 7b; 2002-2 April; 12 Sept.; 2003 - 5 Nov. Habitat - litter in open areas & in woods; sweeping, Berlese Wulfila alba (Hentz); 1 m., 1 f PISC-21483 Site - 5c; 2002 - 1 July Habitat - beating dead leaves in woods 8 Wulfila saltabunda (Hentz); 1 f PISC-21484 Site - 6b; 2003 - 20 May Habitat - sweeping along trail Wulfila sp.; 13 imm. 's FOWA - 13662; PISC - 21485 Sites- la, 3a, 4a, 4b, 6b; 2002- 2,9,16,23 April; 21 May Habitat - sweeping veg. along beach & in woods, dead leaves in gully ARANEIDAE Araneus marmoreus Clerck; 1 f. FOWA-13663 Site - le; 2002 - 25 Sept.