Kingdom Animalia Class Arachnida Superfamily Lycosoidea Scientific name Sibirocosa alpina | Phylum Arthropoda Order Araneae Family Lycosidae Rank Species | |
Sibirocosa alpina is a species of wolf spider only known from the Almaty area of Kazakhstan.
This species, only known from two female specimens, was placed in Sibirocosa on the basis of similarities in the genitalia. The authors who described the species admit its placement in this genus is possibly problematic due to morphological differences and especially as its known range is 2,500 km (1,553 mi) from the nearest presumed congener in Siberia, S. sibirica. The correct placement of this species should become clearer once the male has been found and described.
This spider has a body length of up to 5.75 mm and has shorter legs than other Sibirocosa species. It is distinctively marked: the front of the cephalothorax (where the eyes are located) is black with two longitudinal brown stripes; the carapace is brown with paler stripes; the abdomen is blackish with a broad brown stripe down the middle. The legs have pale rings and differ from other Sibirocosa species by having a smaller number (3 vs. 4) of ventral tibial spines.