Wolf Spider
Common Name
Scientific Name
Wolf Spider
Rhabidosa rabida
Identification:
Wolf spiders range from about 1/2 inch to 2 inches in length, including their legs they can reach almost 4 inches, they are hairy, and are typically brown to gray in color with various markings or lines. The wolf spider is sometimes confused with the tarantula due to their bulky and thick size. This spider does have fangs, and can give a nasty bite. Most bites, if there is a reaction, have only been reported to leave a small wound that may be itchy or irritated for a few days at the most. These spiders are also known for their vision, unlike other spiders, they have two very large eyes on top of their other sets of eyes. They are also very fast, reaching up to two feet in two seconds.
Biology:
When wolf spiders reproduce in the spring and summer, the courtship begins with the male approaching the female, who is much larger, and if he is lucky he is not eaten and they mate. Once the female has been impregnated she creates an egg sac with her thread and carries the sac on her lower abdomen until they hatch. When the spiderlings are born, they climb onto their mothers back and ride along with her for a few days, until they are let go and go their separate ways.
Habits:
Wolf spiders walk, or more often run, along the ground and among rocks and leaf piles searching out prey. Over a dozen different genera, consisting of over two hundred species call some part of the United States home, making them one of the most abundant and commonly seen spiders. For some people wolf spiders are a common pest in their homes, and it is true that in the fall they look for warm places to overwinter.
Wolf spiders are found on the ground in almost any terrestrial habitat. They of course prefer places were prey can be found such as around doors, near plants, windows, humid basements, and garages.
The hunting strategies of wolf spiders are perhaps the most diverse of any spider group. Many are active, wandering hunters during the day in sunny areas along the ground and in vegetation; others hunt at night and remain in silk-lined retreats during the day. Still others live and hunt in aquatic environments, walking on the surface of ponds or on submerged vegetation. Some wolf spiders dig burrows in which they lie in wait for passing insects and other prey.
