The+Hunting+Spiders+-+The+Wolf+Spiders

=The Hunting Spiders Part 3=

__WOLF SPIDERS (Lycosidae) __

Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Arachnida Order: Araneae Infraorder: Araneomorphae Family: Lycosidae

 Fig. 1: Wolf spider in the grass.

The wolf spider family is a highly diverse family that can be found all over the globe, with about 2,300 species (Murphy et al. 2006). Their size ranges from around 0.05 inches to 1.5 inches long (Murphy et al. 2006). The wolf spider’s abdomen is generally as long as it is wide. Their eight eyes are arranged in three rows, with four small eyes on the bottom, two large eyes in the middle, and two medium-sized eyes on top (Murphy et al. 2006). Their eyes aid them when hunting. They are nocturnal hunters and, similar to the sac spiders, build egg sacs for their eggs (Murphy et al. 2006). Females are very protective of their young and carry their egg sacs with them, even when they hunt. Female wolf spiders are well known for their care for their young (Stefani et al. 2011). When the eggs hatch, the young then climb onto their mother and assemble on her abdomen (Stefani et al. 2011). The young remain here until they mature and then disperse aerially (Murphy et al. 2006).

Fig. 2: A close up of a wolf spider's eyes.

Wolf spiders thrive in a wide variety of habitats in the woods, shrubs, gardens, and meadows. Wolf spiders are not ornate, which aids them in being camouflaged to avoid potential predators. Some species of wolf spiders dig burrows for themselves. Wolf spiders feed on a variety of insects that they capture and kill (Murphy et al. 2006).

The most common wolf spiders found in Vermont are the Thin-Legged Wolf Spiders and the Rabid Wolf Spiders (Platnick and Solomon 2013).

Fig. 3: Female wolf spider with egg sac.

Fig. 4: Female wolf spider with young on her abdomen.

Created by D. Bartolanzo

References:

1. Murphy, N. P., Framenau, V. W., Donnellan, S. C., Harvey, M. S., Park, Y. C., and Austin, A. D. 2006. Phylogenetic reconstruction of the wolf spiders (Araneae: Lycosidae) using sequences from the 12S rRNA, 28S rRNA, and NADH1 genes: Implications for classification, biogeography, and the evolution of web building behavior. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 38: 583-602.

2. Platnick, N. I., and Solomon P. J. "The World Spider Catalog." The World Spider Catalog. American Museum of Natural History, 9 May 2013. Web. 11 Nov. 2013. .

3. Stefani, V., Del-Claro, K., Silvia, L. A., Guimaraes, B., and Tizo-Pedroso, E. 2011. Mating behaviour and maternal care in the tropical savanna funnel-web spider Aglaoctenus lagotis Holmberg (Araneae: Lycosidae). Journal of Natural History. 45: 17-18.

Images:

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Figure 1. Mason 4300 (Photographer). (September 17, 2007). Wikimedia Commons [Web Photo] Retrieved from

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Figure 2. Opoterser (Photographer). (February 28, 2008). Wikimedia Commons [Web Photo] Retrieved from

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Figure 3. Bidgee (Photographer). (April 23, 2005). Wikimedia Commons [Web Photo] Retrieved from

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Figure 4. Geng, Valerius (Photographer). (August 2008). Wikimedia Commons [Web Photo] Retrieved from