Wolf Spider Facts - National Geographic

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a California wolf spider

A rabid wolf spider at the Dallas Zoo.

Photograph by Joel Sartore, National Geographic Photo Ark
Please be respectful of copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited.Common Name: Wolf SpiderScientific Name: Lycosidae spp.Type: InvertebratesDiet: InsectivoreGroup Name: Cluster or ClutterAverage Life Span: 1 year, rarely up to 18 monthsSize: Species range from 0.24 to 1.2 inches

Wolf spiders are the sprinters of the spider world. Most of the thousands of species in this family don’t spin webs; instead, they chase and pounce on their insect prey like the wolves that inspire their name.

Once wolf spiders catch their prey, they either mash it up into a ball or inject venom into it, liquefying the internal organs into a wolf-spider smoothie.

All wolf spiders have eight dark eyes arranged around their heads, or cephalothorax. Two large eyes gleam from the top of the head; two more large eyes peer out the front; and four smaller eyes form a row just above the spider’s mouth.

Most wolf spiders spend their time on the ground. The dark, mottled colors on their bodies help them blend in with decaying plant matter while hunting or avoiding predators. Sometimes they dig burrows or make holes under rocks or logs to live in.

Wolf spiders have figured out how to live just about anywhere. While some species are found on cold, rocky mountaintops, others live in volcanic lava tubes. From deserts to rainforests, grasslands to suburban lawns, wolf spider thrive; there’s likely one nearby. One species has even been found living in wheat crops, feeding on pests such as aphids.

When it’s time to mate, male wolf spiders attract females by rhythmically waving their long mouthparts (palps) or drumming them on leaves. Once mated, the female spins a round egg sac, attaches it to her abdomen and it carries around with her. The young hatch inside, then emerge and climb on mom’s back until they’re old enough to live on their own.

Many species are considered to have stable populations. But some, such as the desertas wolf spider of Portugal and the Kaua’i cave spider of Hawaii, are endangered.

1:32Excellent eyesight. Incredibly agile. Camouflaged body. Venom-injecting fangs. The Costa Rican Wolf Spider is an opportunistic predator. See more of Costa Rica's charismatic wildlife in Untamed from Nat Geo Wild. Follow filmmaker Filipe DeAndrade and his two best friends as they travel throughout Costa Rica in search of the most diverse, iconic and unexpected animal species the country has to offer.As its scientific name suggests, the Antilles pinktoe (<i>Avicularia versicolor</i>) changes color as it matures. The spider’s abdomen turns from blue to pink or red and the carapace becomes metallic green. This juvenile Antilles pinktoe was photographed at the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha, Nebraska.Please be respectful of copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited.The flattened body of the banded huntsman spider (<i>Holconia immanis</i>) allows the arachnid to hide beneath loose pieces of tree bark. This individual was photographed at the Taronga Zoo in Australia.Please be respectful of copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited.A southern black widow (<i>Latrodectus mactans)</i> hangs out at the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans, Louisiana. Prior to the widespread adoption of indoor plumbing, black widows often made their homes in outhouses—which led to men being bitten in a rather sensitive area.Please be respectful of copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited.This Mexican fireleg tarantula (<i>Brachypelma boehmei</i>) was photographed at the Brevard Zoo in Melbourne, Florida. The spider defends itself by kicking hairs off its body that act as an irritant to would-be predators.Please be respectful of copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited.South Carolina is the only U.S. state to have an official spider species—the Carolina wolf spider. This one was photographed at the Fort Worth Zoo in Texas.Please be respectful of copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited.This pinktoe tarantula (<i>Avicularia avicularia)</i> was photographed at the Fort Worth Zoo in Texas. When young, the arachnids have pink bodies and dark feet—but, upon reaching adulthood, the color scheme flips to dark bodies and pink feet.Please be respectful of copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited.The bite of the brown recluse spider<i> (Loxosceles reclusa)</i>, like this one at the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans, produces a venom that slowly destroys human tissue.Please be respectful of copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited.Harvestmen (genus <i>Leiobunum) </i>are more commonly known as daddy longlegs. They aren’t actually spiders but another type of arachnid. This one was photographed at the Dallas Zoo in Texas.Please be respectful of copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited.A wolf spider (<i>Hogna osceola) </i>is photographed at the Archbold Biological Station near Lake Placid, Florida. You can spot this hunter at night by its highly reflective eyes.Please be respectful of copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited.False black widow spiders (<i>Steatoda grossa</i>), such as this one photographed at the Knoxville Zoo in Tennessee, are frequently mistaken for black widows, but they lack the distinctive red hourglass pattern on the underside of the abdomen.Please be respectful of copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited.1 / 101 / 10As its scientific name suggests, the Antilles pinktoe (<i>Avicularia versicolor</i>) changes color as it matures. The spider’s abdomen turns from blue to pink or red and the carapace becomes metallic green. This juvenile Antilles pinktoe was photographed at the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha, Nebraska.As its scientific name suggests, the Antilles pinktoe (Avicularia versicolor) changes color as it matures. The spider’s abdomen turns from blue to pink or red and the carapace becomes metallic green. This juvenile Antilles pinktoe was photographed at the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha, Nebraska.Photograph by Joel Sartore, National Geographic Photo ArkShareTweetEmailLegal
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