Arachnids & Myriapods Codexery

Wolf spider

Solitary hunters with excellent eyesight and unique maternal care.

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Wolf spiders are a family of hunting spiders that range in body size from less than 0.4 to 1.38 inches, not including legs.[1] They have eight eyes arranged in three rows, and four of those eyes contain a reflective tapetum lucidum tissue.[1][2] This family includes 140 genera and 2,510 species.[3]

Scientific classification

  1. KingdomAnimalia
  2. PhylumArthropoda
  3. SubphylumChelicerata
  4. ClassArachnida
  5. OrderAraneae
  6. InfraorderAraneomorphae
  7. FamilyLycosidae

Named by Sundevall, 1833

Sources: Wikipedia taxobox: Wolf spider (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Quick Facts

Diversity
140 genera, 2,510 species

Facts from the source article.

Biology and range

The genera Hogna and Tigrosa contain nineteen and five species, respectively, including some of the biggest wolf spiders in the area.[4] These spiders build retreats in soil, under boards, stones, and firewood, and under siding.[4] They are hunting spiders that only come out at night to look for prey.[4] Females carry their young spiderlings on their backs during the summer months.[4]

The spiderlings hatch in June and July and attain only half of their full size by the following winter.[4] A 2015 Gizmodo article notes that wolf spiders have the second-best vision in the class Arachnida, after jumping spiders.[5] The same phylogenetic research indicates that the original hunting method for wolf spiders was likely roaming, with later species developing web-spinning and burrowing behaviors.[6] These spiders are valued in agriculture and horticulture because they help regulate insect populations naturally by preying on pest species.[7]

When a light source is held near the line of sight, the beam reflects off the spider's eyes, creating a visible glow known as eyeshine.[8]

What the specialist sources record

That article also describes how Boy Scouts have used the eyeshine trick for years, calling it "spider sniffing".[5] The South Carolina Legislature records show that the Carolina wolf spider (Hogna carolinensis) was designated the official state spider in 2000.[9] The legislative text notes that third-grade student Skyler B. Hutto suggested this designation after reading about existing state symbols.[9] The same source reports that bites typically cause minor redness, itching, and sores; failure to clean the wound may result in infection.[10]

A 2015 Gizmodo article describes that in wolf spiders, four of the eight eyes have a reflective layer behind the retina called a tapetum.[5]

References

  1. Wikipedia, "Wolf spider" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Wolf Spiders: Lycosidae Sundevall 1833", Australasian Arachnology Society; Ubick, "Spiders of North America: an identification manual", American Arachnological Society, 2017 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  2. Wikipedia, "Wolf spider" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Smith-Strickland, "This Is How to Find the Spiders That Are Staring At You in the Dark", Gizmodo.com, 8 February 2015 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  3. Wikipedia, "Wolf spider" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Family Lycosidae Sundevall, 1833", World Spider Catalog (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  4. "Wolf Spiders", extension.psu.edu. facts only, no text reused. extension.psu.edu
  5. Smith-Strickland, "This Is How to Find the Spiders That Are Staring At You in the Dark", Gizmodo.com, 8 February 2015. facts only, no text reused. gizmodo.com
  6. Wikipedia, "Wolf spider" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Liu, "Backbone phylogeny and evolution of Lycosidae (Araneae): New insights from phylogenomic analyses of mitogenomic data", Journal of Systematics and Evolution, 2025-07-02, p. 1235–1248 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  7. Wikipedia, "Wolf spider" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Farming with Native Beneficial Insects: Ecological Pest Control Solutions", Storey Publishing, 2014, p. 204–205 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  8. Wikipedia, "Wolf spider" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: 2013: "In the lycosoid spiders, the secondary eyes possess a grate-shaped tapetum lucidum that reflects light, causing eyeshine when these spiders are viewed wi (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  9. "South Carolina Legislature Online - Search". facts only, no text reused. scstatehouse.gov
  10. Wikipedia, "Wolf spider" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Wolf Spiders", extension.psu.edu (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Wolf spider (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.

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Sources

Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.

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