Wolf Spiders (Family Lycosidae)
Dotted Wolf Spider - Cliff Fairweather
Wolf Spider with egg sac - Judy Gallagher
Wolf spiders are one of the most widespread spider families, occurring in a wide variety of habitats including forests, meadows, fields, wetlands, beaches, around homes, and in gardens. They don’t build webs and are ground hunting sit-and-wait predators that rush or pounce on nearby or passing prey.
When taking larger prey, this can result in quite a tussle. If no prey is available in one spot, they’ll move on to another until they find a meal. As a result, wolf spiders can range over relatively large areas.
● Identification: Wolf spiders occur in a wide range of sizes, from 5–20 mm, and are usually brown, gray, or black and are often striped or otherwise patterned. They have eight long, robust legs armed with spines and can run fast. The carapace (the upper part of the cephalothorax, or first body segment) is high and longer than wide. It bears eight relatively large eyes, with four eyes forming a trapezoid on top of the carapace, two eyes face forward on the front of the carapace, and one eye on each side. This arrangement gives the spider a view in all directions and is readily visible on large or medium sized specimens, though easier to see with a magnifying glass. They have good vision and their eyes shine at night in a flashlight beam. The abdomen is ovoid and a bit larger than the cephalothorax.
● Range: wolf spiders are found throughout our region in a wide variety of habitats.
● Breeding: Wolf spiders mate and lay eggs sometime in the spring through fall, depending on the species. Females spin a silk egg sac that they carry behind them, attached to their spinnerets. After hatching, the spiderlings climb onto their mother’s body and ride around with her for up to a couple of weeks before dispersing. At first glance, the spiderlings make the mother’s body appear furry.
| What Wolf Spiders Need | How Can We Help |
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| Food and Water: Wolf spiders feed on insects, especially ground-dwelling ones such as grasshoppers, crickets and ants, and other invertebrates, including other spiders. Large females will sometimes take small reptiles and amphibians. They obtain water from their prey. |
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| Shelter: Wolf spiders spend most of their time on the ground and shelter in leaf litter, under rocks and logs, and in brush piles. Many species overwinter in leaf litter, either as adults or immatures. |
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| Breeding and nesting: Female wolf spiders are larger than males and sometimes kill and eat males after mating. Sometimes two males will mate with the same female simultaneously (she has two genital openings) to reduce their chances of being eaten. Female wolf spiders carry their “nest” with them in the form of a silk egg sac attached to their spinnerets. Females of burrowing species will often hide in their burrows with their egg sacs or young. |
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| Other: Wolf spiders are prey for many predatory insects, birds, insectivorous mammals, and lizards. Males live only about a year or less, but females can live for two years or more. |
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Additional Resources:
Spiders of the Carolinas by L.L. Gaddy; Spiders of the North Woods by Larry Weber
Missouri Dept. of Conservation Wolf Spiders https://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/wolf-spiders
Biokids Lycosidae (University of Michigan) http://www.biokids.umich.edu/critters/Lycosidae
Where to See Model Habitat and Observation Sites: wolf spiders can be found in just about any forest or meadow in our region that has a good cover of native plants and abundant leaf litter. The meadow and woods around the nature center at Riverbend Park in Fairfax County is a good example.
Wolf spider with young on her abdomen – Cliff Fairweather