Wolf spiders are a family of araneomorphic spiders, which has 2,367 species, grouped into 116 genera. These spiders are often confused with Pisaurid spiders. They lead the same lifestyle and have similar external features. The main difference is that pisaurid spiders carry cocoons with eggs using chelicerae and pedipalps, while wolf spiders attach it to their abdomen.
Wolf spiders got their name because of the peculiarities of hunting: they do not weave webs, but pursue prey and, as previously thought, attack it in a pack, like wolves. Now this theory is recognized as erroneous, because spiders attack one by one.
Wolf spider (Lycosidae), appearance
Appearance
The largest specimens of wolf spiders, which are found in Russia, have a body length of about 3.5 cm and the same length of legs. Four pairs of eyes are arranged in several rows:
- in the top row there are medium-sized eyes;
- average two large eyes;
- in the bottom row there are 2 pairs of small eyes.
The female wolf spider is larger in size and has more developed front legs. In addition, females are darker in color than males.
Rules for keeping at home
Wolf spiders have a rather specific appearance, and their behavior is always interesting to watch. That is why many arachnologists dream of having this species at home.
Such arthropods are not poisonous, so you should not be afraid of them.
Maintenance and care are quite simple:
Spiders are quite large in size, so it is better to purchase an aquarium for them with a volume of 15-20 liters. Forest soil mixed with peat chips should be placed in the container.
The layer must be at least 7 cm (maximum 12 cm). Pay special attention to the temperature, try to maintain it within 25-30 degrees. Spiders cannot tolerate low temperatures. The humidity level should be 80%.
Watch this video on YouTube
The presented individuals are quite voracious. Their daily diet must consist of fresh insects: flies, crickets, mosquitoes, larvae. In addition, the aquarium is filled exclusively with drinking water (the liquid must be changed daily).
What does the wolf spider eat and its lifestyle
It’s not for nothing that spiders of this species are called wolves: they hunt their prey in the same way: they can chase even long distances, set up ambushes and sneak in. They can feed on both other spiders and various insects. They can eat:
- aphid;
- mole;
- cicadas;
- crickets;
- the Beatles;
- caterpillars;
- mosquitoes and so on
Wolves prefer to live alone. To do this, they often dig holes, but they can hide under logs and stones. To prevent other insects from entering their home, as well as moisture during rains, the entrance to the hole is usually covered with fallen leaves.
Habitat
Wolf spiders are found almost everywhere. The exception is Antarctica, where soil and climatic conditions are not suitable for the life of this species of arthropod. Lycosidae is most often found in countries characterized by a long warm period.
The habitat is grassy meadows, bushes, fallen leaves and rocky areas, but most often the wolf spider makes its home in places with high levels of humidity. The species is widespread in forest areas located in close proximity to natural bodies of water.
How does a wolf spider reproduce and its lifespan?
In the tropics, spiders breed all year round; In temperate climates, mating occurs only in summer. The male, ready to mate, tries to attract the attention of the female.
Walk slowly towards her, raising your front legs. The bent front legs of the female indicate that she is in a favorable mood.
After the act of mating, the spider leaves for a secluded place. There he spins a cocoon ball to lay his eggs. The female attaches the cocoon to the tip of her abdomen using a rotating organ.
Eggs develop depending on temperature: the hotter it is, the faster this happens. In order for the spiders to appear as quickly as possible, the female spends all her time in the sun.
When the spiders hatch, the female breaks the cocoon. Her cubs come out, climbing onto the mother's back. During this time, the spider with spiders on its back cannot fully hunt, so for the first 7–8 days the female remains hungry.
For several weeks, spiders live on the female’s body, feeding on her epidermis. When the cubs grow up and can already defend themselves, the mother releases them to live independently in some damp and shady place.
Males live about 2 years, females - more than 4 years.
Construction of "houses"
The wolf spider can settle either in a ready-made hole or dig its own. Despite the fact that this creature leads a nomadic lifestyle, comfort is not alien to it. So, having moved into a new house, he begins to arrange it for himself.
First of all, he weaves signal nets near the entrance so that they notify him of the approach of prey or an enemy. It also covers the walls inside the nest with cobwebs. This is necessary so that vibrations from the signal threads are transmitted into the hole even at those moments when the spider is resting.
Kinds
The wolf spider family is quite large: 116 genera include more than 2,000 species. They all have their own characteristics, differences, for example, in wakefulness, hunting characteristics, and so on.
Previously, these representatives of the fauna lived only in the subtropics, but in recent decades, more and more species of wolf spiders have appeared in Russia. The most famous wolf spiders:
- Apulian tarantula. Insects of this species are quite large - their length can exceed 7 cm; they live on the slopes of mountains and hills. The bite of the Apulian tarantula is quite poisonous. To reduce the effect of poison on a person after being bitten by this insect, in the old days it was necessary to move quickly, for example, to dance. Currently, this is not necessary, since the antidote has already been developed.
- South Russian tarantula. This is the largest arachnid insect living in Russia - its length can exceed 3 cm. South Russian tarantulas live in burrows.
Childbirth
As of July 2022, the World Spider Catalog takes the following genera in the spider family Lycosidae:
- Acantholycosa Dahl, 1908
- Adelocosa Gertsch, 1973
- Agalenocosa Mello-Leitau, 1944
- Aglaoctenus Tullgren, 1905
- Algidus Simon, 1898
- Allocosa Banks, 1900
- Allotrochosina Roewer, 1960
- Alopecosa Simon, 1885
- Amblyothele Simon, 1910
- Anomalomma Simon, 1890
- Anomalosa Roewer, 1960
- Anoteropsis L. Koch, 1878
- Arctosa S. L. Koch, 1847
- Arctosippa Roewer, 1960
- Arctosomma Roewer, 1960
- Artoria Thorell, 1877
- Artoriellula Roewer, 1960
- Artoriopsis Framenau, 2007
- Aulonia S. L. Koch, 1847
- Auloniella Roewer, 1960
- Birabenia Mello-Leitau, 1941
- Bogdocosa Ponomarev and Belosludtsev, 2008
- Brevilabus Strand, 1908
- Bristowiella Saaristo, 1980
- Camptocosa Dondale, Jimenez and Nieto, 2005
- Caporiaccosa Roewer, 1960
- Caspicosa Ponomarev, 2007
- Costacosa Framenau & Leung, 2013
- Crocodilosa Caporiacco, 1947
- Cynosa Caporiacco, 1933
- Dejerosa Roewer, 1960
- Deliriosa Kovblyuk, 2009
- Diahogna Roewer, 1960
- Diapontia Keyserling, 1877
- Dingosa Roewer, 1955
- Dolocosa Roewer, 1960
- Donacosa Alderweireldt & Jocqué, 1991
- Dorjulopirata Buchar, 1997
- Draposa Kronestedt, 2010
- Dzhungarocosa Fomichev & Marusik, 2017
- Edenticosa Roewer, 1960
- Evippa Simon, 1882
- Evippomma Roewer, 1959
- Foveosa Russell-Smith, Alderweireldt & Jocqué, 2007
- Geolycosa Montgomery, 1904
- Gladicosa Brady, 1987
- Gnatholycosa Mello-Leitau, 1940
- Gulocosa Marusik, Omelko and Koponen, 2015
- Hesperocosa Gertsch & Wallace, 1937
- Hippasa Simon, 1885
- Hippasella Mello-Leitau, 1944
- Hoggicosa Roewer, 1960
- Hogna Simon, 1885
- Hognoides Roewer, 1960
- Hyaenosa Caporiacco, 1940
- Hygrolycosa Dahl, 1908
- Kangarosa Framenau, 2010
- Katableps Jocqué, Russell-Smith and Alderweireldt, 2011
- Knoelle Framenau, 2006
- Lobizon Piacentini & Grismado, 2009
- Loculla Simon, 1910
- Lycosa Latreille, 1804
- Lycosella Thorell, 1890
- Lysania Thorell, 1890
- Mainosa Framenau, 2006
- Malimbosa Roewer, 1960
- Margonia HIPPA & Lehtinen, 1983
- Megarctosa Caporiacco, 1948
- Melecosa Marusik, Omelko and Koponen, 2015
- Melocosa Gertsch, 1937
- Minicosa Alderweireldt & Jocqué, 2007
- Molitorosa Roewer, 1960
- Mongolicosa Marusik, Azarkina & Koponen, 2004
- Mustelicosa Roewer, 1960
- Navira Piacentini & Grismado, 2009
- Notocosa Wink, 2002
- Nukagiwa Berlandsky, 1935
- Oculicosa Zyuzin, 1993
- Ocyale Audouin, 1826
- Orinocosa Chamberlin, 1916
- Oviya Sankaran, Malamel & Sebastian, 2017
- Paratrochosina Roewer, 1960
- Pardosa S. L. Koch, 1847
- Pardosella Caporiacco, 1939
- Passiena Thorell, 1890
- Pavocosa Roewer, 1960
- Phonophilus Ehrenberg, 1831
- Pirate Sundevall, 1833
- Piratula Roewer, 1960
- Portacosa Framenau, 2017
- Proevippa Purcell, 1903
- Prolycosides Mello-Leitau, 1942
- Pseudevippa Simon, 1910
- Pterartoria Purcell, 1903
- Pyrenecosa Marusik, Azarkina & Koponen, 2004
- Rabidosa Roewer, 1960
- Satta Lehtinen & HIPPA, 1979
- Schizocosa Chamberlin, 1904
- Shapna HIPPA & Lehtinen, 1983
- Sibirocosa Marusik, Azarkina & Koponen, 2004
- Sosippus Simon, 1888
- Syroloma Simon, 1900
- Tapetosa Framenau, Main, Harvey & Waldock, 2009
- Tasmanicosa Roewer, 1959
- Tetralycosa Roewer, 1960
- Tigrosa Brady, 2012
- Trabea Simon, 1876
- Trabeops Roewer, 1959
- Trebacosa Dondale & Redner, 1981
- Tricassa Simon, 1910
- Trochosa S. L. Koch, 1847
- Trochosippa Roewer, 1960
- Tuberculosa Framenau & Yoo, 2006
- Varacosa Chamberlin and Ivyevsky, 1942
- Venator Hogg, 1900
- Venatrix Roewer, 1960
- Venonia Thorell, 1894
- Vesubia Simon, 1910
- Wadicosa Zyuzin, 1985
- Xerolycosa Dahl, 1908
- Zantheres Thorell, 1887
- Zenonina Simon, 1898
- Zoica Simon, 1898
- Zyuzicosa Logunov, 2010
Is the wolf spider dangerous for humans?
Almost all spiders are considered poisonous. The only difference is the strength of the chelicerae, the amount of poison and its concentration. The wolf spider is also poisonous. Thanks to powerful chelicerae, the spider can bite skin.
It is difficult to say how a person will react, since much depends on the individual characteristics of the body. After a bite, the following may appear:
- short-term pain;
- redness;
- itching
In severe cases, in allergy sufferers and children, the pain can become intense, the affected area begins to swell, nausea and dizziness appear.
In such cases, you must contact a medical facility. But it’s better not to wait for severe symptoms, but to go to the hospital or call an ambulance immediately after the bite.
Wolves attack only when they are in danger or the enemy is clearly weaker than them. When faced with a more formidable enemy, spider wolves prefer to cheat - they can pretend to be dead, and, as soon as the threat of attack has passed, they quickly retreat.
Master of the Web
Even though these spiders do not weave webs, they still skillfully use the web. In their arsenal there are several techniques that even soldiers of elite units can envy.
For example, a wolf spider may attach a small amount of web to its legs to increase its grip on the ground. Thanks to this, he can make sharp jumps and lunges more accurately.
Or he can attach a web to his backside, so that with its help he can quickly get into the hole. This defense mechanism helps greatly in cases where the victim turns out to be much stronger than the spider initially expected.
Is it possible to keep at home?
Wolf spiders can be kept as pets. Insects can live in dry aquariums filled with soil.
The main thing is to create the necessary conditions for them: periodically water the ground, but so that the water does not fall on the spiders themselves. To create spiders that are as close to natural living conditions as possible, you need to place leaves and branches in the aquarium.
Spiders are regularly fed dry, crushed food. Some owners give them live prey - various insects that spiders feed on in nature.
It is better to keep a female rather than a male - they are larger in size and live longer. In addition, females are less demanding of conditions and can survive even slight frost.
If you keep a pair - a female and a male, you can get offspring from them. However, such an act is very risky - the chance of being bitten increases many times over.
You should always remember that the wolf spider is dangerous, and if there are children in the house, it is better to abandon this idea and get, for example, a fish, a hamster, or a cat.
Purchasing Tips
It is best to keep females at home whose lifespan in captivity is four years or more. When purchasing a male, you need to remember that they can live in captivity for no more than two years and, having reached sexual maturity, die quickly enough. Among other things, females, even in captivity, are capable of producing numerous offspring every year. The cost of an adult individual of species common in our country rarely exceeds 500 rubles. Exotic specimens imported from tropical countries are valued much higher.
Sources
- https://WikiParazit.ru/pauki/pauki-volki-kto-oni.html
- https://arts-family.ru/nasekomye/pauk-volk-vikipediya.html
- https://dezplan.ru/vopros/pauk-volk
- https://100zaitsev.ru/reptilii/pauk-volk-v-rossii.html
- https://wildfauna.ru/pauk-volk
- https://bioros.net/nasekomye/pauk-volk-foto-vneshnego-vida-i-opasnost-dlya-cheloveka.html
- https://www.syl.ru/article/201502/new_pauk-volk-harakteristika-semeystva-osobennosti-povedeniya
- https://stopklopu.com/pauki-volki-foto-i-opisanie/
- https://domvred.ru/pauk-volk/
- https://stopvreditel.ru/yadovitye/pauki/pauk-volk.html
- https://muravey24.ru/pauki/pauchata-na-spine-pauchihi.html
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The importance of wolf spiders for nature and humans
The wolf's menu consists of various harmful insects, so spiders can be considered useful creatures for nature. They can live next to a person without harming him.
If a wolf spider has settled in a private house or garden, there is no need to kill it: it will destroy the pests, providing these helpers to garden and vegetable plants.
If children or pets live in the house and may accidentally encounter a spider, you can simply move the arthropod away from the area.
History of the name
Now let's talk about where this name came from. After all, you must admit that such names are not given just like that. Well, the answer lies in the behavior of the spider itself, which is very similar to the habits of a wolf.
These creatures do not weave nets; nature has given them a completely different hunting mechanism. Thus, the wolf spider arranges ambushes from which it will attack its victims. This could be his own hole or another dark place.
And yet, this is not even why they called him a wolf. The truth is that this spider does not sit in one place for a long time, like a real wolf, it travels from one territory to another in search of profit. If he finds a rich place, he settles there, but as soon as the flow of food stops, he immediately begins to look for another shelter.
Where does he live?
This type of arachnid is distributed on all continents, not counting areas where there is constant frost. And the warmer the country, the greater the chance of encountering this insect. Another favorable factor for the settlement of spiders is humidity. Therefore, they prefer to nest on rocks near lakes or on damp leaves. But they are also found in the following places:
- Shrubs.
- Flowerbeds.
- Sheds.
- Warehouses.
- Rubble of stones.
- Thickets of grass.
- Reeds.
- Small holes and depressions.
Body size and structure
The insect is an expert at marking and is not visible in dense vegetation. They make burrows and hunt only when there are no dangerous predators nearby.
The body structure is no different from other spiders - on the cephalothorax there are eyes, respiratory tract and a mouth with jaws. The abdominal organs are located in the abdomen. The paws are long and jointed. The color is brown-gray, similar to a hermit spider. But there is one difference - the hermit has a spot on its back that looks like a violin, which the wolf does not have.
The body is covered with black hairs that are similar to fur. The number of eyes is eight. Two of them are big. The wolf has acute vision, better than other insects. This helps to catch prey, the wolf does not weave a web. He runs after prey and catches it. He is helped in hunting by the claws located on the claws of his paws (3 claws on each). Thanks to this, the spider moves quickly. Males are 4 times smaller in size than females.
The sizes of the largest individuals reach 10 cm. But most often small individuals (3 centimeters in length) are found.
In the photo above there is a wolf spider, it fully corresponds to the description.
Animal toxicity
The bite of a wolf spider is not fatal to humans. But it can cause an active allergic reaction.
Main symptoms:
- swelling of tissue at the site of the bite;
- redness;
- severe itching;
- short-term pain.
In this case, you need to apply ice to the bite site and take any antihistamine. There is no need to introduce any additional serums.
The venom of the tarantula is the most dangerous for humans. But even this is not fatal.
A non-poisonous spider never attacks people first. When danger is detected, it turns over on its back and pretends to be dead. It can remain in this state for quite a long time.
Article information
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Categories: Home and Garden
In other languages:
English: Identify a Wolf Spider, Español: identifier a una araña lobo, Deutsch: Eine Wolfspinne erkennen, Italiano: Riconoscere un Ragno Lupo, Français: identifier une araignée loup, Português: Identifier a Aranha Lobo, 中文: 辨认狼蛛, Bahasa Indonesia : Mengenali Laba Laba Serigala (Wolf Spider) มงมุมหมาป่าหรือไม่, Nederlands: Een wolfspin herkennen, Tiếng Việt: Nhân diện nhện sói
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Nutrition
Among the family there are sedentary species that live in burrows, and wandering ones. But they all actively hunt for beetles, their larvae and other flightless insects. He will not refuse to bite a fly if he manages to catch it. Burrowing species can hunt not only at night, but also during the day. But during the day they only grab prey that runs past the mink.
Interesting!
Representatives of this family grab prey in a jump. Before jumping, the arthropod attaches a web to the place from where it will jump. In this way, the animal insures itself against falling from a branch or anywhere else.
