Wolf spider

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iWolf spider

Burrowing wolf spider defending its egg sac

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Arachnida
Order:	Araneae
Superfamily:	Lycosoidea
Family:	Lycosidae Sundevall, 1833

Diversity

104 genera, 2304 species

Genera

Acantholycosa
Adelocosa
Agalenocosa
Aglaoctenus
Algidus
Allocosa
Allotrochosina
Alopecosa
Alopecosella
Amblyothele
Anomalomma
Anomalosa
Anoteropsis
Arctosa
Arctosippa
Arctosomma
Artoria
Artoriellula
Aulonia
Auloniella
Brevilabus
Bristowiella
Camptocosa
Caporiaccosa
Crocodilosa
Cynosa
Dejerosa
Diapontia
Dingosa
Dolocosa
Donacosa
Dorjulopirata
Edenticosa
Evippa
Evippomma
Geolycosa
Gladicosa
Gnatholycosa
Hesperocosa
Hippasa
Hippasella
Hippasosa
Hogna
Hognoides
Hyaenosa
Hygrolycosa
Loculla
Lycosa
Lycosella
Lycosula
Lysania
Malimbosa
Margonia
Megarctosa
Melloicosa
Melocosa
Molitorosa
Mongolicosa
Mustelicosa
Notocosa
Oculicosa
Ocyale
Orinocosa
Orthocosa
Paratrochosina
Pardosa
Pardosella
Passiena
Pavocosa
Phonophilus
Pirata
Piratosa
Proevippa
Prolycosides
Pseudevippa
Pterartoria
Pterartoriola
Pyrenecosa
Rabidosa
Satta
Schizocosa
Shapna
Sibirocosa
Sosippus
Syroloma
Tasmanicosa
Trabea
Trabeops
Trebacosa
Tricassa
Trochosa
Trochosippa
Trochosula
Varacosa
Venator
Venatrix
Venonia
Vesubia
Wadicosa
Xerolycosa
Zantheres
Zenonina
Zoica

The wolf spiders are members of the family Lycosidae, so named because their method of hunting is to run down their prey.

They resemble nursery web spiders (family Pisauridae), but they carry their egg sacks by attaching them to their spinnerets (instead of by means of their jaws and pedipalps).

1 Description
2 Habits
3 Additional photos
4 References
5 External links

[edit] Description

Some wolf spiders are very small, one inch or smaller, and others are rather large. Hogna carolinensis (the "Carolina wolf spider") is the largest U.S. species, with a body that can be more than one inch long.

[edit] Habits

Except for the genus Sosippus, these spiders do not use their silk to make a snare. Some use their silk to line a tubular tunnel in the ground. Some take regular shelter in natural crevices. Still others spend their entire lives wandering around with no fixed abode. Unlike many other spiders, they have good vision and they chase their prey.

Female carrying an egg sack

Female wolf spiders carry their eggs along with them in spherical, silk egg sacs attached to their spinnerets. After the eggs hatch, the multitude of tiny spiders climb onto their mother's abdomen, where she carries them for about one month.^[1]