Wolf Spider

wolf spider
A wolf spider carrying its egg sac.

Wolf spiders do not build webs to trap their prey, but like huntsman spiders, they actively stalk and ambush them. Their eyes are perfectly adapted for this hunting strategy, being arranged in three rows. The two large, forward-facing median eyes in the posterior row and smaller lateral eyes positioned at the sides enable them to scan their surroundings for prey, which includes insects and other small invertebrates.

wolf spider
A female wolf spider with spiderlings on its back.

Though they don’t spin hunting webs, wolf spiders do produce silk which they use to construct egg sacs. After hatching, the spiderlings climb onto their mother’s abdomen, where they remain for a week or two before dispersing.

Members of the family Lycosidae, wolf spiders are typically small (most under one inch in body length) and often brown with darker markings  They thrive in diverse habitats, from forest floors and sandy stream banks to rocky crevices and low vegetation like ferns and shrubs.

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