WOLF SPIDER (Trochosa ruricola)

Pronounced:

Truk-osa roor-i-kola

Order:

Araneida

Kingdom:

Animalia

Family:

Lycosidae

Phylum:

Arthropoda

Genus:

Trochosa

Class:

Arachnida

Species:

Ruricola

 
Wolf spiders, as their name suggests, hunt their prey at night like wolves, running on long, strong legs and pouncing when they get close enough, then sinking long fangs into their victims. Unlike wolves, they do not hunt in packs. Their family name, Lycosidae, comes from the Greek word for wolf: Lycos.

Although some wolf spiders have venom that can hurt and/or kill smaller animals, there are no reports of humans being killed by wolf spider bites. But they do hurt!

Trochosa ruricola is a species found in Europe and much of Asia, as well as in Japan. They do not need a web and make their homes in nests in the ground. They can be found in many habitats, from grassland to woodlots, and also in lawns and gardens. Females grow to be about 15 mm long, while males are shorter, about 10 mm. They eat insects and other spiders.

Females have the interesting behavior of carrying their young on their backs after they hatch, sometime hundreds at a time. In this way, she can protect them from harm until they are larger.