ANIMAL SPECIES:Garden Wolf Spider
Wolf spiders are robust, agile, fast-moving ground hunters that chase down or ambush prey.
Identification
The Garden Wolf Spider is large and strongly patterned in grey, brown and white with a black underside. They have large eyes with which they locate their prey. Their characteristic eye formation is four large eyes arranged in a square on top of the head with four smaller eyes in a row at the front.
Size range
1.5 cm - 2.2 cmDistribution
Garden Wolf Spiders are found throughout southern Australia.
Habitat
Garden Wolf Spiders prefer urban areas, forests and woodlands and heath.
Behaviour and adaptations
Other behaviours and adaptations
Most live in leaf litter or in burrows in fairly open ground. Its open burrows are often seen in Sydney gardens. The best time to see wolf spiders is at night when they are searching for prey. Use a torch to spot the greenish yellow reflection from their large eyes.
Life cycle
Female wolf spiders carry their egg sac behind them, attached to the spinnerets (silk-spinning organs) on the abdomen. When the eggs hatch, the spiderlings hitch a ride on the mother's back, clinging onto special knobbed hairs.
Living with us
Danger to humans and first aid
Not known to be dangerous.
Classification
- Species:
- godeffroyi
- Genus:
- Lycosa
- Family:
- Lycosidae
- Order:
- Araneae
- Class:
- Arachnida
- Phylum:
- Arthropoda
- Kingdom:
- Animalia
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Featured product
Spiderwatch: a Guide to Australian Spiders
Bert Brunet - Published by Reed New Holland 1998, (Paperback)
Price: $29.95
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