Wolf spider (family Lycosidae)

Wolf spiders are part of Lycosidae family, which is a large and widespread group that has been found throughout the world.

To make things worse, let’s just say that they’re called “wolf” spiders because they have a wolflike habit of chasing their prey…not scary at all! There are around 125 species in North America, and 50 in Europe.

Various species can also be found north of the Arctic Circle, and most of them are small to medium-sized.

The biggest one has a body around 2.5 cm long, and legs that are the same length. They are known to be very fast, and they can be found in grass, under stones, leaf litter, and even in houses that harbor various insects.

Most of these species build their silk-lined, tubular nests deep in the ground, and only a couple of species spin webs.

Wolf spider eggs are kept in a gray silk sac on the female’s spinnerets, in such a way that she seems to be dragging a large ball. After hatching, the young spiders remain on their mother’s back for many days.