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FAMILY LYCOSIDAE - Wolf Spiders
This page contains pictures and information about Wolf Spiders that we found in the Brisbane area, Queensland, Australia.
The spider that you see wandering across the garden path or between plants on
a summer day or night is quite likely a common Wolf Spider. These spiders are real hunters and have
very good eyesight. They are fast
moving, hunting in the open ground and low vegetation during day and night. They
are usually dull grey and brown in colour with black pattern. Their size is from
small to medium. Female Wolf Spider carry their egg sac behind their
abdomen. The above picture show a mother Wolf Spider carrying minute young on
her back. They are called "wolf spider" because people wrongly thought they hunted in groups like wolves.
Their eyes are arrange in three rows of two, two and four.
- Wolf Spider
- Lycosa sp., body length 10mm
- This female Wolf Spider (larger picture) is carrying her young spiders at her abdomen. We find this spider hunting at night in our garden in a summer night. Its carapace is mainly black in colour, with two white lines along the edge. Some weeks ago I saw a similar spider and its abdomen look interesting. When I disturbed it, I saw many small spiders running at all direction from their mother's abdomen. The smaller picture shows a male wolf spider holding its prey.
- Wolf Spider
- Lycosa sp., body length 15mm
- This Wolf Spider can be found hunting on ground in garden at night. They move very fast when in pursuit of prey. The second picture shows its large chelicerae. Also notice the arrangement of it eight eyes.
