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Wolf spiders are large and hairy, with bodies anywhere between 1.2 to 5 centimetres in size. They are usually grey with brown or dark grey markings, and eight eyes that shine a bright green when spotted under torchlight. The Garden Wolf Spider (Tasmanicosa godeffroyi) is the most common wolf spider in Australia, living in open woodlands and suburban backyards. They are named for their robust and agile hunting skills and excellent eyesight, and they mostly live in solitude, hunting alone.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Body size (body only) | 10-35 mm (0.4-1.38 in) or 1.2-5 cm (including legs) |
| Body colour | Drab, brown, yellow, grey, black, white, salmon pink |
| Eye colour | Greenish yellow |
| Number of eyes | 8 |
| Eye arrangement | 4 small eyes in a row at the front, 2 large eyes in the middle row, 2 medium-sized eyes in the top row |
| Hunting style | Solitary, stalking prey like a wolf |
| Habitat | Dry inland shrublands, woodlands, wet coastal forests, alpine meadows, suburban gardens |
| Diet | Small ground-dwelling invertebrates, insects, small vertebrates, cane toads, frogs, lizards |
| Mating behaviour | Males perform courtship ritual outside female's burrow at night |
| Egg sac | Round, silken globe attached to spinnerets at the end of the abdomen |
| Baby spiders' behaviour | Carried on mother's back until they disperse |
| Venomous | Yes |
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What You'll Learn
The Garden Wolf Spider is the most common in Australia
Wolf spiders are members of the family Lycosidae, named for their robust and agile hunting skills and excellent eyesight. They are found all over the world, but there are several species unique to Australia.
The Garden Wolf Spider (Tasmanicosa godeffroyi) is the most common wolf spider in Australia. It is found in open woodlands and
The Garden Wolf Spider is a mid-sized spider, with females measuring up to 27 mm in body length and males measuring up to 25 mm. They are large and hairy, usually grey with brown or dark grey markings. They have eight eyes, with four small eyes in the bottom row, two large eyes in the middle row, and two medium-sized eyes in the top row. This eye arrangement gives them some of the sharpest eyesight of all spiders, allowing them to hunt effectively at night without using webs or vibrations.
Garden Wolf Spiders are solitary hunters, preferring to stalk their prey alone like wolves. They feed primarily on ground-dwelling invertebrates such as crickets, ants, and other spiders, but larger specimens may also prey on small vertebrates like frogs, toads, and lizards. They are known predators of the Cane toad. They are not considered dangerous to humans and will usually run away from potential threats. However, they will bite if provoked, and their bites can cause mild symptoms such as localised pain or itchiness.
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They are large and hairy, ranging from 1.2 to 5 cm
Australian wolf spiders are large and hairy, ranging in size from 1.2 to 5 centimetres. They are usually grey with brown or dark grey markings, and their eyes shine a distinctive green when spotted under torchlight. The Garden Wolf Spider (Tasmanicosa godeffroyi) is the most common wolf spider species in Australia, found in open woodlands and suburban backyards. These spiders are large and strongly patterned in grey, brown, and white, with a black underside. They have eight eyes, with four large eyes arranged in a square on top of the head and four smaller eyes in a row at the front. This characteristic eye formation is unique to wolf spiders and helps distinguish them from other spider species.
Wolf spiders are named for their robust and agile hunting skills, resembling the stalking behaviour of wolves. They have excellent eyesight, which they use to locate their prey, and they do not rely on webs to catch their food. Instead, they hunt alone and pounce on their prey or chase it over short distances. Wolf spiders are found in a variety of habitats, including dry inland shrublands, woodlands, wet coastal forests, and alpine meadows. They are often found in lawns and gardens, where they live in holes and keep insect numbers down.
While wolf spiders are venomous, their bites are not considered dangerous to humans. Symptoms of a wolf spider bite include local pain, itchiness, swelling, and, in rare cases, dizziness, rapid pulse, and nausea. The female wolf spider carries her egg sac attached to her spinnerets, and once the eggs hatch, she carries the spiderlings on her back until they are large enough to disperse and fend for themselves. This behaviour is unique to wolf spiders and demonstrates their dedication to their young.
The size of wolf spiders can vary depending on the specific species. For example, the McKay's Creek Wolf Spider (Artoria mckayi) has a body length of about 12 millimetres, while the Carolina Wolf Spider (Hogna carolinensis), a larger species, can have a body length of more than 2.5 centimetres. The size of wolf spiders may also vary between males and females, with females typically being larger.
In conclusion, Australian wolf spiders are impressive arachnids, known for their size, hairy appearance, and unique characteristics. Their hunting skills, excellent eyesight, and dedication to their young make them fascinating members of the spider family. While they may not be everyone's favourite garden buddies, they play an essential role in controlling insect populations and maintaining ecological balance.
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Their body colour is typically grey, brown, or black
Australian wolf spiders are typically grey, brown, or black. They are often large and hairy, with a body length of 1.2 to 5 centimetres. Some species, like the Garden Wolf Spider, have a black underside and are strongly patterned in grey and brown with white markings. The Grey Wolf Spider, as its name suggests, is predominantly grey.
The colour of a wolf spider's body is typically drab, with most species exhibiting variegated patterns in brown, yellow, grey, black, and white. Some inland species even display a bright salmon pink colour on their undersides. The patterns on their bodies often include radiating lines on the carapace (front of the body) and scroll-like patterns on the abdomen. The underside of a wolf spider is usually light grey, cream, or black, and may include superimposed black or white markings.
The body colour of a wolf spider is influenced by its favourite habitat. For example, the Garden Wolf Spider, which prefers urban areas, forests, woodlands, and heath, has a colour scheme that helps it blend into its surroundings. Wolf spiders are ground-dwelling, often found in leaf litter, and their coloration allows them to camouflage effectively with decaying leaves, sticks, and pebbles.
The size of wolf spiders varies across different species, with body lengths ranging from 10 to 35 millimetres (excluding legs). Some larger species, such as the Carolina Wolf Spider, can have a body length of more than 2.5 centimetres. The male wolf spiders are generally smaller than the females.
Wolf spiders are named for their robust and agile hunting skills, and their excellent eyesight plays a crucial role in their hunting strategy. They possess eight eyes arranged in three rows: four small eyes in the bottom row, two large eyes in the middle row, and two medium-sized eyes in the top row. This unique eye formation gives them exceptionally sharp eyesight compared to most other spiders.
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Wolf Spiders have eight eyes in three rows
Wolf spiders are large, hairy spiders that are usually grey with brown or dark grey markings. They are found all over the world, but there are several species unique to Australia, such as the Garden Wolf Spider (Tasmanicosa godeffroyi), which is the most common wolf spider in the country. They are named for their robust and agile hunting skills and excellent eyesight. Wolf spiders have eight eyes in three rows (4, 2, 2), with four smaller eyes in the front and four larger eyes arranged in a square on top of their high and convex heads.
The eight eyes of wolf spiders are arranged in three rows, with the bottom row consisting of four small eyes, the middle row containing two very large eyes, and the top row featuring two medium-sized eyes. This configuration of eyes grants wolf spiders exceptional eyesight, which is vital for hunting and capturing prey, as well as recognising mates and rivals. The large eyes in the middle row distinguish wolf spiders from Pisauridae, a similar-looking spider species.
The tapetum lucidum, a retroreflective tissue, is found in the four secondary eyes of the wolf spider. This tissue increases visual sensitivity by reflecting light back through the light-sensitive retinal cells, intensifying the image. This adaptation allows wolf spiders to have extraordinary low-light vision, making them formidable nocturnal hunters.
Wolf spiders are ground-dwelling hunters that chase and stalk their prey, much like wolves. They rely almost entirely on their eyesight for hunting, unlike other spiders that depend on webs and vibrations to capture prey. The eight eyes of wolf spiders play specialised roles in hunting. The large eyes in the middle row are used for detecting the presence of prey or predators from a distance. Once prey is detected, the smaller eyes in the bottom row help gauge distance and aid in capturing prey.
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They are named for their robust and agile hunting skills
Wolf spiders are named for their robust and agile hunting skills. They are a solitary species, hunting alone and usually not spinning webs. They rely almost entirely on their excellent eyesight to hunt, stalking their prey in a manner similar to wolves. They are also known as opportunistic hunters, pouncing on prey as they find it or chasing it over short distances. Some species wait for passing prey near the mouth of their burrow.
Wolf spiders have eight eyes in total, with four small eyes in a row and four large eyes above these. This gives them some of the sharpest eyesight of all spiders. Their eyes are arranged in three rows, with the bottom row consisting of four small eyes, the middle row of two very large eyes, and the top row of two medium-sized eyes. The large eyes distinguish them from nursery web spiders, whose eyes are all of roughly equal size. The tapetum lucidum, a retroreflective tissue, is found in the four secondary eyes of the wolf spider. This reflective tissue produces eyeshine when a beam of light is flashed over the spider, which can be easily noticed.
Wolf spiders are mostly ground-dwelling, living in leaf litter or burrows. They are active at night, hunting their prey under the cover of darkness. They feed on small ground-dwelling invertebrates, predominantly insects, but will attack small vertebrates if given the opportunity. Their diet includes crickets, ants, flies, small spiders, frogs, lizards, and even cane toads.
Wolf spiders are found all over the world, but several species are unique to Australia, such as the Garden Wolf Spider (Tasmanicosa godeffroyi), which is the most common wolf spider in the country. They can be found in a variety of habitats, ranging from dry inland shrublands and woodlands to wet coastal forests and alpine meadows. They are often found in lawns, gardens, and suburban areas.
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Frequently asked questions
Australian wolf spiders vary in size depending on the species. The body length of McKay's Creek Wolf Spider (Artoria mckayi) is about 12mm. The body size of Artoriopsis sp (A. expolita or A. melissae), a genus of wolf spiders endemic to Australia, ranges from 3 to 11 mm. The Garden Wolf Spider, the most common wolf spider in Australia, is large and can be up to 5 centimetres in size.
The Hogna genus includes the largest of the wolf spiders. The H. carolinensis (Carolina wolf spider) is the largest species, with a body length of more than 2.5 cm.
Wolf spiders are often considered large compared to other spiders. They are usually large and hairy with long legs.
Yes, some wolf spiders are smaller than 10mm. The body size of Artoriopsis sp (A. expolita or A. melissae), a genus of wolf spiders endemic to Australia, ranges from 3 to 11 mm.
