Lycosidae
| Wolf spiders | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Hogna lenta | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Superfamily: | Lycosoidea |
| Family: |
Lycosidae Sundevall, 1833 |
| Genera | |
|
Acantholycosa |
|
| Diversity | |
| > 100 genera, c. 2,300 species | |
 |
|
Acantholycosa
Adelocosa
Allocosa
Alopecosa
Anoteropsis
Arctosa
Geolycosa
Hogna
Lycosa
Mongolicosa
Ovia
Pardosa
Pirata
Sibirocosa
Sosippus
Tigrosa
Trochosa
many more
Wolf spiders are members of the family Lycosidae, from the Ancient Greek word "λύκος" meaning "wolf". They are robust and agile hunters with excellent eyesight. They live mostly solitary and hunt alone. Some are opportunistic hunters pouncing upon prey as they find it or even chasing it over short distances. Some will wait for passing prey in or near the mouth of a burrow. Wolf spiders can live up to 11 years if given the correct habitat.
Wolf spiders resemble nursery web spiders (family Pisauridae), but wolf spiders carry their egg sacs by attaching them to their spinnerets (Pisauridae carry their egg sacs with their chelicerae and pedipalps). Two of the wolf spider's eight eyes are large and prominent, which distinguishes them from the nursery web spiders whose eyes are all of approximately equal size. This can also help distinguish them from grass spiders.
There are many genera of wolf spider, ranging in body size (legs not included) from less than 0.4 to 1.38 inches (10 to 35 mm). They have eight eyes arranged in three rows. The bottom row consists of four small eyes, the middle row has two very large eyes (which distinguishes them from the Pisauridae), and the top row has two medium-sized eyes. They depend on their excellent eyesight to hunt. They also possess an acute sense of touch.
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Wikipedia