Wolf Spider - Lycosidae

Although it might look terrifying up close (to some), the Wolf Spider is harmless to humans. If harassed or handled ungently, it may bite, but this will only result in minor irritation or itching for most people. It is, however, an effective hunter which relies on good eyesight to run down its prey. Perhaps because of this style of hunting, rather than the typical web-based capture for spiders, it is known as the "Wolf Spider".

The Wolf Spider is difficult to classify into specific genera and species, simply because there are so many of them. All of the hundreds of species of "Wolf Spider" though, all fall under the family of "Lycosidae" The largest of Wolf Spiders is approximately an inch (body length) and most are a quarter to a half inch in length.

All Wolf Spiders have eight eyes arranged into three rows, the middle row containing two very large eyes. Their eyes are exceptionally good (for spiders) at seeing objects up to eight inches away. Their eyes reflect light well and it is possible to spot them at night by shining a flashlight and looking for the tiny reflected light on their eyes.

Camouflage is the Wolf Spider's only defense from predators, and so they are typically mottled brown and black in color, to better blend into their surroundings.

Wolf spiders live by the thousands in leafy, grassy and woodsy areas. Some Wolf Spiders will dig a small burrow and defend it, others are completely free-roaming. While they are beneficial to humans because they keep insect populations down, including crop insects, they are sometimes seen as a pest. This is especially true in fall, when they may attempt to enter warm houses before the onset of winter.

Wolf Spiders are unique in that they carry their egg sacs instead of leaving them secured on a branch or twig. After hatching, the young climb up on the mother's back, where they will remain for almost a month. This makes level of infant care makes Wolf Spiders unique in the spider world.