Wolf spider: Difference between revisions

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== Reproduction ==
== Reproduction ==
[[Image:Wolf spiders courtin.jpg|thumb|150px|left|Courtship of the wolf spiders]][[Image:Wolf_spider_with_big_egg_sac.jpg|thumb|150px|left|Female carrying a large egg sac]] Mating generally begins outside the female's burrow at night. Males are first attracted by the pheremones of the female. Then they begin a courtship ritual in which he will tap his legs in a certain way, drum with his palps, and create sounds by scraping the palp against itself (also called stridulation). [http://www.amonline.net.au/factSheets/wolf_spiders.htm][http://www.desertmuseum.org/books/nhsd_wolf_spider.php]
[[Image:Wolf spiders courtin.jpg|thumb|150px|left|Courtship of the wolf spiders]][[Image:Wolf_spider_with_big_egg_sac.jpg|thumb|150px|left|Female carrying a large egg sac]] Mating generally begins outside the female's burrow at night. Males are first attracted by the pheremones of the female. Then they begin a courtship ritual in which he will tap his legs in a certain way, drum with his palps, and create sounds by scraping the palp against itself (also called stridulation). [http://www.amonline.net.au/factSheets/wolf_spiders.htm][http://www.desertmuseum.org/books/nhsd_wolf_spider.php] After they mate, the female will create a large egg sac that is often made of white silk and shaped like a ball. The female will continue to carry the egg sac by attaching it to her spinnerets. When the eggs hatch after about a month, the mother will tear open the egg sac and will carry the young spiders on her back.[http://www.desertmuseum.org/books/nhsd_wolf_spider.php] The young spiders will remain there by holding onto specialized hairs.[http://www.desertmuseum.org/books/nhsd_wolf_spider.php] When they are ready to leave their mother, they will leave on the ground or balloon (float with the breeze using their silk).[http://www.amonline.net.au/factSheets/wolf_spiders.htm][http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761582521/Wolf_Spider.html]




The female constructs an egg sac of white papery silk, shaped like a ball with an obvious circular seam, which she then carries around attached with strong silk to her spinnerets. When the spiderlings hatch, they are carried around on the female's back until they are ready to disperse by ballooning or on the ground. Such a high degree of parental care is relatively unusual among spiders.
 
 
 


Wolf spiders live for up to two years.  
Wolf spiders live for up to two years.  
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