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Wolf spider: Difference between revisions
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== Ecology == | == Ecology == | ||
[[Image:Wolf_spider%27s_lair.jpg|thumb|150px|left|A wolf spider's lair]] | [[Image:Wolf_spider%27s_lair.jpg|thumb|150px|left|A wolf spider's lair]] | ||
Common household pest in the fall when they are looking for a warm place to overwinter. They are commonly found around doors, windows, house plants, basements, garages, and in almost all terrestrial habitats. | |||
Wolf spiders are found throughout Australia. They are robust, agile hunters which live on the ground in leaf litter or burrows. They are often found in lawns and gardens. Wolf spiders are the spiders most commonly seen during the day running across the ground. In fact they are among the most active spiders during the daytime in California. These predators move swiftly from one place to the next, searching for prey in the daytime as well as at night. Their vision is excellent as is their sense of touch. Habitat Hot dry areas - gardens, bark, litter. Common in open country and desert. Wolf spiders are the spiders most commonly seen during the day running across the ground. In fact they are among the most active spiders during the daytime in California. | |||
[http://www.stemnet.nf.ca/CITE/spiderswolf.htm]Wolf spiders occupy nearly every type of terrestrial habitat and include many of the most common and conspicuous spiders. They are particularly abundant in prairie areas and are frequently the most diverse spider group in arctic and alpine areas.[http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761582521/Wolf_Spider.html] | |||
Build no webs. [http://www.wmmg.com/research/insects/wolfspiders.asp]Wolf spiders are found in habitats ranging from dry inland shrublands and woodlands to wet coastal forests and alpine meadows. Some species, such as the Lycosa furcillata and L. godefffroyi are common in suburban gardens. Two of the commonest Australian species are Lycosa godeffroyi and L. leuckartii, with a wide range in the temperate parts of the continent. | |||
Many Wolf Spiders have wide distributions, especially across inland regions. This distribution is aided by their ability to disperse aerially as spiderlings or small juveniles over large distances. Many also have very specific microhabitat preferences such as stream-side gravel beds, montane herb-fields or coastal sand-dunes. Most are wanderers but some build burrows, either open or with a trapdoor, while others may make temporary retreats in vegetation. Arid zone species build turrets to deflect floodwaters during rainy periods, while others use pebbles to plug their burrows. In woodlands, twigs may be used to form a palisade around the top of the burrow. The shape and materials used to form burrows and trapdoors may help to distinguish similar-looking species. | |||
[http://www.amonline.net.au/factSheets/wolf_spiders.htm] | |||
Habitat - this spider is a ground dweller, with a burrow retreat. It has a roving nocturnal lifestyle to hunt their prey and can move very rapidly when disturbed. Commonly found around the home, in garden areas with a silk lined burrow, sometimes with a lid or covered by leaf litter or grass woven with silk as a little fence around the rim of the burrow. [http://www.termite.com/spider-identification.html#wolf] | |||
== Predatory Behavior == | == Predatory Behavior == | ||
