Wolf Spiders - Family: Lycosidae
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Wolf Spiders are a varied family of small to very large spiders that live on every continent except Antarctica. As of November 2023 we count 2,466 species in 132 genera. 122 of the genera are placed in 10 subfamilies, leaving a further 10 genera unplaced at present. First named by the Swedish zoologist Carl Jakob Sundevall in 1833, this family, despite its' size, has enjoyed relative stability in its' taxonomic arrangement. Whereas new genera have been added to the family, there have only been five 'evictions', so far. Over time nearly 60 genera in synonymy * have been found though, nearly two-thirds of which were names proposed by the German arachnologist Carl Friedrich Roewer in 1960. This level of synonymy suggsests that a substantantial amount of overlapping research has taken place over the years.
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Lycosids are mostly hunting spiders that possess both good speed and excellent eyesight. Two features that together with their camouflaging colours make them very succesful to the detriment of their prey. They not only eat insects but also other spiders and small vertebrates. The female Wolf Spider attaches her egg-sac to her spinnerets and carries it by arching her abdomen upwards to prevent the egg-sac from dragging over the ground while she moves about. Once the eggs hatch the little spiderlings climb up on the mother's legs and they all crowd together on the upper side of her abdomen where they may remain for as long as they need to become old enough to fend for themselves. ** This manner of maternal care appears to be unique to the Lycosidae.
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Spiders of this family have eight eyes arranged in three rows; four small eyes in the bottom row, two very large eyes looking forward in the second row and a further two smaller eyes in the third looking upwards. This too is a feature unique to Lycosidae and can be used to distinguish them from the otherwise similar Pisauridae. The eyesight of the Lycosidae is said to be bested only by that of the Jumping Spiders (Salticidae) and the Huntsman Spiders (Sparassidae).
Wolf Spiders feature prominently in Australian folklore on 'dangerous animals'. Their bite is often believed to be poisonous and is supposed give rise to large ulcerating wounds and/or necrosis. None of this has any veracity though as shown by Isbister& Framenau (2004), who have shown that Wolf Spider bites are no more problematic than bites from other spiders. Despite the fact that paper was published nearly two decades ago, public opinion, as well as the popular press still insist on perpetuating the myths surrounding our 'deadly' Wolf Spiders. |
* = If a scientific name is found to have been applied to a taxon that had an existing and documented name already than the older name is the one that prevails and remains in use, the more recent name is said to have been 'in synonymy', or, synonymous, with the older one. This may give rise to some confusion if the synonym is encountered in literature published prior to the 'correction' having been made.
** = This habit may on occassion lead to some interesting encounters. See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdRuKC0rLLQ
** = This habit may on occassion lead to some interesting encounters. See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdRuKC0rLLQ
Subfamily: Allocosinae
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Allocosa flavisternis
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Allocosa hasseltii
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Allocosa palabunda
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Subfamily: Artoriinae
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White-haired Forest Runner - Artoria albopilata
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Beaury Forest Runner - Artoria beaury
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Berenice's Forest Runner - Artoria berenice
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Graham's Forest Runner - Artoria grahammilledgei
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Common Forest Runner - Artoria lineata
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Mckay Creek Runner - Artoria mckayi
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Square Forest Runner - Artoria quadrata
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Terania Forest Runner - Artoria terania
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Triangular Forest Runner - Artoria triangularis
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Ulrich's Forest Runner - Artoria ulrichi
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Victorian Forest Runner - Artoria victoriensis
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Wilkie's Coastal Runner - Artoria wilkiei
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Artoriopsis expolita
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Artoriopsis melissae
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Kangarosa alboguttulata
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Kangarosa ludwigi
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Kangarosa properipes
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Kangarosa tristicula
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Kangarosa yannicki
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Subfamily: Lycosinae
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Burrow-living Wolf Spider - Hogna crispipes
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Knoelle clara
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Lycosa laeta
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Grey Wolf Spider - Portacosa cinerea (possible occurrence)
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Tasmanicosa fulgor (possible occurrence)
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Tasmanicosa gilberta
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Garden Wolf Spider - Tasmanicosa godeffroyi
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Tasmanicosa kochorum
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Tasmanicosa semicincta
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Trachosa glarea (possible occurrence)
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Variable Wolf Spider - Venator Spenceri
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Venatrix allopictiventris
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Venatrix amnicola (possible occurrence)
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Venatrix archookoora (possible occurrence)
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Venatrix australiensis
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Venatrix brisbanae
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Venatrix furcillata
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Venatrix hickmani
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Venatrix konei (possible occurrence)
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Venatrix lapidosa
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Venatrix ornatula
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Venatrix pictiventris
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Venatrix pseudospeciosa (possible occurrence)
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Venatrix speciosa
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Subfamily: Pardosinae
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Pardosa pexa (possible occurrence)
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Subfamily: Veroniinae
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Anomalosa kochi
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Anomalosa oz
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Subfamily: Zoicinae
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Agelenocosa fallax (likely occurrence)
(Considered misplaced here by Piacentini (2014). |
Taxonomy:
Phylum: Arthropoda (Arthropods)
> Subphylum: Chelicerata (Chelicerates)
> Class: Arachnida (Arachnids)
> Order: Aranea (Spiders)
> Suborder: Araneomorphae (Typical Spiders)
> Infraorder: Entelegynea (Entelegyne Spiders)
> Superfamily: Lycosoidea (Wolf Spiders and Allies)
> Family: Lycosidae (Wolf Spiders)
> Subfamily: Allocosinae
> Genus: Allocosa
> Species: A. flavisternis
> Species: A. hasseltii
> Species: A. palabunda
> Subfamily: Artoriinae
> Genus: Artoria (Forest Runners)
> Species: A. albopilata - White-haired Forest Runner
> Species: A. beaury - Beaury Forest Runner
> Species: A. berenice - Berenice's Forest Runner
> Species: A. grahammilledgei - Graham's Forest Runner
> Species: A. lineata - Common Forest Runner
> Species: A. mckayi - Mckay Creek Runner
> Species: A. quadrata - Square Forest Runner
> Species: A. terania - Terania Forest Runner
> Species: A. triangularis - Triangular Forest Runner
> Species: A. ulrichi - Ulrich's Forest Runner
> Species: A. victoriensis - Victorian Forest Runner
> Species: A. wilkiei - Wilkie's Coastal Runner
> Genus: Artoriopsis (Striped Wolf Spiders)
> Species: A. expolita
> Species: A. melissae
> Genus: Kangarosa
> Species: K. alboguttulata
> Species: K. ludwigi
> Species: K. properipes
> Species: K. tristicula
> Species: K. yannicki
> Subfamily: Lycosinae
> Genus: Hogna (Burrow-living Wolf Spiders)
> Species: H. crispipes
> Genus: Knoelle
> Species: K. clara
> Genus: Lycosa
> Species: L. laeta
> Genus: Portacosa
> Species: P. cinerea - Grey Wolf Spider ^
> Genus: Tasmanicosa (Union-Jack Wolf Spiders)
> Species: T. fulgor ^
> Species: T. gilberta
> Species: T. godeffroyi - Garden Wolf Spider
> Species: T. kochorum
> Species: T. semicincta
> Genus: Trochosa
> Species: T. glarea ^
> Genus: Venator
> Species: V. spenceri - Variable Wolf Spider
> Genus: Venatrix
> Species: V. allopictiventris
> Species: V. amnicola ^
> Species: V. archookoora ^
> Species: V. australiensis
> Species: V. brisbanae
> Species: V. furcillata
> Species: V. hickmani
> Species: V. konei ^
> Species: V. lapidosa
> Species: V. ornatula
> Species: V. pictiventris
> Species: V. pseudospeciosa ^
> Species: V. speciosa
> Subfamily: Pardosinae
> Genus: Pardosa - Thin-legged Wolf Spiders
> Species: P. pexa ^
> Subfamily: Venoniinae
> Genus: Anomalosa
> Species: A. kochi
> Species: A. oz
> Genus: Venonia
> Species: V. micarioides - Sheet-web Wolf Spider
> Subfamily: Zoicinae
> Genus: Agelenocosa
> Species: A. fallax * (considered misplaced here by Piacentini, 2014)
* = likely
^ = possibly
References and links:
> Brown, C.A., Amaya, C.C. and Formanowicz, D.R. Jr., (2018). 'The frequency of leg autotomy and its influence on survival in natural populations of the wolf spider Pardosa valens.' Canadian Journal of Zoology. 96(9): 973-979. https://doi.org/10.1139/cjz-2017-0262
> Framenau, V.W. and Baehr, B.C., (2016). 'Revision of the Australian Union-Jack wolf spiders, genus Tasmanicosa (Araneae, Lycosidae, Lycosinae).' Zootaxa 4213: 1-82. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4213.1.1
> Framenau, V.W. and Baehr, B.C., (2018). 'The wolf spider genus Artoria in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, Australia (Araneae, Lycosidae, Artoriinae).' Evolutionary Systematics 2: 169-241. https://doi.org/10.3897/evolsyst.2.30778
> Isbister, G.K. and Framenau, V.W., (2004). 'Australian wolf spider bites (Lycosidae): clinical effects and influence of species on bite circumstances.' J Toxicol Clin Toxicol. 2004;42(2):153-61. doi: 10.1081/clt-120030941. PMID: 15214620.
> Piacentini, L.N., (2014). 'A taxonomic review of the wolf spider genus Agalenocosa Mello-Leitão (Araneae, Lycosidae).' Zootaxa 3790(1): 1-35. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3790.1.1
> Piacentini, L.N. and Ramírez, M.J., (2019). 'Hunting the wolf: a molecular phylogeny of the wolf spiders (Araneae, Lycosidae).' Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 136: 227-240. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2019.04.004
> Sundevall, C.J., (1833). 'Conspectus Arachnidum.' C. F. Berling, Londini Gothorum [= Lund], pp. 1-39.
> Simon, E., (1898). 'Histoire Naturelle des Araignees.' Roret, Paris, pp. 193-380.
https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/taxa/47416-Lycosidae
https://species.wikimedia.org/wiki/Carl_Jakob_Sundevall
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdRuKC0rLLQ
> Brown, C.A., Amaya, C.C. and Formanowicz, D.R. Jr., (2018). 'The frequency of leg autotomy and its influence on survival in natural populations of the wolf spider Pardosa valens.' Canadian Journal of Zoology. 96(9): 973-979. https://doi.org/10.1139/cjz-2017-0262
> Framenau, V.W. and Baehr, B.C., (2016). 'Revision of the Australian Union-Jack wolf spiders, genus Tasmanicosa (Araneae, Lycosidae, Lycosinae).' Zootaxa 4213: 1-82. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4213.1.1
> Framenau, V.W. and Baehr, B.C., (2018). 'The wolf spider genus Artoria in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, Australia (Araneae, Lycosidae, Artoriinae).' Evolutionary Systematics 2: 169-241. https://doi.org/10.3897/evolsyst.2.30778
> Isbister, G.K. and Framenau, V.W., (2004). 'Australian wolf spider bites (Lycosidae): clinical effects and influence of species on bite circumstances.' J Toxicol Clin Toxicol. 2004;42(2):153-61. doi: 10.1081/clt-120030941. PMID: 15214620.
> Piacentini, L.N., (2014). 'A taxonomic review of the wolf spider genus Agalenocosa Mello-Leitão (Araneae, Lycosidae).' Zootaxa 3790(1): 1-35. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3790.1.1
> Piacentini, L.N. and Ramírez, M.J., (2019). 'Hunting the wolf: a molecular phylogeny of the wolf spiders (Araneae, Lycosidae).' Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 136: 227-240. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2019.04.004
> Sundevall, C.J., (1833). 'Conspectus Arachnidum.' C. F. Berling, Londini Gothorum [= Lund], pp. 1-39.
> Simon, E., (1898). 'Histoire Naturelle des Araignees.' Roret, Paris, pp. 193-380.
https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/taxa/47416-Lycosidae
https://species.wikimedia.org/wiki/Carl_Jakob_Sundevall
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdRuKC0rLLQ
Photographic contributions: