Araneae151 species

Family Wolf Spiders (Lycosidae)

Lycosidae is a family in the order Araneae. Browse 151 named species recorded in this family, or open an individual profile for its available identification and natural-history information.

Guides

Wolf Spider Guide

Species in Lycosidae (151)

Allocosa absoluta

Identification: "Carapace dark red brown to black, usually mottled with dull yellow or orange yellow, sometimes with pale median band and submarginal rows of pale spots; pale median band sometimes enclosing paired, dark, longitudinal streaks anterior

Allocosa chamberlini

Identification: "Carapace dark red brown, veined with black, with several dark lines radiating from vicinity of dorsal groove, with indistinct pale median band and submarginal bands (or series of spots), with few setae. Sternum pale orange, often suf

Allocosa funerea

Identification: Male: "Carapace dark red to black, often paler posteriorly, minutely and evenly punctate, with few setae. Sternum dark brown. Chelicerae dark red brown to black, paler distally. Legs with femora black, with femora tips and remaining s

Allocosa mulaiki

Identification: "Carapace dark red brown to nearly black, sometimes iridescent, darker at margins, with few setae. Sternum orange brown. Chelicerae dark red or red brown. Legs dark orange or red brown, sparsely covered with setae; femora and tibiae e

Allocosa noctuabunda

Identification: "Carapace dark red brown, with pale median band (which often encloses paired, dark streaks anterior to dorsal groove) and pale, sinuous submarginal bands (or series of spots), and with few setae. Sternum yellow or orange. Chelicerae d

Allocosa sublata

Identification: "Carapace dark red brown to black, sometimes iridescent, darker at margins, with few setae. Sternum orange brown. Chelicerae dark red or red brown. Legs dark orange or red brown, sparsely covered with setae; femora and tibiae each wit

Allocosa subparva

Identification: "Carapace dark red brown to black, with indistinct pale median band (but lacking pale submarginal bands), with dark lateral margins, and with few setae. Sternum orange to black. Chelicerae dark orange to black. Legs orange to black; f

Alopecosa aculeata

Identification: Female: Voucher specimens: South Dakota: Alberta: epigyne epigyne with some setae removed to reveal more structure Male: Voucher specimens: Alberta: Newfoundland: left palp, retrolateral view left palp, distal view - showing the "mesa

Alopecosa exasperans

Alopecosa exasperans is a species of wolf spider in the family Lycosidae. It is found in Canada and Greenland.

Koch's Wolf Spider

Alopecosa kochi

Identification: The female of this species has short banded legs, a broad tan stripe down the center of the carapace and faint paired white/tan spots along opposite sides of the abdomen. The male

Alopecosa pictilis

Identification: Emerton called it a distinct and bright-colored species: See Emerton 1919: plate 1, figures 11 & 12 HERE . Written description under Lycosa pictilis on page 4H. Also Emerton 1885: plate XLVI, figure 5 HERE . Written description under

Common Fox-spider

Alopecosa pulverulenta

Length 5 to 10 mm. The markings of this wolf spider are variable in colouration and patterning. Other Alopecosa species have broadly similar markings so care is needed. Confirmation of this species: "Requires examination at high magnification in good

Arctosa lama

Identification: Carapace reddish brown, with few short dark setae. Anterior row of eyes straight or procurved, shorter than middle row; eyes uniform in size. Chelicerae reddish brown. Legs reddish brown, darker distally, lacking dark rings; scopulae

Arctosa leopardus

Length 5 to 10 mm. Prosoma red-brown, dark. Legs reddish yellow, annulated. Opisthosoma dark, median with slender, arrow-shaped, yellowish longitudinal stripe, posteriorly 2 rows of yellow-greenish spots. Identification of this species "Requires exam

Arctosa littoralis

Identification: Male Palps: Female Epigynum: Eye Arrangement:

Sand Bear Spider

Arctosa perita

Arctosa perita is a species of wolf spider in the family Lycosidae. It is found in Europe, North Africa, Turkey, Caucasus, Russia, and has been introduced into Canada.

Santa Rosa Wolf Spider

Arctosa sanctaerosae

Identification: The white to light orange color and single (as opposed to no) dorsal tibial macroseta.

Geolycosa gosoga

Geolycosa gosoga is a species of wolf spider in the family Lycosidae. It is found in the United States.

Geolycosa turricola

Geolycosa turricola is a species of wolf spider in the family Lycosidae. It is found in the United States.

Geolycosa wrighti

Geolycosa wrighti lines its burrows thickly with silk. The burrow entrance is not decorated with a turret, as is the case with many Geolycosa burrows.

Hogna angusta

Identification: At one point described as an inland form (FL) of H. timuqua due to the male palp being identical, and species being similar in appearance. However, there is obvious difference in the female epigynum, currently separating the two. H. t

Hogna baltimoriana

Identification: Very similar to lenta, but with markings more pronounced. However, the coxae are not black beneath, the sternum may be. Sternum black, chelicerae dark reddish to black. Abdomen yellowish with 5 or 6 chevrons posteriorly. Heart mark br

Hogna coloradensis

Identification: Drawing on Slowik & Cushing , this is clearly Hogna coloradensis. They write that the species "can be separated from all other Hogna and Lycosidae by a dark area immediately anterior to the epigastric furrow as well as a small dark ar

Rosemary Wolf Spider

Hogna ericeticola

Hogna ericeticola, known as the rosemary wolf spider, is a species of spider in the Lycosidae family. It is endemic to Florida, in the United States.

Hogna frondicola

Identification: Dark brown with light grey markings. The venter is black. Carapace generally has a wide grey stripe down the center and white on the edges. There are also two to four black dots in the center of the abdomen.

Miami Wolf Spider

Hogna miami

Hogna miami, commonly known as the Florida wolf spider or Miami wolf spider, is a species of wolf spider in the family Lycosidae found in the southern portion of the state of Florida.

Hogna timuqua

Identification: Wallace, 1942 Fig. 5, 6 male Fig. 20 female Fig. 19 = angusta

Pardosa amentata

Pardosa amentata is a wolf spider between 5 mm and 8 mm in length and has a brownish coloured body with darker brown markings or spots. Confirmation of this species requires examination of the genitals of mature specimens. Confirmation of this specie

Pardosa atromedia

Pardosa atromedia is a species of wolf spider in the family Lycosidae. It is found in the United States.

Pardosa distincta

Identification: Male Coloration in adult males can vary from pale to dark (these examples are from Alberta): Left palp, ventral view: Female Epigynum

Pardosa dorsuncata

Identification: Info from Rod Crawford regarding Pardosa of Washington: Pardosa mackenziana [& P. dorsalis which is likely a synonym] females can't be distinguished from the equally common P. dorsuncata without a little bit of dissection. The posteri

Pardosa fuscula

Identification: Female : epigyne Male : left palp, ventral view ........

Groenland Wolf Spider

Pardosa groenlandica

Pardosa groenlandica is a species of wolf spider in the family Lycosidae. It is found in Russia, Canada, the United States, and Greenland.

Pardosa luteola

Ivanova et al. 2023 concluded that all P. hyperborea in the New World were genetically distinct from the P. hyperborea of the Old World. They resurrected P. luteola which was associated with Emerton's original description from the New World.-ChH

Mackenzie's Thin-legged Wolf Spider

Pardosa mackenziana

Identification: Female epigyne: Male left palp, ventral view left palp, retrolateral view left palp, distoventral view Info from Rod Crawford regarding Pardosa of Washington: Pardosa mackenziana [& P. dorsalis which is likely a synonym] females can't

Shore spider

Pardosa milvina

Identification: Epigynum: Ventral View/Dorsal View Palp: Ventral View/Lateral View

Pardosa modica

Identification: Male: Voucher Specimen: left palp, ventral view

Pardosa nigriceps

Female 5 to 7 mm. Abdomen brown with a clear light brown cardiac mark, a double row of white spots behind and light brown sides. Carapace dark brown with a light brown median band and light brown bands along the sides. Legs and palps brown with dark

Pardosa ontariensis

Identification: Female: epigyne Male: palp, ventral view The male also has dark spinnerets:

Pardosa orophila

Pardosa orophila is a species of wolf spider in the family Lycosidae. It is found in the United States and Mexico.

Pardosa palustris

Confirmation of this species requires examination of the genitals of mature specimens. Confirmation of this species: "Requires examination at high magnification in good lighting, typically examination of the genitalia." Bee, L., Oxford, G., & Smith,

Pardosa prativaga

Its mottled patterning of brown and black is similar to that of other Pardosa species and detailed examination is required to be sure of the correct identification. Confirmation of this species: "Requires examination at high magnification in good lig

Common Wolf Spider

Pardosa pullata

This is a very dark coloured wolf spider. Confirmation of this species: "Requires examination at high magnification in good lighting, typically examination of the genitalia." Bee, L., Oxford, G., & Smith, H. (2020). Britain's Spiders: A Field Guide.

Pardosa saltans

One of the smaller wolf spiders (5 to 7 mm). The cephalothorax (head and thorax) of the female is dark brown has a lighter brown median strip. In the male the cephalothorax is almost black with a paler grey median strip. A difficult species to identi

Pardosa tesquorum

Pardosa tesquorum is a spider in the genus Pardosa ("thinlegged wolf spiders"), in the family Lycosidae ("wolf spiders"). The distribution range of Pardosa tesquorum includes Russia, Mongolia, China, the USA, and Canada.

Pardosa vancouveri

Identification: The epigynum does not separate females from other species, but the males of P. vancouveri can be distinguished by the thickened "club foot" of tarsus I. ( Vogel 2004 )

Ubiquitous Thin-legged Wolf Spider

Pardosa xerampelina

Identification: Female: epigyne Male: In Alberta there are two color morphs that appear quite different from each other (the palp for each specimen is directly below its picture): left palp, ventral view ( P. xerampelina ) ....... Some Pardosa xeramp

Pirata montanoides

Pirata montanoides is a species of wolf spider in the family Lycosidae. It is found in the United States.

Pirate Wolf Spider

Pirata piraticus

Females can be up to 9 mm long, whilst males are about 6 mm. The colour pattern of this spider is quite distinctive with a red-chestnut abdomen with a central mustard coloured cardiac mark and white sides to both the abdomen and carapace. Pirata hygr

Piratula cantralli

Identification: Females are (so far) indistinguishable from Piratula insularis , even when comparing the epigynes. Males are easily separated by the swollen tibiae and metatarsi of legs I and II, and by the long, curly setae on the underside of the f

Piratula hygrophila

Males 4.5 to 5.5 mm, females 5 to 5.7 mm. Prosoma dark brown to black, with distinct bands of prosoma. Legs distinctly annulated (mainly femur). Opisthosoma with bright spots on both sides of median line. Confirmation of this species: "Requires exami

Piratula insularis

Identification: Females are (so far) indistinguishable from Piratula cantralli , even when comparing the epigynes. Males are easily distinguished from P. cantralli by lacking swollen tibiae and metatarsi on legs I and II, and also by lacking long cur

Rabidosa carrana

Identification: Easily identifiable by black venter with two rows of white spots, generally six or eight.

Rabidosa hentzi

Identification: Abdomen without median dorsal longitudinal dark stripe.

Dotted Wolf Spider

Rabidosa punctulata

Identification: Note that the spots on the ventral abdomen may not be present in younger spiders. Female Male Female with egg sac:

Rabid Wolf Spider

Rabidosa rabida

Identification: The ground color is yellow, with brownish to black longitudinal stripes. In this species, the median dark band of the abdomen is broken and encloses lighter areas. The male has leg I dark brown or black. The venter does not have the s

Schizocosa avida

Identification: Female abdomen-ventral side: Palp: Epigynum:

Schizocosa bilineata

Identification: Adult males have black tibial brushes on the front pair of legs. The females do not have them. This species is one of the smaller and more lightly-colored Schizocosa . Male: Male palp:

'Hogna' ceratiola

Schizocosa ceratiola

Identification: Variation in the epigynum seems to be an unreliable means of ID as stated by Wallace. Epigyne of females pictured here resemble the drawing in Wallace, 1942 of H. psuedoceratiola , but the male palpal organs are distinctly ceratiola a

Schizocosa maxima

Identification: "The large size, long and gradually tapered intromittent part of the male embolus, relatively long copulatory tubes and spermathecae of females, and the dense, pile-like leg scopula will separate most specimens of S. maxima from those

Schizocosa ocreata

Identification: In males, the femur and tibia on leg I are dark with a prominent tibial brush. Palp: Epigynum:

Lake Placid Funnel-web Spider

Sosippus placidus

Sosippus species are not wholly dependent on their webs for prey capture. They will abandon their webs and forage like typical lycosids if no prey for extended periods. Should potential prey escape web before the spider can reach it, placidus will re

Tigrosa annexa

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Identification: This is the smallest species in the genus; the venter of the female is all pale yellow, except for a dark 'V'-shaped marking in center of the sternum and a black spot around the epigynum; venter of adult male is all pale. Carapace has

Tigrosa aspersa

Identification: According to How to Know the Spiders , this species has a thin line of yellow hairs in the eye area and a more spotted venter than carolinensis. It also has banded legs. According to Penn State Entomology, here's a description: " Hog

Tigrosa helluo

Identification: Female: Palp: How to Know the Spiders says the general color is dull yellow to greenish brown. In that guide the abdomen is shown as dark with little pattern except a slightly dark longitudinal stripe toward the front of the abdomen l

Trabeops aurantiacus

Identification: The large posterior median eyes protrude from the face very noticeably. The posterior lateral eyes are spread far apart and also protrude noticeably. The legs are yellow to dark orange. In males, the front femurs are black. In females

Marx pirate spider

Trebacosa marxi

Trebacosa marxi is a species of wolf spider in the family Lycosidae. It is found in the United States and Canada.

Rustic Wolf Spider

Trochosa ruricola

The females are 15 mm (sometimes even bigger) and the males are 10 mm. Both sexes are dark brown with a pale band running the length of the carapace and continuing to the first half of the abdomen. The two short lines on the carapace are diagnostic o

Trochosa terricola

A wolf spider - the female has a reddish abdomen and the male has darkened front legs. The two short lines on the carapace are diagnostic of Trochosa species. T. ruricola is similar but has a light cardiac mark wheras in T. terricola it is darker, bu

Varacosa avara

Identification: Both sexes are described as lacking a heart mark and not having chevrons on the abdomen (this may help to tell them apart from Trochosa on occasion).