Florida wandering spiders
Ctenus captiosus
This record describes Ctenus captiosus (species). Recorded family: Ctenidae. Recorded order: Araneae.
Identification and Appearance
Ctenus captiosus, known generally as the Florida false wolf spider or tropical wolf spider, is a species of wandering spider in the family Ctenidae. It is found in the United States.
Wikipedia reference for Ctenus captiosus: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ctenus captiosus.
Classification
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
Florida, extending into coastal Georgia and South Carolina
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Etymology: Author of the name: Gertsch. Year first published: 1935, as Ctenus captiosus .
About Spiders: the wider group
Order-level background for Araneae, the group containing Ctenus captiosus. Species-specific details appear above.
Group overview
As of 2023, 51,673 spider species in 136 families have been recorded, though an estimated 150,000 species exist. Spiders rank 7th in total species diversity among all organism orders. Only 0.5% of spider species pose any risk to human health.
Ecological role of the group
Spider venom contains complex peptides with diverse pharmacological activities, making them valuable for drug development research. Spiders produce up to 7 types of silk from specialized glands. Spider silk genes have been inserted into mammals and plants for biotech applications.
Economic and practical significance of the group
The global spider community kills an estimated 400-800 million tons of prey annually (2017 study). Spiders provide billions of dollars in natural pest control for agriculture. Spider silk is 5× stronger than steel of the same diameter, driving a biomaterials research industry.
Recorded sources for this group: World Spider Catalog, PNAS, Nature, ScienceDirect. Imported estimates may describe particular regions or reporting periods.
Photos of Florida wandering spiders (10)
Photo credits: Contributed by Lynette Elliott; Additional contributions by Jeff Hollenbeck , cheins , Ray Fisher , Mandy Howe