In May or June, she builds an egg sac by making a disc of silk with her spinnerets (the silk-spinning organs). (Photo: Thomas Shahan via Wikimedia Commons)Īlthough wolf spiders might seem heartless, the female is a devoted mother. Wolf spiders have eight eyes: A bottom row of four, a middle row with two large ones and an upper row with two angled ones. You might be able to spot the large eyes at night if you shine a flashlight along the ground – these spiders have tissues in their eyes that reflect light. On top are two medium-sized eyes, farther back on the head. Two very large eyes in the middle row set wolf spiders apart from other species. Wolf spiders have amazing vision – and who wouldn’t with three rows of eight eyes! The bottom row has four eyes. (A scary thought, especially as they can range from a quarter-inch to more than 1.5 inches in body size!) Most are nocturnal and therefore hunt at night. Unlike wolves, however, wolf spiders do not hunt in packs.

One will lie in wait until prey happens by, then pounce like a wolf. These locations are good hunting grounds for these spiders and hunting is what they do. You might see one in your yard, garage, shed or basement. They live on the ground or hide under rocks, logs, leaves or plants. Unlike many others, they do not spin webs.

(Photo: Ryan Hodnett via Wikimedia Commons)įound around the world including here in Cambridge, wolf spiders are one of the most common species of spiders. Although most wolf spiders are nocturnal, they can sometimes be seen basking in the sun to keep warm.

Wolf spider poisonous to humans