Appearance

• A grey or brownish-coloured spider (with a pale band on the carapace) that can grow to 3.5 cm in length.
• Wolf spiders are hairy and have long legs (giving them the ability to move quickly).
• The female is usually larger than the male.

Life Cycle

• Impregnated females carry their eggs on their abdomen (the eggs are attached to spinnerets).
• Upon hatching, the young spiderlings live on their mother’s back for the first few weeks of life.
• The male has a lifespan of approximately 12 months, whilst the female can live for several years.

Habits

• Wolf spiders are ground-based spiders that like to wander.
• They typically live in shallow burrows, bushes and under leaf piles. They generally hunt at night for insects, such as crickets, bugs and ants.
• A bite from a wolf spider can cause swelling, itchiness and ulceration (in rare cases).