mother spider
Posted by Jean Minger on June 21, 2006
Q: We found a very large spider (1" long, 1/2" wide, 1/2" high), very dark brown with hundreds of babies on her back. We have never seen a spider this large in this area. Is it an import? The many spiders looked like moss on her back. What kind of spider is it?
Habitat: forest/open woods
State: Wisconsin
Habitat: forest/open woods
A: I can't be certain, but it sounds like you have a Wolf Spider. There are many different kinds of wolf spiders in North America (over 100 species) so I can't even begin to know which one you have but it is probably an American species. Wolf Spiders don't make webs but instead run down their prey, like wolves. These spiders are often quite large, hairy and make you think of tarantulas. The females carry an eggs sac on their spinnerets and on hatching, the babies crawl onto their mother's abdomen. Hope this helps and thanks for asking.
John Wiessinger ( June 22, 2006)