Spotted Wolf Spiders

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Scientific name:  Pardosa sp.

Size:  Varies depending on species but between 6 and 8mm (head to tail)

Distribution:  Common throughout the UK

Months seen:  March to July

Habitat:  Leaf litter at woodland edges, grassland and gardens - often on bare soil

Food:  Flies and other small insects

Special features:  Spotted Wolf Spiders are often active very early in the spring.  They can be seen scurrying around hunting for prey, and warming themselves in the sunshine on patches of bare earth.  Unlike spiders who use a web to catch their food, these wolf spiders catch their prey by running it down.

The female spider carries her eggs in a round sack beneath her body.  When the spiderlings hatch from their eggs the female carries the baby spiders on her back until they are big enough to fend for themselves.

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