Yet some spiders can be observed year-round. Some adult spiders do not live past the fall season, while others overwinter under bark, in leaf litter or in other shelters. Early morning dew or frost reveals webs that are nearly invisible at other times. In Ontario, the best time for observing spiders is from late spring to early fall. Spiders differ from insects in having eight rather than six legs, simple rather than compound eyes, two main body parts (abdomen and cephalothorax – a fused head and thorax) instead of three, no antennae and, of course, no wings. Other arachnids include harvestmen (daddy-long-legs), scorpions, ticks and mites. Insects form one class of arthropods, while spiders are an order – a level that is subordinate to a class – of arachnids. Even from this species, a bite is very unlikely to be fatal.īoth insects and spiders are arthropods (invertebrates with jointed legs). In Ontario, however, only the rare and shy northern widow spider ( Lactrodectus variolus) is considered dangerous to people. Most spiders use venom, delivered from an opening in their chelicerae (jaws), to subdue and predigest prey. No other group of animals has been hunting insects so efficiently for so long.Īlthough feared by many, Ontario spiders are generally not dangerous and hardly ever bite humans. The earliest spider fossils date back 300 million years, and the creatures probably developed at least 100 million years before that, during the Devonian period. In turn, they are a food source for many animals, forming an important link in the food chain.Įvolution has equipped spiders with a myriad of techniques for capturing insect prey: jumping spiders leap, crab spiders ambush, wolf spiders give chase and web-weaving spiders entrap. They pursue this role with instinctive dedication some have even moved into the warm micro-climates of people’s homes, unwittingly protecting us from pesky insects. Their ecological role, one that benefits us, is as the ultimate predators of insects. Scientific classification: Wolf spiders are members of the family Lycosidae, in the spider order Araneae, in the class Arachnida.Spiders live among us in almost every conceivable habitat. She then tears open the egg sac and the newly hatched spiders climb onto her back where they remain for up to a week. She attaches the egg sac to her body, and carries it until the eggs hatch. The female wolf spider lays eggs in a large sac, which can be nearly as large as her own body. Of the spiders that dig burrows, some add a moveable trap door at the burrow entrance while others build an elevated lookout point. Some wolf spiders dig burrows in which they lie in wait for passing insects and other prey. Still others live and hunt in aquatic environments, walking on the surface of ponds or on submerged vegetation. Many are active, wandering hunters during the day in sunny areas along the ground and in vegetation others hunt at night and remain in silk-lined retreats during the day. The hunting strategies of wolf spiders are perhaps the most diverse of any spider group. They use their front legs to grab prey, then bite and crush it with powerful jawlike mouth parts called chelicerae. Wolf spiders generally locate their prey by sight, but may also use touch to determine the nature of the prey. They typically have two very large, forward-looking eyes in the middle of their face, flanked by two large upward-looking eyes, and a row of four smaller eyes below. Wolf spider species are similar in general form, but their bodies vary greatly in size, ranging from 2 mm (0.08 in) to nearly 40 mm (1.6 in) in length. Their bodies are low to the ground even when walking or running, giving them the appearance of continually being on the prowl. Most wolf spiders have stout bodies and long, thick legs. There are more than 2000 wolf spider species. They are particularly abundant in prairie areas and are frequently the most diverse spider group in arctic and alpine areas. Wolf spiders occupy nearly every type of terrestrial habitat and include many of the most common and conspicuous spiders. Wolf Spider, common name for any of a group of ground-dwelling hunting spiders.
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