Subject: some type of wolf spider
Geographic location of the bug: arvada,co
Date: 07/10/2018
Time: 11:32 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman: i found this at a creek in arvada.i believe it is some type of wolf spider but id lile a more detailed identification. you might notice the egg sac shes holding in her fangs, she laid it ahout a week after i found her. ive had her for around three weeks.
How you want your letter signed: Alex
Dear Alex,
This is a Fishing Spider in the genus Dolomedes, not a Wolf Spider. Both Fishing Spiders and Wolf Spiders have well documented maternal behavior, and both transport an egg sac after producing it. The Wolf Spiders drag the egg sac from the spinnerets, and when the spiderlings hatch, they crawl on the body of the female for several days before eventually dispersing. Fishing Spiders carry the egg sac in the chelicerae or fangs as your image illustrates, and like other Nursery Web Spiders, they will eventually construct a nursery web that they guard when they find a location that is appropriate. Dolomedes scriptus is reported from Colorado according to BugGuide, and the individual in this BugGuide image has markings very much like your Spider, so we believe that species is correct. Fishing Spiders are often found near water, and adult Fishing Spiders are capable of capturing aquatic prey, including small fish.
thank you SO much! this was very helpful and I am very impressed in how quickly you got back to me. have a wonderful day!
