Dotted Wolf Spider?
Location: Missouri
September 19, 2011 10:22 pm
I found this wolf spider in some brush when weed eating a few weeks back. I captured it and kept it as a class pet in my 5th grade classroom for a few weeks before releasing it. I believe it to be a dotted wolf spider or rabid wolf spider. I am leaning toward the dotted as the rabid usually has the abdominal stripe broken up and mine is smooth. Any confirmation would be a huge appreciation.
Signature: Nathanael Siders
Hi Nathanael,
The best we can do is provide you with our opinion. We agree that this is a Wolf Spider in the genus Rabidosa.
According to the Fairfax County Public Schools ecology website, the Rabid Wolf Spider, Rabidosa rabida, “is easily confused with other wolf spiders. It can be identified by its stripe pattern. The cephalothorax (front body section) has two dark stripes. The abdomen (rear body section) has one dark stripe surrounded by two pale lines.” That description matches your spider, however, the Illinois State Museum Spider Collection Online page on the Dotted Wolf Spider, Rabidosa punctulata, states: “The Dotted Wolf Spider gets its common name from the black dots on the underside of its abdomen.” Your photo of the underside of the spider clearly shows black dots. Based on all of that, we agree that this is most likely a Dotted Wolf Spider.
