WILDLIFE OF THE WEEK
Wolf Spiders
At risk of delivering creepy crawlies to peoples’ inboxes, I wanted to feature wolf spiders for this issue of the newsletter. With any luck, you’ll learn why these widespread and beneficial animals aren’t worth the fear and revulsion with which they’re treated. I have received several requests from readers and media outlets about how to keep wolf spiders away from your home, how to keep them from biting, and so-on. Perhaps their name invokes some extra fear in the public subconscious, or is easy to remember, but people have a strange fixation with them for all the wrong reasons. “Is this a wolf spider?” is still one of the most common messages accompanying pictures sent by readers for identification.
Wolf spiders are mostly free-running (that is, not building webs) spiders that roam around and hunt prey by ambush. Although named after wolves (in both their English and Scientific names), they are more like pumas or tigers, being solitary and pouncing on unsuspecting bugs. Abundant and active in yards, farms, and gardens, they make excellent pest control with their active hunting style and big appetites. As for contact with humans, these roving hunters tend to hide during the day and generally avoid people, making bites a very minimal risk.
Want to see a wolf spider? Try going out in your yard or garden at night with a flashlight, and hold it up at eye-level as you shine the light on the ground. The reflective membrane in these nocturnal spiders’ eyes give them eyeshine much like a dog or cat, making it easy to find them walking in the grass or on the sidewalk.
A large wolf spider (probably Hogna carolinensis) that I found prowling the deck one morning while staying at the Jones Center at Ichauway on a research visit. Southwest Georgia, 2025.
A grass or funnel-weaving spider (Ageleninae), another common garden spider that folks often confuse with wolf spiders. I found this one on a recent Fall stroll in Georgia and made the same mistake!
FEATURED BLOG POST
How can nature improve your health?
Spending time in nature isn’t just a fun and engaging pastime, or a meaningful way of engaging with the world. It’s also a gateway to a multitude of health benefits. So many, in fact, that many biologists and health professionals are trying to figure out why and how all of these benefits happen. From patients recovering much faster after surgery to dramatic reductions in peoples stress hormone levels, time outside is proving through clinical trials to promote health and longevity in impressive ways. This week’s featured article kicked off my Nature and Health series, providing a digestible introduction to the science behind many benefits of spending time in Nature. Check it out, and please share with friends!
RECOMMENDED READING
The Secret Life of Your Microbiome by Susan Prescott and Alan Logan
The Joy of Forest Bathing by Lachlan MacGregor
The Lives of Spiders by Ximena Nelson
Common Spiders of North America by Richard Bradley and Steve Buchanan
NATURALIST WORD OF THE WEEK
Scototaxis (n.) - The behavioral preference to seek out or move toward darkness. Cockroaches are probably the most common example, but many common fish species also will seek out dark hiding places when they feel threatened.
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