Spotted Wolf Spider

Special features: These 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 soil. Unlike spiders who use a web to catch their food, these wolf spiders catch their prey by running it down.

The female wolf 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.

Scientific name: Pardosa amentata

Size: Head to tail females up to 8mm, males around 6mm

Distribution: Common throughout the UK

Months seen: March to July

Habitat: Leaf litter at woodland edges, grassland and gardens

Food: Flies and other small insects