![]() For some reason, this hole caught my attention and I thought I might stick a grass blade down the hole and see if I could scare up the wolf spider. I saw the hole in the ground and assumed it was a burrow made by Geolycosa missouriensis, a burrowing wolf spider. And if the lid wasn't open as I passed by this day, I would never have seen this one. I have encountered, and collected a few of these spiders over the last 17 years, but I have never seen the actual trap-door and/or tunnel. Here the trap-door is open and you can see the spider's tunnel. I remember many years ago, one of the states Arachnologist's, Richard Bradley, was very happy to hear that these cork type trap-door spiders were part of Ohio's fauna, and gave me the challenge of finding it's tunnel. In fact, they probably live only in the extreme southern part of Ohio where the preserve is located. Almost everyone has heard of trap-door spiders, but I bet most people did not know they lived in Ohio. It is the hole, and lid of a cork trap-door spider (Ummidia sp.). This is a burrow in the ground I have been trying to find for a very long time. ![]() Now look at the picture again (below), in the shape I first found it. Look at the picture below and see if anything catches your eye (not the hickory nut with a hole chewed in it): Once a burrow is abandoned, in just a few days it collapses without a trace.Sometimes you just get lucky. Yet I know that the burrows are occupied because I have dug out hundreds of them over the years and always get its owner. Carrel comments, “I can easily find every burrow in an area, but I am lucky if I see a single spider. ![]() These spiders dig perfectly round, open burrows in the sand that are about the size of a ballpoint pen and they spend almost their entire lives hidden below ground. Carrel has been studying rare burrowing wolf spiders known as Archbold Burrowing Wolf Spiders (Geolycosa xera archboldi) that are found only in healthy native Florida scrub on the Lake Wales Ridge. Such cannibalism is widespread in some families of arachnids.”įor the past three decades Dr. The prey often is a beetle, but it can also be a smaller spider of the same kind. Eventually a small animal approaches within inches, then the ‘wolfie’ springs an attack: it grabs the prey with its two front legs and bites with its stout jaws in order to inject lethal venom. ![]() Carrel describes their hunting technique, “They sit on the dirt or grass and wait motionless for many minutes or hours. They do this in order to catch flying insects that swarm above the ground after dark.”ĭown on the ground, wolf spiders of various kinds and sizes come out of their protective burrows to forage. They remain on their webs all night, often even if it is raining. During the day they are impossible to see unless one opens up the silk capsule the spider has woven beneath the leaves. Carrel explains, “Many spiders emerge at dusk from shady retreats in leafy shrubs and tall weeds to build and repair webs of various sizes and designs. Carrel finds a headlamp is best since it allows him to keep his hands free and it fully illuminates his visual field. The best time for spider hunting is at night. Archbold’s Burrowing Wolf Spider leg span size of a dime.
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