Ground-dwelling-spider
Guides
Alopecosa hirtipes
Alopecosa hirtipes is an Arctic wolf spider (family Lycosidae) distributed across northern North America and Eurasia. The species has been studied for its reproductive biology, with research documenting correlations between female body size, mass, and clutch characteristics. As a ground-dwelling lycosid, it inhabits tundra and cold-adapted habitats where it exhibits typical wolf spider behaviors including maternal care of egg sacs.
Aphonopelma madera
Madera Canyon Tarantula
Aphonopelma madera is a species of tarantula in the family Theraphosidae, described in 2016 from specimens collected in the Santa Rita Mountains of southeastern Arizona. The species is named for Madera Canyon, a well-known locality in its range. Like other members of the genus Aphonopelma, it is a large, ground-dwelling spider with urticating defensive hairs. The species is part of a taxonomic revision that split the formerly broadly-defined Aphonopelma chalcodes complex into multiple distinct species based on morphological and molecular data.
Arctosa alpigena
Hilltop Wolf Spider
Arctosa alpigena is a wolf spider in the family Lycosidae with a holarctic distribution spanning North America, Greenland, and Eurasia. It is one of numerous Arctosa species adapted to open, often sandy or gravelly habitats. Like other wolf spiders, it is an active ground-dwelling hunter rather than a web-builder. The species has been subject to reproductive biology studies examining spatial and temporal patterns of mating and offspring production.
Arctosa raptor
Raptor Wolf Spider
Arctosa raptor is a species of wolf spider in the family Lycosidae. It has been documented across a broad geographic range spanning northern Eurasia and North America, with records from Russia (including Kamchatka), Nepal, the United States, and Canada. The species was first described by Polish arachnologist Władysław Kulczyński in 1885. Like other wolf spiders, it is an active hunter that does not construct webs to capture prey.
Arctosa virgo
Arctosa virgo is a species of wolf spider in the family Lycosidae, described by Chamberlin in 1925. It is known from the United States, with records from oak-hickory forests in southern Missouri. As a member of the genus Arctosa, it belongs to a group of cursorial wolf spiders adapted to ground-dwelling predation. Very little specific information has been published about this species beyond its original description and a few collection records.
Carcinocephalus
Carcinocephalus is a genus of dwarf spiders (Linyphiidae: Erigoninae) characterized by distinctive cephalic modifications. These minute sheet-web building spiders are among the smallest arachnids, typically measuring only a few millimeters in length. The genus name refers to the crab-like or projecting head structure found in males. Members of this genus construct flat, sheet-like webs and are generally associated with ground-level or low vegetation habitats.
Habronattus calcaratus maddisoni
Maddison's Jumping Spider
Habronattus calcaratus maddisoni is a subspecies of jumping spider in the family Salticidae, described by Griswold in 1987. It belongs to the genus Habronattus, a large group of small jumping spiders known for elaborate courtship displays involving visual and acoustic signals. Males of the Habronattus calcaratus species group possess modified third legs with prominent spurs used in visual signaling to females during courtship. This subspecies occurs in western North America, with records from the United States.
Habronattus pugillis
Habronattus pugillis is a species of jumping spider in the family Salticidae, described by Griswold in 1987. It belongs to a large genus of small, ground-dwelling spiders known for elaborate courtship displays. The species occurs in the southwestern United States and Mexico. Like other Habronattus species, males likely possess modified third legs used in visual courtship signaling, though specific details for this species remain poorly documented.
Pardosa mackenziana
Mackenzie's Thin-legged Wolf Spider
Pardosa mackenziana is a species of thin-legged wolf spider in the family Lycosidae. It is found across the United States and Canada, with confirmed records from Alberta and British Columbia. Like other members of the genus Pardosa, it is a small to medium-sized ground-dwelling spider. A 2000 life history study in central Alberta documented its reproductive behavior, including females sunning their egg sacs to aid incubation.
Pardosa modica
Little Banded Wolf Spider
Pardosa modica is a species of wolf spider in the family Lycosidae, commonly known as the Little Banded Wolf Spider. It is one of approximately 65 Pardosa species recognized in the United States and 75 species north of Mexico. As a member of the 'thin-legged wolf spiders,' it is characterized by distinctive leg spines and is typically small to medium in size. The species is distributed across the United States and Canada, including records from Alberta and Manitoba.
Pardosa tuoba
Pardosa tuoba is a species of wolf spider in the family Lycosidae, first described by Chamberlin in 1919. It belongs to the genus Pardosa, commonly known as thin-legged wolf spiders, which are among the most abundant wolf spiders in North America. The species is known from the United States, though specific details about its ecology and distribution remain limited in available sources. As with other Pardosa species, it is likely a ground-dwelling active hunter.
Pardosa vadosa
thin-legged wolf spider
Pardosa vadosa is a species of thin-legged wolf spider in the family Lycosidae, first described by Barnes in 1959. As a member of the genus Pardosa, it shares the characteristic long, perpendicular leg spines that distinguish this group from other wolf spiders. The species occurs in the United States and Mexico. Like other Pardosa species, it is likely ground-dwelling and associated with varied terrestrial habitats, though specific ecological details for this species remain limited.
Pardosa wyuta
Wyuta Wolf Spider
Pardosa wyuta is a species of thin-legged wolf spider in the family Lycosidae, first described by Gertsch in 1934. Like other members of the genus Pardosa, it is a small to medium-sized active hunter with characteristic long spines on its legs. The species occurs in western North America, with records from Alberta and British Columbia in Canada. As with most Pardosa species, identification to species level requires microscopic examination of genitalia.
Pardosa xerampelina
Ubiquitous Thin-legged Wolf Spider
Pardosa xerampelina is a small to medium-sized wolf spider in the family Lycosidae, commonly known as the Ubiquitous Thin-legged Wolf Spider. The species is widely distributed across North America, occurring throughout the United States and Canada including Alberta and British Columbia. As a member of the genus Pardosa, it shares the characteristic long, perpendicular leg spines that distinguish thin-legged wolf spiders from other lycosids. The species epithet "xerampelina" derives from Greek roots referring to color change, possibly alluding to seasonal or individual variation in appearance.
Socalchemmis
false wolf spiders
Socalchemmis is a genus of spiders in the family Zoropsidae, first described by Norman I. Platnick and D. Ubick in 2001. The genus name derives from "Southern Californian Chemmis," reflecting its original discovery in California. The genus contains seventeen described species distributed in the southwestern United States and Mexico, with most species described from California localities. These spiders are commonly referred to as false wolf spiders due to their resemblance to true wolf spiders (Lycosidae).