Wolf spider – a venomous sprinter with a habit chasing and pouncing upon its prey
Baku, May 19, AZERTAC
The wolf spiders belong to the family Lycosidae, a large and widespread group that is found throughout the world.
They are named for their wolf like habit of chasing and pouncing upon prey.
About 125 species occur in North America, whereas there are about 50 in Europe. Numerous species occur north of the Arctic Circle, with most of them are small to medium-sized.
They are noted for their running speed and commonly occur in grass or under stones, logs, or leaf litter, though they may invade human dwellings that harbor insects, building silk-lined, tubular nests in the ground.
Although the spider is not considered to be aggressive, it will often bite people in self-defense.
According to Encyclopedia Britannica, wolf spiders are venomous, however, their bites are not considered dangerous for humans, causing nausea, dizziness and elevated heart rate.
Moreover, the bite itself has been described as similar to that of a bee sting, and the venom the spider injects may cause itchiness at the site.
