by Calvin Jones
If there is one type of creature that instils completely unwarranted fear into large numbers of people here in Ireland it has to be spiders. Such fear is completely unfounded, as none of the spider species found in Ireland are capable of harming humans in any way. If anything spiders perform an invaluable service in keeping down the number of insect pests in and around our homes.
Pardosa amentata is a common species of spider belonging to the family Lycosidae. Early naturalists observed large numbers of these spiders scurrying across the ground together, and it was once thought that they hunted in packs… hence the name. Wolf spiders are in fact solitary hunters, but the name has stuck, and is applied to members of the family around the world to this day.
Instead of using a web to ensnare its prey like other spiders, the wolf spider uses stealth, speed and excellent eyesight to actively hunt living prey. Pardosa amentata is a mottled brown wolf spider between 5mm and 8mm (about ¼ inch) in length. Females are usually slightly larger than males, and lack the sooty-black hairs on the end of the pedipalps (small leg-like appendages either side of the mouth, often just called palps).
This spider relies heavily on its eyesight to locate and stalk its prey. Its head is squared off at the sides, with two large eyes and four smaller ones facing forward, giving excellent frontal vision. Two further eyes situated on top of the head extend the range of vision to the sides and, to some extent, to the rear. With this impressive optical array the spider is well equipped to spot its prey at some distance.
The wolf spider takes full advantage of its visual acuity by hunting in full daylight, and it can often be seen on bright sunny days scurrying around in the open or over low vegetation looking for insects. When it spots a likely meal, the wolf spider creeps towards it, and then attacks with a sudden burst of speed, leaping on the victim and piercing it with its fangs.
Continue reading in this week’s Ireland’s Own
