Carolina Wolf Spider - (Hogna carolinensis)

The Carolina Wolf Spider is the continent's largest wolf spider and it has made all of North America its home.

Staff Writer (5/7/2015): The Carolina Wolf Spider is a hunter like its namesake, not a weaver like other spiders. This species does not wait for prey to get tangled in an intricate web, it seeks out and attacks unwitting insects. Though it is possible to see them in the daytime, they are nocturnal and are usually spotted by people at night. They are well camouflaged for forest floors, but are easier to spot on sandy soil near coastlines.

Females are generally darker and larger than males. After mating, a female will dig a hole in the ground that can be almost 200mm (8") deep. It is lined with spider silk and covered with plant debris at the opening. This where her eggs are laid and wrapped in a silken sac. She will carry this egg sac on her back where ever she goes until the spiderlings hatch and disperse.

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Details of the:
Carolina Wolf Spider

Category: Spider
Common name: Carolina Wolf Spider
Scientific Name: Hogna carolinensis
Other Names: Giant Wolf Spider

Taxonomy:

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Arthropoda

Class: Arachnida

Order: Araneae

Family: Lycosidae

Genus: Hogna

Species: carolinensis

Size (Adult, Length): 18mm to 35mm (0.71in to 1.38in)

Identifying Colors: brow, black, ivory

Additional Descriptors: biting, hairy, venomous, large

North American Reach (Though Not Limited To*): Alabama; Alaska; Arizona; Arkansas; California; Colorado; Connecticut; Delaware; Florida; Georgia; Hawaii; Idaho; Illinois; Indiana; Iowa; Kansas; Kentucky; Louisiana; Maine; Maryland; Massachusetts; Michigan; Minnesota; Mississippi; Missouri; Montana; Nebraska; Nevada; New Hampshire; New Jersey; New Mexico; New York; North Carolina; North Dakota; Ohio; Oklahoma; Oregon; Pennsylvania; Rhode Island; South Carolina; South Dakota; Tennessee; Texas; Utah; Vermont; Virginia; Washington; West Virginia; Wisconsin; Wyoming; Alberta; British Columbia; Manitoba; New Brunswick; Newfoundland and Labrador; Nova Scotia; Ontario; Prince Edward Island; Quebec; Saskatchewan; Mexico

* Keep in mind that an insect's reach is not limited by lines on a map and therefore may appear in areas/regions/states beyond those listed above.

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