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| Hippasa Agelenoides Funnel Web Spider |
I was with my friend on the trek at Rajgad.. While returning to base i was was searching for webs since conditions were suitable for presence of spiders. I my instinct helped me once again to get this beauty hidden in the sand paths. Click him without wasting single minute.
Wolf spiders are members of the family Lycosidae, from the Ancient Greek word "λύκος" meaning "wolf". They are robust and agile hunters with good eyesight. They live mostly solitary lives and hunt alone. Some are opportunistic hunters pouncing upon prey as they find it or even chasing it over short distances. Some will wait for passing prey in or near the mouth of a burrow.
Wolf spiders resemble Nursery web spiders (family Pisauridae), but they carry their egg sacs by attaching them to their spinnerets (Pisauridae carry their egg sacs with their chelicerae and pedipalps). Two of the Wolf spider's eight eyes are large and prominent, which distinguishes them from the Nursery web spiders whose eyes are all of approximately equal size.
There are many genera of wolf spider, ranging in body size from less than 1 to 30 millimetres (0.04 to 1.18 in). They have eight eyes arranged in three rows. The bottom row consists of four small eyes, the middle row has two very large eyes (which distinguishes them from the Pisauridae), and the top row has two medium-sized eyes. They depend on their excellent eyesight to hunt. They also possess an acute sense of touch.
Some members of the Lycosidae, such as H. carolinensis, make deep tubular burrows in which they lurk much of the time. Others, such as H. helluo, seek shelter under rocks and other shelters as nature may provide. They may wander from place to place, and are therefore more likely to be the ones attracted into human habitation when the weather starts to turn colder in autumn
Wolf spiders can be found in a wide range of habitats both coastal and inland. These include shrublands, woodland, wet coastal forest, alpine meadows, and suburban gardens. Spiderlings disperse aerially and consequently wolf spiders have wide distributions. Although some species have very specific microhabitat needs (such as stream-side gravel beds or montane herb-fields) most are wanderers without permanent homes. Some build burrows which can be opened or have a trapdoor. Arid zone species construct turrets or plug their holes with leaves and pebbles during the rainy season to protect themselves from flood waters.
Wolf spiders are capable of defensive bites, and some South American species may give bites that are medically significant. Nevertheless, the presence of wolf spiders generally works in favor of humans because they consume insects.Wolf spiders will inject venom freely if continually provoked. Symptoms of their venomous bite include swelling, mild pain and itching. Though usually considered harmless to humans, the bite of some species may be painful. In the past, necrotic bites have been attributed to some South American species, but further investigation has indicated that those problems that did occur were probably actually due to bites by members of other genera. Australian wolf spiders have also been associated with necrotic wounds, but careful study has likewise shown them not to produce such results.
Taxonomy
- Domain: Eukaryota
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Subkingdom: Bilateria
- Branch: Protostomia
- Infrakingdom: Ecdysozoa
- Superphylum: Panarthropoda
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Subphylum: Arachnomorpha
- Infraphylum: Cheliceriformes
- Superclass: Chelicerata
- Epiclass: Euchelicerata
- Class: Arachnida
- Subclass: Micrura
- Order: Araneae
- Suborder: Opisthothelae
- Infraorder: Araneomorphae
- Superfamily: Lycosoidea
- Family: Lycosidae
- Genus: Hippasa
- Specific name: agelenoides
- Scientific name: - Hippasa agelenoides
Source : 1)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolf_spider 2)http://zipcodezoo.com/Animals/H/Hippasa_agelenoides/
