Lycosidae, Pisauridae, and Oxyopidae

Lycosidae, Pisauridae, and Oxyopidae

Dolomedes tenebrosus

These three families collectively belong to the superfamily Lycosoidea. All are hunting spiders.

Lycosidae are the wolf spiders. These active hunters have enlarged posterior median eyes (PME). Females attach and carry their egg sacs using their spinnerets. Females also carry their young for a while after the young spiders hatch. The following two (unidentified) wolf spiders were collected in the Twin Cities area, Minnesota.


Unidentified 1


Unidentified 2

Pisauridae are known as fishing or nursery web spiders. These are also active hunters that carry their eggsacs in their chelicerae (jaws). Fishing spiders such as Dolomedes triton (six-spotted fishing spider) occur near water and sometimes prey on small fish. Females are 17 to 20 mm, males are 9 to 13 mm, and legspans are 50 to 75 mm. Dolomedes tenebrosus (dark fishing spider) are sometimes found farther from water. D. tenebrosus is a large but very harmless spider. They can and will jump when handled, but they are reluctant to bite. Females are 15 to 26 mm, males are 7 to 13 mm, and legspans are 50 to 90 mm. Eggs of both species occur in summer and spiders overwinter as penultimates.


D. triton from Missouri (Brian Sherrill)		This D. tenebrosus lived under my porch


I kept this D. tenebrosus for over a year in captivity. They don't typically bite, as you can see.

Oxyopidae are called lynx spiders because they stalk and pounce on their prey. Females guard eggs. The following unidentified species was found in Omaha, Nebraska.

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