Around 200 wolf spider species reside in the United States, and while most wolf spider species are relatively large in size, their bites are not considered medically significant to humans. Although these spiders are generally harmless, they often wander into homes due to their near constant crawling and their long-range hunting activities. The Carolina wolf spider is one of the largest wolf spider species in the US, and they can be found in Arizona. The thin-legged wolf spider is another species that has been documented in Arizona. While this species is not any more dangerous than any other wolf spider species, their unusually long legs can make them appear significantly larger than they really are, and this can be shocking to residents who find these spiders within their home.
The thin-legged wolf spider, like other wolf spider species, are active hunters that fiercely maintain their territory. Unlike other wolf spider species, the thin-legged wolf spider does not limit its hunting to the nighttime hours; instead, this species is constantly moving in search of prey during the daytime and nighttime hours. This species will stop only to soak in the sun’s rays for a period of time, which gives them the energy to continue moving. The thin-legged wolf spider belongs to the Pardosa family, and species from this family are distinct from other wolf spider families due to the spines that stick straight out from their legs. Wolf spider species from other families have spines that lie flat on their legs. Thin-legged wolf spiders are most abundant around water sources, but they can also be found within forested areas. This species is capable of living at high elevations that most other spider species would not be able to survive, so they can be found in mountainous urban and residential areas of Arizona as well. Their ability to thrive in a variety of habitats make thin-legged wolf spiders one of the most commonly encountered wolf spider species. This species is also commonly found around homes, and according to one survey, more than ten percent of thin-legged wolf spider sightings occur indoors.
Have you ever seen a spider species with unusually long legs?
