Grr...Wolf Spiders...

WhyUBiteBite

Arachnosquire
Joined
Feb 14, 2017
Messages
104
So...was excited to get my hands on a Hogna carolinensis given we just came back to N.C. after an enlistment in the army and they used to be all over...well...its been a week and I havent seen 1! They used to be all over like ants lol but it seems now that I'm not afraid anymore and into spiders they all have ran for the hills lol. Anyone else have this kind of luck? :D
 

chanda

Arachnoking
Old Timer
Joined
Jun 27, 2010
Messages
2,229
So...was excited to get my hands on a Hogna carolinensis given we just came back to N.C. after an enlistment in the army and they used to be all over...well...its been a week and I havent seen 1! They used to be all over like ants lol but it seems now that I'm not afraid anymore and into spiders they all have ran for the hills lol. Anyone else have this kind of luck? :D
How are you looking for them? When I go out hunting for wolf spiders, I go hiking at night - and then hold the flashlight at eye level and scan across the nearby terrain. The eyeshine really pops! If I were to just walk around using the flashlight normally, they would blend in and go unnoticed, but with the right angle on the flashlight, I can spot them at 50 feet.
 

WhyUBiteBite

Arachnosquire
Joined
Feb 14, 2017
Messages
104
Going out at night has been my obstacle lol, college and kids have been keeping my hunting to mostly daytime excursions.
 

Draketeeth

Arachnoknight
Joined
Mar 22, 2015
Messages
209
Have you got sheds or dark places to hide during the day? Under bushes? Betcha they chill in more obscure spots before resuming their wanderings in the evening hours. Where have you tried looking when you daylight hunt?
 

Ungoliant

Malleus Aranearum
Staff member
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Mar 7, 2012
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4,096
So...was excited to get my hands on a Hogna carolinensis given we just came back to N.C. after an enlistment in the army and they used to be all over...well...its been a week and I havent seen 1!
I find Hogna lenta on a regular basis (by looking for their eyeshine at night), but so far Hogna carolinensis eludes me.

Some information that might help narrow your search:

Habitat

This spider is typically found in arid habitats such as deserts, prairies, glades, and open fields and pastures.

Web

This is a hunting spider that does not spin a prey-catching snare. They usually live in silk-lined burrows surmounted by a turret of silk and grass at the entrance. The burrow may be up to 5 or 6 inches deep. The spider sits in wait at the mouth of it by night, or ventures out to hunt on foot.
 

aaarg

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Feb 26, 2013
Messages
176
you're not gonna find many wolf spiders during the day - at least not the ones you want. Hogna females are generally in burrows.

in 4 years of regular night-time spider-hunting in the mountains of NC, i never saw H. carolinensis (so they def haven't run for the hills
:p). lots of H. lenta, and so many Tigrosas and Rabidosas.
 

WhyUBiteBite

Arachnosquire
Joined
Feb 14, 2017
Messages
104
Id settle for about anything at this point lol, I've heard theyre like the interior decorators of the spider world. :D Last night I managed time to look outside, nothing...and were surrounded by trees! Lol
 

Ungoliant

Malleus Aranearum
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Mar 7, 2012
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4,096
Last night I managed time to look outside, nothing...and were surrounded by trees! Lol
If you have a wooded lot, there are sure to be wolf spiders. When I use the right light, it looks like the yard is strewn with glittering gems.

Some flashlights seem to work better for finding wolf spiders than others. I would try different bulbs and intensities.
 

Psycho loner

Arachnopeon
Joined
May 28, 2017
Messages
1
I'm new. collecting and successfully breeding wolf spiders is my hobby and i am happy to have found this place
 

Ungoliant

Malleus Aranearum
Staff member
Joined
Mar 7, 2012
Messages
4,096
Did we find one!? :D (bad at wolf id lol)
That's a wolf spider, but I don't think it's Hogna carolinensis. Perhaps Pardosa? (Wolf spiders aren't my strong suit.)

How long is the spider's body (not including legs or palps)? Do you have any ventral shots? Can you describe the terrain where it was found?
 

Nephila Edulis

Arachnoknight
Joined
Feb 27, 2017
Messages
201
Either look for eyeshine at night, or look around pavement that has leaf litter near it. You'll often find small wolf spiders trying to make a dash from one side to another during the day.
 
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