Wolf Spider (Hogna helluo)

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This is Hogna helluo. It is the second largest species of wolf spider in the United States. I've been looking for one of these for the longest time, and today while I was out fossil hunting, I found one. This gal was about the size of a half dollar, about an inch and a half in diameter, including legs. Definitely the largest wolf spider I have ever seen.

The carapace of Hogna helluo is characterized by a clearly defined medial stripe from a point between the middle pair of eyes nearly to the point at which the carapace joins the abdomen. The abdomen has a broader light stripe with a darker narrow and tapering form like the head of a lance or a stone arrow point. The underside of the cephalothorax is solid black, but the underside of the abdomen may be spotted with lighter colored patches.

This species does not dig tunnels but may create shelters under rocks and similar natural features. H. helluo frequently enters houses with the arrival of lower temperatures in autumn. They are inside only in search of warmer temperatures and make every possible effort to stay away from people.

Raynox DCR-150 mounted on my Panasonic FZ8.

Wolf Spider (Hogna sp.)

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Hogna are a genus of Wolf Spiders with more than 200 described species. They are found on all continents except Antarctica. Two species of Hogna, Hogna carolinensis and Hogna helluo, are among the largest spiders in the US. Too bad, but this wasn't one of them.

I found this guy in my flower garden. It was pretty small, given that it's very early in the season, about what I'd expect.

You can tell this is a Hogna species because of the eye pattern. Wolf spiders are most readily identified by their eye patterns. If you look really closely you can see a small horizontal row of four eyes, then a set of two larger eyes above that row, then another set of two on top of the carapace. Thats the hallmark of a Hogna sp. spider.

Raynox DCR-150 and Raynox DCR-250, stacked and mounted on my Panasonic Lumix FZ8.

Wolf Spider (Hogna frondicola)

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Hogna are a genus of Wolf Spiders with more than 200 described species. They are found on all continents except Antarctica. Two species of Hogna, Hogna carolinensis and Hogna helluo, are among the largest spiders in the US. Too bad, but this wasn't one of them.

I found this guy on my garage. It was a little larger than the normal Pardosa sp. I run into, around an inch in diameter.

You can tell this is a Hogna species because of the eye pattern. Wolf spiders are most readily identified by their eye patterns. If you look really closely in a bigger size you can see a small horizontal row of four eyes, then a set of two larger eyes above that row, then another set of two on top of the carapace. Thats the hallmark of a Hogna sp. spider.

Raynox DCR-150 and Raynox DCR-250 stacked and mounted on my Panasonic Lumix FZ8.