Wolf spiders, members of the family Lycosidae, are common and abundant in many different habitats and can be an excellent animal to keep alive in the classroom for studying behavior.

This guide is an introduction to wolf spiders and how to study them. It is designed to provide the information necessary for getting started on research projects, and it is a resource for finding additional information.

How to Find Spiders
The first section of the guide is to provide information about finding and housing spiders, particularly wolf spiders.

Housing Spiders in the Classroom
Instructions for handling wolf spiders...and their care and feeding.

Sexing Spiders and Determining Maturity
The third section is about how to determine if a spider is mature and if it is, how to determine if it is a male or a female. If you have mature animals, they can be used for mating experiments, and also their species name can be determined.

Spider Activities and How to Participate
The last section of this guide provides some examples of behavioral studies than can be completed in a science class.

References, Resources, and Websites

Wolf Spider Message Board