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Video part 2, everyone in our group. (Nash substitutes for Khloe.)

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Video part 2, everyone in our group. (Nash substitutes for Khloe.)

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Wolf spider and Human circulatory system

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Wolf spider and Human circulatory system

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The Wolf Spider: Everything You Need to Know!

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The fantastic anatomy of spiders - all you have to know

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Wolf spider and Human reproductive system 

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Wolf spider and Human reproductive system 

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In the muscular system, skeletal muscles are connected to the skeleton, either to bone or to connective tissues such as ligaments. Muscles are always attached at two or more places. When the muscle contracts, the attachment points are pulled closer together; when it relaxes, the attachment points move apart.

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the differences of a wolf spider and humans integumentary system.

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the differences of a wolf spider and humans integumentary system.

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The difference in the respiratory system of a human and a spider.

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The difference in the respiratory system of a human and a spider.

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Nash Halbrooks-Muscular System of Spider

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Nash Halbrooks-Muscular System of Spider

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The muscular system is composed of specialized cells called muscle fibers. Their predominant function is contractibility. Muscles, attached to bones or internal organs and blood vessels, are responsible for movement. Nearly all movement in the body is the result of muscle contraction.

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Spider Trachea
The tracheal air tubes permeate throughout the body (or parts of it, depending on species) and
open near the tissues, although not in close enough contact to deliver O2 and remove CO2 by
themselves as they do in insects. Instead, hemocyanin pigments need to pick up O2 from the air
tube ends and deliver it, also passing the CO2 back to the air tube endings. Tubular trachea have
a single (rarely two) openings (called a spiracle, or stigma), most often found on ventral side of
the abdomen, near the spinnerets.

Book lungs
Lung or booklung slits (in some species, lung slits come equipped with variable openings that
can widen or decrease in size with O2 requirements) open at the anterior portion of the ventral
abdomen. A chamber (the atrium) at the opening expands internally leading to the many leaf-like
air pockets of the booklung. The booklung is little more than stacked air pockets with an
extremely thin cuticle that allows gas exchange by simple diffusion to take place as blood is
directed through it. Peg-like structures cover much of the surface of the booklungs on the
hemolymph side to prevent collapse.

There are at least five different respiratory systems in spiders, depending on taxonomic group
and whom you're talking to.
1) A single pair of booklungs, as with the cellar or daddylongleg spiders, Pholcidae.
2) Two pair of booklungs, suborder Mesothelae, and all or most of infraorder Mygalomorphae
(including tarantulas).
3) A pair of booklungs and a pair of tubular trachea, as in the orbweavers and wolf spiders, and
probably most species of spiders.
4) A pair of tubular trachea and a pair of sieve trachea (or two pair of tubular trachea if you're
one of those who doesn't believe the difference between tubular and sieve trachea is enough to
distinguish them from each other), as in the small spider family, Caponiidae.
5) One pair of sieve trachea only (or tubular trachea to some), as in the small spider family Symphytognathidae.

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Spider Trachea The tracheal air tubes permeate throughout the body (or parts of it, depending on species) and open near the tissues, although...

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Two types of respiratory organs are found among arachnids: book lungs and tracheae. Book lungs are found in hardened pockets generally located on the underside of the abdomen. Diffusion of gases occurs between the hemolymph circulating within thin leaflike structures (lamellae) stacked like pages in a book within the pocket and the air in spaces between these thin structures. The tracheal system consists of a number of tubes that open to the exterior by paired respiratory pores (spiracles) and is similar to that of insects. Diffusion of gases occurs within small fluid-filled tubes that ramify over the internal organs. Scorpions, tailless whip scorpions, and whip scorpions rely upon book lungs. Pseudoscorpions, sunspiders, ricinuleids, daddy longlegs, and mites and ticks have only tracheae. Most spiders have both, and small micro whip scorpions and some extremely small mites have only cutaneous respiration.

The circulatory system of the arachnids is an open system with hemolymph circulating in tissue sinuses. Special venous channels conduct hemolymph from the tissues to the heart, from which it is pumped through a series of blood vessels back to the sinuses. The respiratory pigment usually is hemocyanin and is in solution in the hemolymph. Although cells are present in the hemolymph, they do not carry oxygen.

There is considerable variation in the number and appearance of both ovaries and testes. In general, the ovaries are associated with oviducts, and the testes have vasa deferentia. The genital orifice of both sexes is on the undersurface of the second abdominal segment, although in some mites it may be dorsal. Sperm are usually transferred to a special structure of the female, called the spermatheca.

Glands and toxins

The glands of arachnids are usually peculiar to individual orders. In spiders, silk is stored as a viscous liquid in the silk glands, which are located within the abdomen. The number of spinnerets, through which the glandular material is extruded, is variable. The viscous liquid, a protein, passes through minute tubes at the tips of the spinnerets and changes from liquid to solid thread. A structural rearrangement of the protein molecules occurs as the silk is drawn from a silk droplet. The silk of the pseudoscorpions is produced by a spinneret located on a movable projection of the chelicerae. The few mites that produce silk have glands in the area of the mouth.

Toxic substances are secreted by special glands found in the chelicerae of spiders, in the pedipalps of false scorpions, and in the poison glands of scorpions. These substances and their effects differ even within species of the same order. The strongly alkaline poison of spiders is much less poisonous to mammals than to arthropods. Bites of spiders of the genera Loxosceles (brown recluse) and Latrodectus ( black widow) may cause human discomfort, while those of the widows may cause serious illness. The venom of most scorpions, sufficiently toxic to kill most invertebrates, usually is not dangerous to humans. However, the venoms of some scorpion genera ( Androctonus and Buthus of Africa, various species of Centruroides of Mexico, Arizona, and New Mexico) are highly toxic nerve poisons. The toxicity of the venom of pseudoscorpions is not known. The paired glands located near the anus of whip scorpions secrete specific acids ( formic acid and acetic acid) that serve as irritants and apparently are used for defense. The openings of paired odoriferous glands are found on the cephalothorax of daddy longlegs; when irritated, these animals secrete a fluid containing cyanic acid that probably serves to repel predators.

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Arachnid - Respiratory System, Gases, Tracheae

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Arachnid - Respiratory System, Gases, Tracheae: Arachnids have two types of respiratory organs: book lungs and tracheae. The open circulatory system with hemolymph circulates in the tissue sinuses. In the reproductive system sperm are usually transferred to the spermatheca. Toxins are secreted by special glands found in spiders' chelicerae, pedipalps in false scorpions, and poison glands in scorpions.

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Video two about the respiratory system of a wolf spider.

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Video two about the respiratory system of a wolf spider.

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Video one about the respiratory system of a wolf spider.

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Video one about the respiratory system of a wolf spider.

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Circulatory system of a wolf spider video

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Circulatory system of a wolf spider video

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Circulatory system of a wolf spider video

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Circulatory system of a wolf spider video

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Identification Tips"
About the Critter Files"

WOLF SPIDERS
Critter Files/Spiders/Wolf Spiders
By Blake Newton
University of Kentucky Department of Entomology

Wolf Spiders are large, hairy spiders which are usually patterned with a mixture of black, gray, and brown. Wolf spiders, especially large ones, look very similar to spiders in the Pisauridae family ( nursery web and fishing spiders), but commonly encountered wolf spiders are often more robust, with shorter legs. Wolf spiders have 8 eyes. As with all spiders, wolf spiders have 8 legs, 2 body parts (cephalothorax and abdomen), and fang-like mouthparts called "chelicerae."

Typical Wolf Spider (R. Bessin, 2002)

SIZE: Body length up to about 1"

Simple metamorphosis: like all spiders, young wolf spiders hatch from eggs and look like tiny adults when they are born. A wolf spider sheds its skin several times as it grows to an adult. Some wolf spiders live for several years. In many species, female wolf spiders lay dozens of eggs at a time and wrap them in a large ball of silk. The female will then carry the egg sac on her abdomen until the spiderlings hatch. Upon hatching, the spiderlings will live on the mother's back for a few weeks until they are large enough to hunt on their own. Thanks to Greg Abernathy of Lexington, Kentucky, who sent us the picture below.

A female wolf spider in the
Rabidosa genus
carrying young spiderlings (G. Abernathy, 2003)

Wolf spiders are active hunters that patrol the ground for insects, small spiders, and similar prey. They do not use webs to capture prey. Wolf spiders are among the most commonly encountered Kentucky spiders and are found in all corners of the state and in virtually every habitat. They live by the thousands in leaf litter and grassy areas. Some wolf spiders build small burrows and defend a territory, others are free-roaming. Because they are so numerous, and such voracious predators, wolf spiders are a very important part of any ecosystem in which they occur. Pictured below is a wolf spider in the Hogna genus feeding on a cockroach (thanks to Michael Richichi for sending us this image).

Wolf Spider in the
Hogna genus feeding on a cockroach (M. Richichi, 2008)

In most cases, wolf spiders benefit humans by feeding on all sorts of insects, including crop pests. Wolf spiders are rarely pests, but they sometimes wander into houses, where their large size often frightens homeowners. Wolf spiders can bite, but their bites are extremely rare and no more dangerous or painful than bee stings. In fact, bees and wasps are more dangerous than wolf spiders because a wolf spider will never "attack" a person, unlike bees or wasps that will attack to defend a hive. Wolf spiders will only bite if they are mishandled. Wolf spiders that are found indoors have wandered in by mistake and should be collected and released outdoors (if you ever need to collect a wolf spider, "herd" the spider into a container with a stick or a pencil).

CONFUSION: Wolf Spider vs. Brown Recluse
Because wolf spiders are sometimes seen indoors and because they are often brown in color, they are often mistaken for brown recluse spiders. If you see a fast-moving, dark-colored spider running on the floor, it is more likely to be a wolf spider than a brown recluse. Brown recluses are very secretive and are almost never seen out in the open. With a little practice, it is easy to tell the difference between wolf spiders and brown recluses. Take a look at the Case File for Brown Recluses, and our Brown Recluse ENTfact to learn how to identify brown recluse spiders.

COMMON KENTUCKY WOLF SPIDERS

There are many wolf spider species in Kentucky, but most of them look very similar and are difficult to identify to species, even for experts. Shown below are some common examples.

GENUS: ictured below are wolf spiders in the Hogna spp.
Hogna
PHogna genus. This genus contains some of the largest wolf spiders in Kentucky, with body lengths up to about 1". (Note that many Kentucky wolf spiders currently in the genus Hogna were once part of the genus Lycosa, but this was changed in recent years).

Wolf Spider in the
Hogna genus (B. Newton, 2002)

Wolf Spider in the
Hogna genus (B. Newton, 2005)

GENUS and SPECIES: The Rabid Wolf Spider
Rabidosa rabida
Rabid Wolf Spider, Rabidosa rabida, is a typical member of the wolf spider genus Rabidosa. Wolf spiders in this genus are very common in Kentucky and grow to about 1" in length. They are characterized by bold brown and white stripes on the cephalothorax. The picture of the female wolf spider carrying spiderlings (shown above) is also in the genus Rabidosa.

The Rabid Wolf Spider,
Rabidosa rabida (B. Newton, 2005)

GENUS: Members of the genus Schizocosa spp.
Schizocosa
Schizocosa are among the smallest wolf spiders in Kentucky, with a body length that rarely exceeds 1/4". They are also some of the most common wolf spiders, especially in meadows and leaf litter where they prey on springtails and other small insects. The one pictured below is carrying an egg sac, a behavior exhibited by most female wolf spiders.

A female wolf spider in the
Schizocosa
genus with an egg sac (B. Newton, 2004)

Wolf spiders are almost always be found close to the ground. Look for them under rocks and logs, near streams, in leaf litter, on the forest floor, at the bases of cultivated plants, and just about anyplace else (they are extremely common). They are often the same color as their background, so they can be very hard to see. Wolf spiders are very fast, so you have to be fast too if you want to catch one (or its picture - use a fast film speed and bright light to get a good picture of a wolf spider).

Wolf spiders can deliver a painful bite, so they should never be picked up by hand. Instead, if you ever need to collect a wolf spider, "herd" the spider into a container with a stick or a pencil. Like all spiders, wolf spiders should be preserved in ethyl alcohol.

Captive Wolf Spiders: large wolf spiders will do well in captivity when properly cared for. For tips, visit our page:
Pet Bugs - Wolf Spiders.

Wolf spiders probably got their name from the way that they catch their prey. Instead of catching prey in a web, wolf spiders stalk and chase their prey like a wolf. In addition, the root word "lycos" in "Lycosidae" (the scientific family name for wolf spiders) is Greek for "wolf." The name has been around for a long time: the ancient Greek writer and philosopher Aristotle mentioned the "wolf spider" in his History of Animals, written in 350 BC.

Although wolf spiders resemble tarantulas, they are not closely related. Despite this, at least one species of wolf spider, Hogna tarantula (a.k.a. Lycosa tarantula), a large wolf spider that lives in Italy, is referred to as the "Tarantula Spider." Long ago, these wolf spiders were blamed for causing a disease called "tarantism," the treatment of which involved a special dance called the "tarantella." As it turns out, the bite of this spider is no more dangerous than a bite from any other wolf spider. You can read more about the Italian "tarantula" wolf spider at this page from Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lycosa_tarentula

Do you know any other myths, legends, or folklore about wolf spiders? If so, let us know.

Original document: 25 May 2004
Last updated: 30 Jan 2008

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Wolf Spiders of Kentucky - University of Kentucky Entomology

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Identification Tips" About the Critter Files" WOLF SPIDERS Critter Files/Spiders/Wolf Spiders By Blake Newton University of Kentucky Department of Entomology Wolf Spiders are large, hairy spiders which are usually patterned with a mixture of black, gray, and brown.

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The external and internal structures of spiders, including skin, muscles, breathing system, digestive tract and reproductive organs.

Unlike an insect, the spider's body is in two sections. The head and thorax, bearing the eyes, mouthparts and legs, are fused together to form the cephalothorax. This is joined by a slim waist (pedicel) to the second body section, the abdomen, on which are found the silk spinning organs (spinnerets), the reproductive openings and the breathing organs (book lungs and/or tracheae).

The cephalothorax

The cephalothorax is covered above by a hard cuticular plate called the carapace - much like the hard 'shell' covering a crab.

On the outside of the cephalothorax are

the simple eyes - usually eight (sometimes six), are commonly arranged in two rows along the front of the carapace (although eye arrangement and sizes vary).

the fovea - a depression in the middle of the carapace which is the internal attachment point for thoracic muscles.

the mouthparts - two large jaws with their piercing fangs (the chelicerae), while behind the jaws on the underside there are two small cuticular plates (flattish blocks of cuticle) - an upper plate, the labrum (upper lip) which is hidden by a lower plate the labium (lower lip), clearly visible from below behind the jaws. These two plates form the roof and floor respectively of the tube-shaped mouth which opens just behind the jaws. A pair of plate-like maxillae flank the labium - each has a food cutting row or patch of teeth on the front end.

the pedipalps - that help with food handling, touch and taste sensing and, in male spiders, are modified as mating organs.

the legs - four pairs of jointed legs with two to three terminal claws. The two-clawed spiders are hunters (e.g., jumping spiders, huntsman spiders, ground spiders), most with thick hair brushes (scopulae or claw tufts) on the ends of the legs - these improve traction on smooth or sloping surfaces like leaves or tree trunks. Many of the three-clawed spiders are web builders, often with claws and hairs modified for silk handling (e.g., orb-weavers, gum-footed web spiders, lace-web spiders).

On the inside of the cephalothorax are

the muscles - to help move the jaws and limbs. Muscles from limb, gut and carapace attachments are all connected to the central endosternite, an internal non-chitinous skeletal plate.

the brain ganglia - a mass of nerve tissue.

the venom glands - to produce venom to kill prey

the muscular stomach - to pump the liquid food up into the oesophagus (food pipe) and pharynx (throat) and move it along the gut. The end of the fore-gut forms the stomach. Diverticula (outgrowths) that extend into the legs are also in the cephalothorax.

The abdomen is usually covered with a thinner or more flexible cuticle - this allows for expansion with feeding or when eggs are developing. The thin waist or pedicel separating it from the cephalothorax allows movement of the abdomen, for example, during silk spinning and mating displays.

On the outside of the abdomen are

the book lung covers - to protect the delicate organs inside

the gonopore or genital opening - from which eggs or sperm are released is placed in the genital groove between the front pair of book lungs. In most female araneomorph spiders there is another separate, plaque-like mating opening, the epigynum.

the spinnerets (silk spinning organs) - usually four or six in number, and the terminal anal tubercle on which the gut ends at the anus.

On the inside of the abdomen are

the book lungs - the breathing organs. Small openings called spiracles lead into air filled cavities into which the thin, leaf-like lamellae of the book lungs project - like rows of book pages. The outer surfaces over which air passes are covered by a very thin cuticle from which peg-like struts project, keeping the lamellae from collapsing. Blood (haemolymph) circulates within the lamellae and gaseous exchange between blood and air occurs across their thin walls. There are two pairs of book lungs in mygalomorph (and some araneomorph) spiders. Most araneomorphs have the front pair of book lungs only, the rear pair being replaced by fine, cuticular tracheal tubes that divide within the body and allow more efficient gas exchange. A few tiny spiders living in moist, sheltered habitats have no breathing organs, gas exchange taking place directly across the thin body cuticle.

silk glands - to produce the liquid protein that makes the silk

reproductive organs (ovary or testes).

the heart - lies in the midline of the body, where it can be seen beating through the dorsal cuticle. The blood circulation is open - that is, the blood vessels from the heart open into the body space, bathing the tissues and organs in blood which then gradually circulates back to the heart.

the hind-gut and its diverticula - where absorption of nutirents occurs into tissues. The hind-gut has a sac into which excretory organs called malphigian tubules (the spider's 'kidneys') open.

In mygalomorph spiders (trapdoor and funnel-web spiders) the large jaw bases project forward in parallel with their fangs folded back side-by-side underneath. To bite their prey these spiders must raise the front of the body, allowing the fangs to open like a pair of daggers for a downward strike. In the more common araneomorph spiders (redbacks, wolf spiders, etc.) the jaws are slung vertically under the front of the carapace. The fangs are hinged laterally and bite cross-ways against each other, like pincers. This is a more efficient arrangement for seizing and manipulating prey, especially on a web.

Like other arthropods, the spider's body is covered with a more or less rigid 'skin' or cuticle (the exoskeleton) made of protein and chitin. The spider cuticle consists of several layers, the outermost being toughest, covered with a thin surface wax layer that helps reduce water loss from the body. The cuticle provides internal attachment points for the muscles and helps in the regulation of blood pressure. While it is hard and protective externally, the cuticle must still accommodate the spider's sense organs - in the form of various types of innervated (supplied with nerves) hairs and pits, as well as the eyes. The cuticle even extends internally, lining the fore gut (mouth to stomach) and hind gut, the tracheal (breathing) tubes and the female's sperm storage organs (spermathecae).

To allow the spider to grow the entire cuticle must be shed periodically, a process known as moulting. A new larger cuticle is first made underneath the old one, the old one splits and the spider climbs out. The new cuticle is very soft and most spiders will not move untill the cuticle hardens.

A spiders exoskeleton encloses the blood-filled body space. Confined within this semi-rigid space, the blood pressure can be varied by changes in heartbeat frequency or contraction and relaxation of muscles, notably the strong thoracic muscles. Together, the cuticle and the blood make up a pressurised unit known as the hydrostatic skeleton. This is important in maintaining body shape (turgor) and function.

The ability to vary blood pressure is important in functions as diverse as moulting and movement. During moulting, increased heart rate results in blood pressure increases that help split open the weakened cuticle. Limb extension during movement is achieved mainly through the contraction of strong thoracic muscles which increases thoracic blood pressure and causes the limbs to extend outwards. This explains why spiders have many flexor muscles for bending their limbs inwards, but fewer extensor muscles for stretching them outwards - they're just not needed as much. It also explains why injured or dead spiders always have their legs bent inwards - they can no longer control their blood pressure and this allows the strong flexing muscles to dominate and pull the legs in under the body. This 'death position' is imitated by spiders that escape predators by dropping from a web to the ground - only this time the legs are deliberately flexed in while playing dead.

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The external and internal structures of spiders, including skin, muscles, breathing system, digestive tract and reproductive organs.

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A wolf spider produces sexual but are capable of asexual reproduction.

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A wolf spider produces sexual but are capable of asexual reproduction.

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We caught a wolf spider and named it jimmy .Wolf spiders likely originated after the K–Pg extinction event sometime in the late Paleocene .

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We caught a wolf spider and named it jimmy .Wolf spiders likely originated after the K–Pg extinction event sometime in the late Paleocene .

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We caught a snail is the same area as the wolf spider and his name is Freddy.

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We caught a snail is the same area as the wolf spider and his name is Freddy.