Pardosa astrigera is a small East Asian wolf spider that hunts on the ground instead of building a web, and the female carries her egg sac and then her spiderlings on her body. Its scientific name means "star-bearing," and the pale band on its back widens into a star shape. It isn't found in the US.
Appearance
- Appearance
- Females are about 1/4–3/8 in (7–10 mm) long and males about 1/4–5/16 in (6–8 mm). The dark brown to yellowish-brown carapace has a pale central stripe that widens into a star shape around the middle, and the legs are ringed with darker bands.
Where it lives
- Typical habitats
- grasslands
- farm fields
- riverbanks
- parks
- Range
- Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan, and the Russian Far East. It does not occur in North America.
- Preferred conditions
- Plains, hillsides, rice paddies, open grassland, and riverbanks, especially on the drier side.
Behavior
- Activity
- Adults are around from spring to fall. It runs down prey on the ground rather than catching it in a web.
Life cycle
- Nest
- The female carries her round egg sac attached to her .
- Larva
- Newly hatched spiderlings ride on their mother's back for several days, then disperse by "ballooning" on strands of silk carried by the wind.
Conservation
- IUCN Red List
- NENot EvaluatedNot yet assessed
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