Wolf Spider
What Environment do Wolf Spiders Prefer to Live in and What is Their Response to a Change in Environment?
Abstract What environment do wolf spiders prefer to live in and what is their response to a change in environment? After performing experiments on wolf spiders it was determined that they prefer to reside in an area covered with leaves over an area devoid of any material. It was also determined that temperature plays a role in how much weight a spider can gain. As temperatures lower spiders on average put on less weight than spiders in warmer temperatures. The wolf spiders in my experiment also showed a response in the form of movement to immediate fluorescent lighting. Size was shown to be a determining factor in the time taken for wolf spider interactions with other wolf spiders.
Introduction
Wolf Spiders are ground dwelling spiders that do not form webs as a method of capturing prey. They rely on their eye sight to spot their prey, which consists mainly of other insects. Wolf Spiders have a easily recognizable eye arrangement consisting of four small eyes along a bottom row, then two larger eyes above that row and finally two large eyes placed almost directly on top of their heads. The bite of a wolf spider can be painful, but is not considered poisonous to humans. A study of wolf spider bites done in Brazil found that mild pain was the predominant symptom of patients bitten by wolf spiders1. After observing wolf spiders in captivity for a while I came up with three hypothesis to test. Wolf Spiders exhibit a significant amount of movement in response to fluorescent light. The mass of wolf spiders changes significantly when exposed to lower temperatures. When placed in the same area, wolf spiders of different sizes interact significantly faster than wolf spiders of the same size.
Methods
To capture wolf spiders I went to a running path across from the Levin School of Law after sunset. Using a flashlight I was able to scan the
Abstract What environment do wolf spiders prefer to live in and what is their response to a change in environment? After performing experiments on wolf spiders it was determined that they prefer to reside in an area covered with leaves over an area devoid of any material. It was also determined that temperature plays a role in how much weight a spider can gain. As temperatures lower spiders on average put on less weight than spiders in warmer temperatures. The wolf spiders in my experiment also showed a response in the form of movement to immediate fluorescent lighting. Size was shown to be a determining factor in the time taken for wolf spider interactions with other wolf spiders.
Introduction
Wolf Spiders are ground dwelling spiders that do not form webs as a method of capturing prey. They rely on their eye sight to spot their prey, which consists mainly of other insects. Wolf Spiders have a easily recognizable eye arrangement consisting of four small eyes along a bottom row, then two larger eyes above that row and finally two large eyes placed almost directly on top of their heads. The bite of a wolf spider can be painful, but is not considered poisonous to humans. A study of wolf spider bites done in Brazil found that mild pain was the predominant symptom of patients bitten by wolf spiders1. After observing wolf spiders in captivity for a while I came up with three hypothesis to test. Wolf Spiders exhibit a significant amount of movement in response to fluorescent light. The mass of wolf spiders changes significantly when exposed to lower temperatures. When placed in the same area, wolf spiders of different sizes interact significantly faster than wolf spiders of the same size.
Methods
To capture wolf spiders I went to a running path across from the Levin School of Law after sunset. Using a flashlight I was able to scan the
Bibliography: 1. Ribeiro, LA. Wolf spider bites in Sao Paulo, Brazil: A clinical and epidemiological study of 515 cases. Toxicon. Vol. 28, no. 6, pp. 715-717. 1990. 2. Marshall, Samuel D. Patterns in the Distribution of Two Wolf Spiders (Araneae: Lycosidae) in Two Soybean Agroecosytem. Environmental Entomology, Volume 28, Number 6, December 1999 , pp. 1052-1059(8) 3. Ferenc Samu. Factors influencing cannibalism in the wolf spider Pardosa agrestis (Araneae, Lycosidae. Behavioral Ecology and SociobiologyVolume 45, Number 5 / April, 1999