Home / Wolf Spiders / Thin-legged Wolf (Pardosa)

Thin-legged Wolf (Pardosa)

The Thin-legged wolf spider, known as Pardosa, is part of the wolf spider family. With about 520 different kinds, it’s a big group of spiders found all over the world. Here, we’ll share facts about this fascinating spider for you to discover.

Table Of Content hide

Spiders Belonging to Genus Pardosa

Physical Description and Identification

Are Thin-legged Wolf Spiders Venomous?

Can Thin-legged Wolf Spiders Bite?

Ecological Importance and Behavior of Pardosa Spider

Quick Facts

Did You Know

Spiders Belonging to Genus Pardosa

Pardosa abagensis	Pardosa maimaneha	Pardosa aciculifera
Pardosa maisa	Pardosa acorensis	Pardosa adustella
Pardosa manicata	Pardosa aenigmatica	Pardosa manubriata
Pardosa afflicta	Pardosa marchei	Pardosa agrestis
Pardosa marialuisae	Pardosa agricola	Pardosa martensi
Pardosa alacris	Pardosa martinii	Pardosa alasaniensis
Pardosa masareyi	Pardosa albatula	Pardosa masurae
Pardosa alboannulata	Pardosa mayana	Pardosa albomaculata
Pardosa medialis	Pardosa mendicans	Pardosa algens
Pardosa mercurialis	Pardosa algina	Pardosa messingerae
Pardosa algoides	Pardosa metlakatla	Pardosa alii
Pardosa mikhailovi	Pardosa altamontis	Pardosa milvina
Pardosa alticola	Pardosa minuta	Pardosa altitudis
Pardosa mionebulosa	Pardosa miquanensis	Pardosa amacuzacensis
Pardosa mira	Pardosa amamiensis	Pardosa mixta
Pardosa amazonia	Pardosa modica	Pardosa amentata
Pardosa moesta	Pardosa anchoroides	Pardosa mongolica
Pardosa ancorifera	Pardosa anfibia	Pardosa montgomeryi
Pardosa angolensis	Pardosa monticola	Pardosa angusta
Pardosa mordagica	Pardosa angustifrons	Pardosa morosa
Pardosa anomala	Pardosa mtugensis	Pardosa apostoli
Pardosa mubalea	Pardosa aquatilis	Pardosa mukundi
Pardosa aquila	Pardosa mulaiki	Pardosa arctica
Pardosa multidontata	Pardosa astrigera	Pardosa multivaga
Pardosa atlantica	Pardosa muzkolica	Pardosa muzafari
Pardosa atlantica	Pardosa atomaria	Pardosa mysorensis
Pardosa atrata	Pardosa naevioides	Pardosa atromedia
Pardosa nanica	Pardosa atronigra	Pardosa nanyuensis
Pardosa atropos	Pardosa narymica	Pardosa aurantipes
Pardosa nebulosa	Pardosa azerifalcata	Pardosa nenilini
Pardosa baehrorum	Pardosa nesiotis	Pardosa balaghatensis
Pardosa nigriceps	Pardosa baoshanensis	Pardosa ninigoriensis
Pardosa baraan	Pardosa nojimai	Pardosa bargaonensis
Pardosa nordicolens	Pardosa basiri	Pardosa nostrorum
Pardosa bastarensis	Pardosa baxianensis	Pardosa novitatis
Pardosa beijiangensis	Pardosa obscuripes	Pardosa bellona
Pardosa observans	Pardosa benadira	Pardosa occidentalis
Pardosa bendamira	Pardosa odenwalli	Pardosa beringiana
Pardosa oksalai	Pardosa bernensis	Pardosa oljunae
Pardosa bidentata	Pardosa olympica	Pardosa bifasciata
Pardosa oncka	Pardosa birabeni	Pardosa ontariensis
Pardosa birmanica	Pardosa orcchaensis	Pardosa blanda
Pardosa oreophila	Pardosa bleyi	Pardosa oriens
Pardosa brevimetatarsis	Pardosa orophila	Pardosa brevivulva
Pardosa orthodox	Pardosa brunellii	Pardosa ourayensis
Pardosa buchari	Pardosa ovambica	Pardosa bucklei
Pardosa ovtchinnikovi	Pardosa bukukun	Pardosa pacata
Pardosa buriatica	Pardosa pahalanga	Pardosa californica
Pardosa paleata	Pardosa caliraya	Pardosa palliclava
Pardosa canalis	Pardosa paludicola	Pardosa caucasica
Pardosa palustris	Pardosa cavannae	Pardosa pantinii
Pardosa cayennensis	Pardosa papilionaca	Pardosa cervina
Pardosa paracolchica	Pardosa cervinopilosa	Pardosa paralapponica
Pardosa chahraka	Pardosa paramushirensis	Pardosa chambaensis
Pardosa paratesquorum	Pardosa chapini	Pardosa partita
Pardosa chenbuensis	Pardosa parvula	Pardosa chiapasiana
Pardosa passibilis	Pardosa chindanda	Pardosa patapatensis
Pardosa cincta	Pardosa pauxilla	Pardosa cinerascens
Pardosa pedia	Pardosa clavipalpis	Pardosa persica
Pardosa cluens	Pardosa pertinax	Pardosa colchica
Pardosa petrunkevitchi	Pardosa coloradensis	Pardosa pexa
Pardosa completa	Pardosa pinangensis	Pardosa concinna
Pardosa pirkuliensis	Pardosa concolorata	Pardosa plagula
Pardosa condolens	Pardosa plumipedata	Pardosa confalonierii
Pardosa plumipes	Pardosa confusa	Pardosa podhorskii
Pardosa consimilis	Pardosa poecila	Pardosa costrica
Pardosa pontica	Pardosa crassipalpis	Pardosa portoricensis
Pardosa crassistyla	Pardosa credula	Pardosa potamophila
Pardosa cribrata	Pardosa praepes	Pardosa cubana
Pardosa prativaga	Pardosa procurva	Pardosa dabiensis
Pardosa profuga	Pardosa dagestana	Pardosa prolifica
Pardosa daisetsuensis	Pardosa proxima	Pardosa dalkhaba
Pardosa danica	Pardosa psammodes	Pardosa darolii
Pardosa pseudoannulata	Pardosa datongensis	Pardosa debolinae
Pardosa pseudochapini	Pardosa delicatula	Pardosa pseudokaragonis
Pardosa dentitegulum	Pardosa pseudolapponica	Pardosa desolatula
Pardosa pseudomixta	Pardosa dilecta	Pardosa pseudostrigillata
Pardosa distincta	Pardosa pseudotorrentum	Pardosa diuturna
Pardosa pullata	Pardosa donabila	Pardosa pumilio
Pardosa dondalei	Pardosa pusiola	Pardosa dorsalis
Pardosa pyrenaica	Pardosa dorsuncata	Pardosa qingzangensis
Pardosa dranensis	Pardosa qinhaiensis	Pardosa drenskii
Pardosa qionghuai	Pardosa duplicata	Pardosa rabulana
Pardosa dzheminey	Pardosa rainieriana	Pardosa ecatli
Pardosa ramulosa	Pardosa eiseni	Pardosa ranjani
Pardosa ejusmodi	Pardosa rara	Pardosa elegans
Pardosa rascheri	Pardosa elegantula	Pardosa rhenockensis
Pardosa enucleata	Pardosa rhombisepta	Pardosa erupticia
Pardosa riparia	Pardosa eskovi	Pardosa riveti
Pardosa evanescens	Pardosa roeweri	Pardosa evelinae
Pardosa roscai	Pardosa falcata	Pardosa royi
Pardosa falcifera	Pardosa ruanda	Pardosa falcula
Pardosa rudis	Pardosa fallax	Pardosa rugegensis
Pardosa fastosa	Pardosa sagei	Pardosa femoralis
Pardosa saltans	Pardosa fengi	Pardosa saltonia
Pardosa ferruginea	Pardosa saltuaria	Pardosa flammula
Pardosa saltuarides	Pardosa flata	Pardosa sangzhiensis
Pardosa flavida	Pardosa sanmenensis	Pardosa flavipalpis
Pardosa santamaria	Pardosa saturatior	Pardosa flavipes
Pardosa saxatilis	Pardosa flavisterna	Pardosa schenkeli
Pardosa fletcheri	Pardosa schreineri	Pardosa floridana
Pardosa schubotzi	Pardosa fortunata	Pardosa selengensis
Pardosa fritzeni	Pardosa semicana	Pardosa fulvipes
Pardosa septentrionalis	Pardosa furcifera	Pardosa serena
Pardosa shuangjiangensis	Pardosa fuscosoma	Pardosa shugangensis
Pardosa fuscula	Pardosa shyamae	Pardosa gastropicta
Pardosa sibiniformis	Pardosa gefsana	Pardosa sichuanensis
Pardosa gerhardti	Pardosa sierra	Pardosa ghigii
Pardosa silvarum	Pardosa ghourbanda	Pardosa sinensis
Pardosa giebeli	Pardosa sinistra	Pardosa glabra
Pardosa soccata	Pardosa glacialis	Pardosa socorroensis
Pardosa golbagha	Pardosa sodalis	Pardosa gopalai
Pardosa songosa	Pardosa gothicana	Pardosa sordidata
Pardosa gracilenta	Pardosa sordidecolorata	Pardosa graminea
Pardosa sowerbyi	Pardosa groenlandica	Pardosa sphagnicola
Pardosa stellata	Pardosa gromovi	Pardosa sternalis
Pardosa guadalajarana	Pardosa steva	Pardosa guerechka
Pardosa strandembriki	Pardosa straeleni	Pardosa gusarensis
Pardosa strena	Pardosa haibeiensis	Pardosa strigata
Pardosa hamifera	Pardosa strix	Pardosa hartmanni
Pardosa subalpina	Pardosa subanchoroides	Pardosa hatanensis
Pardosa subproximella	Pardosa haupti	Pardosa subsordidatula
Pardosa hedini	Pardosa suchismitae	Pardosa herbosa
Pardosa sumatrana	Pardosa hetchi	Pardosa heterophthalma
Pardosa sura	Pardosa hohxilensis	Pardosa sutherlandi
Pardosa hokkaido	Pardosa suwai	Pardosa hortensis
Pardosa svatoni	Pardosa hydaspis	Pardosa taczanowskii
Pardosa hyperborea	Pardosa takahashii	Pardosa hypocrita
Pardosa tangana	Pardosa ibex	Pardosa tappaensis
Pardosa ilgunensis	Pardosa tasevi	Pardosa incerta
Pardosa indecora	Pardosa tatarica	Pardosa iniqua
Pardosa tenera	Pardosa injucunda	Pardosa tenuipes
Pardosa inopina	Pardosa tesquorum	Pardosa inquieta
Pardosa intermedia	Pardosa tesquorumoides	Pardosa invenusta
Pardosa tetonensis	Pardosa irretita	Pardosa thalassia
Pardosa irriensis	Pardosa thompsoni	Pardosa isago
Pardosa thorelli	Pardosa italica	Pardosa tikaderi
Pardosa izabella	Pardosa timidula	Pardosa jabalpurensis
Pardosa torrentum	Pardosa jaikensis	Pardosa trailli
Pardosa jambaruensis	Pardosa tricuspidata	Pardosa jartica
Pardosa tridentis	Pardosa jaundea	Pardosa trifoveata
Pardosa jeniseica	Pardosa tristicella	Pardosa jergeniensis
Pardosa tristiculella	Pardosa jinpingensis	Pardosa trottai
Pardosa josemitensis	Pardosa tschekiangiensis	Pardosa kalpiensis
Pardosa tumida	Pardosa karagonis	Pardosa tuoba
Pardosa katangana	Pardosa turkestanica	Pardosa kavango
Pardosa tyshchenkoi	Pardosa knappi	Pardosa uiensis
Pardosa kondeana	Pardosa uintana	Pardosa kratochvili
Pardosa umtalica	Pardosa krausi	Pardosa uncata
Pardosa kronestedti	Pardosa uncifera	Pardosa kupupa
Pardosa unciferodies	Pardosa labradorensis	Pardosa unguifera
Pardosa laciniata	Pardosa upembensis	Pardosa laevitarsis
Pardosa utahensis	Pardosa lagenaria	Pardosa vadosa
Pardosa laidlawi	Pardosa vagula	Pardosa lapidicina
Pardosa lapponica	Pardosa valens	Pardosa lasciva
Pardosa valida	Pardosa latibasa	Pardosa vancouveri
Pardosa laura	Pardosa vatovae	Pardosa lawrencei
Pardosa verticillifer	Pardosa leipoldti	Pardosa vindex
Pardosa leprevosti	Pardosa vindicata	Pardosa lignosus
Pardosa vinsoni	Pardosa lii	Pardosa virgata
Pardosa limata	Pardosa vittata	Pardosa lineata
Pardosa vlijmi	Pardosa linguata	Pardosa vogelae
Pardosa litangensis	Pardosa v-signata	Pardosa littoralis
Pardosa vulvitecta	Pardosa logunovi	Pardosa wagleri
Pardosa lombokibia	Pardosa warayensis	Pardosa longionycha
Pardosa wasatchensis	Pardosa longisepta	Pardosa wuyiensis
Pardosa longivulva	Pardosa wyuta	Pardosa lowriei
Pardosa xerampelina	Pardosa luctinosa	Pardosa xerophila
Pardosa ludia	Pardosa xinjiangensis	Pardosa lugubris
Pardosa yadongensis	Pardosa lurida	Pardosa yaginumai
Pardosa lusingana	Pardosa yamanoi	Pardosa lycosina
Pardosa yavapa	Pardosa lycosinella	Pardosa yongduensis
Pardosa lyrata	Pardosa zhangi	Pardosa lyrifera
Pardosa zhui	Pardosa mabinii	Pardosa zionis
Pardosa mabweana	Pardosa zonsteini	Pardosa mackenziana
Pardosa zorimorpha	Pardosa maculata	Pardosa zuojiani
Pardosa maculatipes	Pardosa zyuzini

Physical Description and Identification

Adults

Size: Female spiders have a range of 0.19 – 0.39 inches (0.4 – 0.9 cm) while male spiders appear smaller, measuring 0.15 – 0.27 inches (0.3 – 0.6 cm).
Color: Most species are brown, black, or gray.
Other Characteristic Features: Most spiders of this genus have long, slender legs with spines on their foot.

Eggs

The eggs remain encased in a lense-shaped egg sac that could be in shades of gray or green.

Spiderlings

Juvenile spiders hatch after a certain time, but there is no scientific evidence so far about the exact time.

The Web

Like most other species of the wolf spider family, they do not build their webs but hunt their prey.

Are Thin-legged Wolf Spiders Venomous?

Yes, Thin-legged Wolf Spiders are venomous, but their venom is not harmful to humans.

Can Thin-legged Wolf Spiders Bite?

Thin-legged Wolf Spiders can bite if threatened, but it’s rare. If bitten, the pain is mild and similar to a bee sting.

Ecological Importance and Behavior of Pardosa Spider

The Pardosa spiders play a crucial role in maintaining ecological balance by controlling the population of various insects and smaller spiders. Their active hunting lifestyle and agility make them proficient predators in their habitat.

Natural Predator: Facing threats from wasps, small reptiles, amphibians, shrews, and birds, these spiders have developed keen survival instincts. Their speed and agility are their greatest allies, helping them escape from the clutches of predators.

Prey-Predator Dynamics: Pardosa spiders contribute to the complex web of life, acting as both predators and prey.

Relationship with Humans: These spiders maintain a peaceful coexistence with humans. Their presence is beneficial as they aid in controlling pest populations. Bites are rare and pose no significant threat, ensuring a harmonious relationship between Pardosa spiders and humans.

Quick Facts

Distribution	Central America, Asia, Oceania, the Caribbean, Europe, North, and South America
Habitat	Shorelines, lawns, grasslands, woods, and leaf litter
Diet	Cockroaches, ants, grasshoppers, beetles, and other smaller spiders
Predator	Wasps, small reptiles, amphibians, shrews, and birds
Lifespan	1 – 1.5 years

Did You Know

C. L. Koch described these spiders for the first time in 1833.

In summary, the Thin-legged wolf spider, Pardosa, stands as a remarkable member of the arachnid world, playing its part in the ecological ballet of life, all the while maintaining a peaceful coexistence with us humans.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Thin-legged wolf spider?

A Thin-legged wolf spider is the common name for a spider from the genus Pardosa, which is part of the Lycosidae family. These spiders are characterized by their slender legs and active, ground-dwelling hunting behavior. They rely on speed and eyesight to catch prey instead of building webs.

How can you identify a Pardosa spider?

You can identify a Pardosa spider by its relatively thin, long legs compared to its body size and its distinct eye arrangement. Like other wolf spiders, they have eight eyes in three rows. Their coloration is typically brown or grey, providing camouflage on the ground where they actively hunt.

Are Pardosa wolf spiders venomous to humans?

Yes, Pardosa wolf spiders possess venom to subdue prey, but it is not considered medically significant to humans. A bite is uncommon and usually results in only minor, localized symptoms like mild pain, redness, or swelling. Always seek professional medical advice for any spider bite concerns.

Where are Thin-legged wolf spiders commonly found?

Thin-legged wolf spiders are found in diverse habitats across the globe, making them a cosmopolitan genus. They typically live on the ground in open, sunny areas such as grasslands, gardens, leaf litter, and along the edges of ponds and streams, where they can actively hunt for insects.

Do Pardosa spiders spin webs to catch prey?

No, Pardosa spiders do not spin webs to catch their prey. They are active hunters that rely on their excellent vision and quick speed to chase down and overpower insects and other small arthropods. They use silk for egg sacs and draglines but not for building capture webs.

What do Thin-legged wolf spiders eat?

The diet of Thin-legged wolf spiders consists mainly of small insects and other arthropods they can overpower. As opportunistic ground hunters, they commonly consume ants, crickets, smaller spiders, and various insect larvae. Their diet is dependent on the prey available in their specific habitat.

How many species are in the Pardosa genus?

The Pardosa genus is exceptionally diverse, containing approximately 520 scientifically described species. This large number makes it one of the most species-rich genera within the entire wolf spider family (Lycosidae). This diversity allows them to inhabit a vast range of environments all over the world.

Thin-legged Wolf (Pardosa)

Spiders Belonging to Genus Pardosa