新疆穴居狼蛛 Wolf Spider (Lycosa singoriensis)

The Lycosa singoriensis generally has a brightish stripe centred on its grey to black front section, and there are two large and six small eyes on its head. The large eyes help the spider see while hunting, while the smaller ones can likely only take in light.

Despite its size, the Lycosa singoriensis is anything but easy to spot. As a specialist for sand and dry grass, this wolf spider hides by day in burrows it has dug for itself. When diurnally active, this wary spider will flee to its burrow immediately upon the slightest trembling of the ground. One sign of the spider’s presence in an ecosystem is the slough (moult) sometimes found in front of an underground burrow. The species requires sandy soil with sparse vegetation and aridity to thrive. It prefers the far banks of salty pools. If vegetation has become too dense and high due to lack of grazing, the spider no longer has the living conditions it requires and will move on.

At night the Lycosa singoriensis leaves its burrow in order to hunt. It waits in opportune places for its prey, most often insects and beetles, to wander by. It pounces from a distance of only centimetres and overpowers its prey with its venomous bite. Then the victim is sucked dry until only the shell or skin remains.