Wolf spiders are active hunters found globally, except Antarctica. They earned their name by stalking and ambushing prey, not using webs. Understanding their feeding habits, including how often and what they consume, provides insight into their role in different ecosystems.
Typical Feeding Frequency
Wolf spiders are opportunistic predators, eating when prey is available, so their feeding frequency varies. Larger wolf spiders may consume food daily, while smaller species might go several days between meals. Pet wolf spiders are often fed weekly, though larger individuals may need more frequent meals.
Adult wolf spiders can endure periods without food, with some capable of surviving for up to a month without a meal. This resilience is attributed to their ability to slow their metabolism during times of scarcity. Baby wolf spiders, however, are more vulnerable and typically cannot survive longer than a week without food due to their rapid growth and higher nutritional demands.
Factors Affecting Feeding Frequency
Several biological and environmental elements influence how often a wolf spider feeds. Age and size play a role, as younger, growing spiders generally require more frequent meals to support their development compared to mature adults. The availability of prey directly correlates with feeding frequency; when food is abundant, wolf spiders can increase their consumption rate.
Environmental conditions like temperature and humidity affect metabolism and activity. Warmer conditions increase activity and hunger, leading to more frequent hunting. Conversely, during colder periods, their metabolism slows, allowing them to survive longer without food. Reproductive cycles also influence feeding, with female wolf spiders often eating more during periods of egg-laying or gestation to support the energy demands of reproduction. Wolf spiders are able to store lipids as an energy buffer, allowing them to withstand periods of food deprivation.
What Wolf Spiders Eat
Wolf spiders are generalist carnivores, primarily preying on ground-dwelling insects and other small invertebrates. Their diet commonly includes crickets, grasshoppers, earwigs, ants, flies, beetles, and cockroaches. They are also known to consume other spiders, including smaller wolf spiders, and occasionally soft-bodied invertebrates like worms, larvae, and pupae.
Larger wolf spider species may even prey on small vertebrates such as tiny lizards, frogs, or baby snakes, though these instances are rare. Wolf spiders do not build webs to catch prey; instead, they actively hunt, using their speed, agility, and excellent eyesight to stalk, chase, and ambush their victims. They are opportunistic hunters, adapting their diet to whatever prey is most abundant and accessible in their specific habitat.