Common midwest spiders - ID help please

Kikimouse

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jul 25, 2011
Messages
3
I just introduced myself on another thread. I'm new here. I'm not a spider hobbyist or expert, but I am fascinated by spiders and am regularly relocating them from my house to the garden. I love to know what I'm dealing with and I sometimes keep them for a short while to get a good look at them before I release them. I found two (one yesterday and one today). The photos aren't good but I'm thinking the female with the spiderlings is a wolf spider - rabidosa rabida?. And I'm wondering if the other is also a wolf spider or maybe a grass spider. I'm having debates with some friends. They were roughly the same size - about 2 inches (including legs), but the second one was thinner and more delicate looking than the first, granted, it wasn't carrying around a couple of hundred babies.

Thanks so much for your help.

Sorry the photos are not very clear, and I didn't get the eyes.... I need a better camera.


 

3ntomology

Arachnosquire
Joined
Jul 4, 2011
Messages
56
yep, both wolfspiders :)

The first pic indeed is carrying its young.

the second looks like a possible male.

They make great captives, you can keep them in a critter keeper and feed them any insects you come across in your house!

Relocating them to the garden is also a good idea too
 

Kikimouse

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jul 25, 2011
Messages
3
Thanks! My son loves spiders, he's been asking to keep some and we come across wolf spiders in the house regularly. I was worried they would die if I kept them captive for too long. I could feed them the cockroaches I find out the front, but my daughter will be sad, she like all bugs :)

Could I keep two (or more) together or would they hurt one another?
 

3ntomology

Arachnosquire
Joined
Jul 4, 2011
Messages
56
if you keep two together, they more than likely wont kill eachother, but will be extremely skiddish, scared and paranoid that there is another spider in the same territory. Its best to keep them seperate, since stress can cause death in spiders

and dont worry, these spiders do very well in captive environments, just make sure you have some substrate (dirt) and some twigs/ fallen leaves or something similar so they can hide every now and then.
 
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