page_title: Rabidosa rabida
section_title: Habitat and ecology
hierarchical_section_title: Rabidosa rabida / Habitat and ecology
caption_attribution_description: English: Lycosa scutulata.—Female enlarged twice.
context_page_description: Rabidosa rabida, also known as the rabid wolf spider, is a species of spiders from the family Lycosidae, native to North America. In the United States it is found from Maine to Florida and west to Texas.
context_section_description: The species likes cotton fields, and wooded areas. They usually live in holes, and garbage of various kind. Sometimes they might be found around ponds or in deep burrows, that is covered by debris. This species doesn't build webs to catch prey, instead they weave the silk to wrap their prey in, or to protect their young. They hunt at night, by ambushing their prey, or chasing it. Sometimes, in order to catch their prey, they camouflage themselves as bark or leaves. During breeding, the male performs a "dance" in front of the female, and makes a noise with its legs. If mating is successful, the female will begin to lay its eggs and build an eggsack out of silk, which she will use to carry her young in. When the spiderlings are born, they ride on the mother's back until they are old enough to be on their own.
  Rabid wolf spiders may bite if provoked, but their bite is not dangerous to humans.
caption: 1902 illustration (as Lycosa scutulata)
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