Size: Female 9-14mm, male 7-9mm.

Habitat: The rustic wolf spider inhabits mostly damp areas, where it can be found under stones and other debris.

Distribution: Temperate Asia, Europe and North America.

UK Distribution: Common throughout Britain.

Rarity: Common.

Description: The rustic wolf spider is brown overall, with dark parallel lines across the carapace, with a pale median stripe that continues halfway down the dorsal side of the abdomen (cardiac mark). The rear of the abdomen exhibits a few small black spots. The males have dark tibiae, metatarsi and tarsi on their first pair of legs.

Distinguishing Features: The rustic wolf spider is similar to Trochosa robusta, but is usually smaller in size and the latter lacks the darkened legs in the male, instead it features a pale tibia on its first pair of legs. Even with this, sometimes genitalia examination is needed to confirm species. The closely related Ground Wolf Spider, Trochosa terricola, differs in habitat and exhibits a darker cardiac marking. The males also display a difference in colouration on the first pair of legs, with the tarsi remaining pale in the ground wolf spider.

My experiences: My first and only encounters with the rustic wolf spider were around the banks of the reservoirs in the Brecon Beacons, most notably Pontsticill and Talybont. All specimens were found near the waterline, hiding under rocks. When disturbed they stayed in place, rather than running away like many other wolf spider species.

Kingdom - Animalia
Phylum - Arthropoda
Subphylum - Chelicerata
Class - Arachnida
Order - Araneae
Infraorder - Araneomorphae
Family - Lycosidae
Genus - Trochosa
Species - Trochosa ruricola