Little Monsters S2 Episode 1 - Wolf Spider Babies!

Wolf spiders are a rarity among spiders and invertebrates as well, they actually provide some parental care for their offspring!

Since Wolf spiders don't build webs they carry a package of eggs in a ball attached with silk to the spinnarets:

I'm not certain why this mother is carrying spiderlings and an egg sac, perhaps it picked up an extra one. Perhaps they've just hatched and the empty egg sac hasn't been discarded yet.

Once the little ones have hatched, they clamber into the abdomen for a free ride, and protection from predators including other spiders! The mother spider is far far and more mobile than the little ones with their tiny little legs.

She'll go anywhere!

I wonder if she has threatened to turn the spider-bus around of the spiderlings ask one more time: "Are we there yet?"?

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This is a continuation of a series of posts I made about the little monsters living around us last year, which ran to 39 posts! The linked post has an index at the bottom so you can go back and enjoy the posts from the past!
Original series: Little Monsters Part 39 Jumping Spiders IV

I've updated my camera and will be adding new species and updating the other posts as well. If you like a little more information with your macro photography hit Follow and have the next post show up in your feed!

Thank you for your support!