Spiders of North Carolina

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Scientific Name: Common Name:		Family (Alpha):

Geolycosa pikei - a burrowing wolf spider LYCOSIDAE Members:			NC Records	BugGuide Account	Public View

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Burrow

Female in burrow

Female

Male

Female tending turret

Distribution Records
PDF

Vetting Levels

Adult phenology:
High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft.
Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft.
Piedmont (Pd)
Coastal Plain (CP)

Click on graph to enlarge

synonym

taxonomic_comments

species_comment

id_comments

Male: dorsal stripe as wide as posterior eye quadrangle behind the posterior lateral eyes, narrows to the cervical groove and is indistinct from there posteriorly; carapace covered with gray pubescence where it has not been rubbed. Carapace longer than wide (7.4 mm./5.3 mm).behind. Venter slightly dusky, almost unmarked; patellae and tibiae I and II quite dark beneath, almost black; femora I and II somewhat lighter than tibia I; coxae I and II, sternum, labium, endites, and metatarsi I and II. Female: and indistinct from darker than dorsal stripe. dark markings. Venter dusky distal three-fourths of metatarsus than tibia I; coxae

total_length

structural_features

silk_web

Silk used to make a lip around burrow or to attach turret material. Female uses silk to make an egg case.

fld_guide_descriptions

online_photos

prey

predators

behavior

Builds a small silky sand lip, or shell/debris "turret" at top to their burrows, smaller turrets than others in the genus.

distribution_reference

technical_reference

adult_id

1 identifiable by photo 2 identifiable by photo of specific features and/or supplementary info 3 identifiable from specimen only

abundance

Uncommon. Matures in August and September, both sexes pass the winter half grown and do not mature until late and the fertilized females live over a second winter and lay eggs in May and June. Young remain a long time with the mother, in one case as late as September.

distribution_comments

Atlantic coast from Maine to Georgia, and adjacent islands.

checklist_mt_high
>=4,000 ft.

Regular	Frequent	Infrequent	Occasional	Seldom	Frequency Regular – almost always observed on given visit; >=90% chance of observation Frequent – usually observed on a given visit; >=50%<90% chance of observation Infrequent – observed less than 50% of visits; >=25%<50% chance of observation Occasional – observed on only on a small minority of visits; >=10%<25% chance of observation Seldom – not usually seen on visits; <10% chance of observation These terms refer to visits to appropriate habitats made at appropriate times of the year, making use of common sampling/observation methods. Under those conditions, Frequency refers to the chance of observing at least one individual on a given visit made anywhere within a particular region, or over multiple visits to a single site.

checklist_mt_low
<4,000 ft.

Regular	Frequent	Infrequent	Occasional	Seldom

checklist_pd
Piedmont

Regular	Frequent	Infrequent	Occasional	Seldom

checklist_cp
Coastal Plain

Regular	Frequent	Infrequent	Occasional	Seldom

habitat

Coastal sand dunes, but also away from coast.

observation_methods

state_protection

NHP_ranks

[GNR] S3S4

NHP_status

status_comments

Photo Gallery for Geolycosa pikei a burrowing wolf spider
	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Brunswick Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Dare Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Dare Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Dare Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Currituck Co. Comment:	Recorded by: R. Newman Carteret Co. Comment: FOMA - On Visitor Center @ -76.678694, 34.697652
	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn New Hanover Co. Comment: 65 occupied burrows detected in daytime. At night 4 adults females tending to rocks on turret, 5 immature retreated to sandy burrows.	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn New Hanover Co. Comment: 65 occupied burrows detected in daytime. At night 4 adults females tending to rocks on turret, 5 immature retreated to sandy burrows.
	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn New Hanover Co. Comment: 65 occupied burrows detected in daytime. At night 4 adults females tending to rocks on turret, 5 immature retreated to sandy burrows.	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn New Hanover Co. Comment: 6 occupied burrows
	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn, N. Williamson, B. Hartness, Z. Lunn Moore Co. Comment: Immature climbed out of burrow. 2 active, 1 inactive burrow: 11cm wide 6 inches deep, 13 cm wide, 4 inches deep with immature, 11cm wide and 3 inches deep.	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn, N. Williamson, B. Hartness, Z. Lunn Moore Co. Comment: Immature climbed out of burrow. 2 active, 1 inactive burrow: 11cm wide 6 inches deep, 13 cm wide, 4 inches deep with immature, 11cm wide and 3 inches deep.
	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn, N. Williamson, B. Hartness, Z. Lunn Moore Co. Comment: Immature climbed out of burrow. 2 active, 1 inactive burrow: 11cm wide 6 inches deep, 13 cm wide, 4 inches deep with immature, 11cm wide and 3 inches deep.	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn, N. Williamson, B. Hartness, Z. Lunn Moore Co. Comment: Immature climbed out of burrow. 2 active, 1 inactive burrow: 11cm wide 6 inches deep, 13 cm wide, 4 inches deep with immature, 11cm wide and 3 inches deep.
	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Richmond Co. Comment: 3 active burrows: 5 cm' wide, 9 inches deep; 5 cm wide 11 inches deep, 4 cm wide. Distrubed area.	Recorded by: H. Anderson Cumberland Co. Comment: CACR
	Recorded by: H. Anderson Cumberland Co. Comment: CACR	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Cumberland Co. Comment: Sandhills section. 12 active burrows: 4mm-1, 6mm-2, 7mm-1, 8mm-2, 10mm-1 with 7mm high turret, 12mm-1, 14mm-1, 15mm-1.\\r\\n
	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn, C. Bowers, H. Anderson, J. Brown Cumberland Co. Comment: 22 active burrows in front of barn, 8 active burrows in parking area	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn, C. Bowers, H. Anderson, J. Brown Cumberland Co. Comment: 24 active burrows, fairly vegetated area, mowed grass shoulder
	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Harnett Co. Comment: 11 active burrows, 3mm-2, 5mm-9.	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn New Hanover Co. Comment: 8 occupied burrows, 7,7,8,8,9,9,9,13 mm.
	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Dare Co. Comment: 11 active burrows: 5mm-2, 6mm-2, 7mm-1, 8mm-3, 9mm-3. Normally burrow always on a level surface, two were on a 15 percent slope of sand.	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Dare Co. Comment: 11 active burrows: 5mm-2, 6mm-2, 7mm-1, 8mm-3, 9mm-3. Normally burrow always on a level surface, two were on a 15 percent slope of sand.
	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Currituck Co. Comment: 93 active burrows: 3mm-2, 4mm-8, 5mm-3,6mm-9, 7mm-24, 8mm-12, 9mm-9, 10mm-5, 11mm-2.	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Bladen Co. Comment: 1 adult in burrow. 18 active burrows, 4mm: 1; 5mm: 4; 6mm: 7; 7mm: 3; 8mm: 2; 9mm: 1.
	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Bladen Co. Comment: 1 adult in burrow. 18 active burrows, 4mm: 1; 5mm: 4; 6mm: 7; 7mm: 3; 8mm: 2; 9mm: 1.	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Carteret Co. Comment: 12 active in burrows, female photographed, 4-5mm burrow diameter.
	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Carteret Co. Comment: 12 active in burrows, female photographed, 4-5mm burrow diameter.	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Onslow Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Pender Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Cumberland Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Scotland Co. Comment: 1 female, total body lenght 11mm, legspan 20mm wide by 28mm long, inside a 7mm wide burrow. Additional active burrows 7, 7, 8 and 12mm.	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Scotland Co. Comment: 1 female, total body lenght 11mm, legspan 20mm wide by 28mm long, inside a 7mm wide burrow. Additional active burrows 7, 7, 8 and 12mm.
	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Scotland Co. Comment: 1 female, total body lenght 11mm, legspan 20mm wide by 28mm long, inside a 7mm wide burrow. Additional active burrows 7, 7, 8 and 12mm.	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Scotland Co. Comment: 1 female, total body lenght 11mm, legspan 20mm wide by 28mm long, inside a 7mm wide burrow. Additional active burrows 7, 7, 8 and 12mm.
	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Scotland Co. Comment: 1 female, total body lenght 11mm, legspan 20mm wide by 28mm long, inside a 7mm wide burrow. Additional active burrows 7, 7, 8 and 12mm.	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Scotland Co. Comment: 1 female, total body lenght 11mm, legspan 20mm wide by 28mm long, inside a 7mm wide burrow. Additional active burrows 7, 7, 8 and 12mm.
	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Scotland Co. Comment: 1 female in 7mm burrow. 12 other active burrows in mm 6,6,7,8,8,8,9,9,10,11,13,13.	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Scotland Co. Comment: 5 active burrows, level with ground, no turrets. 12mm wide, 8" deep, 12mm wide, 8" deep, 12 mm, 6 mm, 5mm.
	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Scotland Co. Comment: 14 active burrows. 13 mm wide 7\" deep; 12 mm wide 5\" deep; 11mm wide 5\" deep; 8mm wide, 10mm turret, 7\" deep; 7mm wide 5mm turret and 3\" deep; 7mm wide 4\" deep; Additional burrow width 2mm, 3mm, 4mm, 5mm, 5mm, 7mm, 7mm, 8mm, 12mm.	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn New Hanover Co. Comment: 1-11mm burrow, 10 burrows 5-7mm. Several with raised mounds of sand or shells.
	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn New Hanover Co. Comment: 1-11mm burrow, 10 burrows 5-7mm. Several with raised mounds of sand or shells.	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn New Hanover Co. Comment: 1 17mm burrow, 1 11mm burrow.
	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn New Hanover Co. Comment: 1 10mm burrow, 10" deep, vertical, 1 4mm burrow, 1 5mm burrow. Hard pack sand, some leaf litter, turkey oak understory, longleaf pine overstory.	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn New Hanover Co. Comment: 1 10mm burrow, 10" deep, vertical, 1 4mm burrow, 1 5mm burrow. Hard pack sand, some leaf litter, turkey oak understory, longleaf pine overstory.
	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn New Hanover Co. Comment: 1 10mm burrow, 10" deep, vertical, 1 4mm burrow, 1 5mm burrow. Hard pack sand, some leaf litter, turkey oak understory, longleaf pine overstory.	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn New Hanover Co. Comment: Male in vicinity of burrows. 1 5mm burrow, 5 3mm burrows. Hard pack sand, some leaf litter, turkey oak understory, longleaf pine overstory.
	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn New Hanover Co. Comment: Male in vicinity of burrows. 1 5mm burrow, 5 3mm burrows. Hard pack sand, some leaf litter, turkey oak understory, longleaf pine overstory.	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn New Hanover Co. Comment: Male in vicinity of burrows. 1 5mm burrow, 5 3mm burrows. Hard pack sand, some leaf litter, turkey oak understory, longleaf pine overstory.
	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn New Hanover Co. Comment: Male in vicinity of burrows. 1 5mm burrow, 5 3mm burrows. Hard pack sand, some leaf litter, turkey oak understory, longleaf pine overstory.	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn New Hanover Co. Comment: Male in vicinity of burrows. 1 5mm burrow, 5 3mm burrows. Hard pack sand, some leaf litter, turkey oak understory, longleaf pine overstory.
	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn New Hanover Co. Comment: Male in vicinity of burrows. 1 5mm burrow, 5 3mm burrows. Hard pack sand, some leaf litter, turkey oak understory, longleaf pine overstory.	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn New Hanover Co. Comment: 1-14mm burrow, 1 7mm burrow, 1 6mm burrow, 1 4mm burrow, 32 3mm burrow.
	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn New Hanover Co. Comment: 1-14mm burrow, 1 6mm burrow, 2 5mm burrow, 138 2-3mm burrows.	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Dare Co. Comment: 1 female in burrow. 113 burrows in 40 square foot area, several 7-8mm, most 4-5mm in width. Hard pack sand, some leaf litter and grasses, some understory pines. Few with small turrets of leaf material. Those in open sand were raised up. All had a silk pad around lip of burrow containing sand or leaf litter, which prevented additional materials from sliding inside burrow. All burrows led straight down vertically, with a turn 6-12 inches down.
	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Dare Co. Comment: 1 female in burrow. 113 burrows in 40 square foot area, several 7-8mm, most 4-5mm in width. Hard pack sand, some leaf litter and grasses, some understory pines. Few with small turrets of leaf material. Those in open sand were raised up. All had a silk pad around lip of burrow containing sand or leaf litter, which prevented additional materials from sliding inside burrow. All burrows led straight down vertically, with a turn 6-12 inches down.	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Dare Co. Comment: 14 burrows in 30 square foot area, one 17mm, two 7mm, rest 4-5mm in width. Hard pack sand, some leaf litter, some understory pines. Few with small turrets of leaf material. Those in open sand were raised up. All had a silk pad around lip of burrow containing sand or leaf litter, which prevented additional materials from sliding inside burrow. All burrows led straight down vertically, with a turn 6-12 inches down.
	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Dare Co. Comment: 14 burrows in 30 square foot area, one 17mm, two 7mm, rest 4-5mm in width. Hard pack sand, some leaf litter, some understory pines. Few with small turrets of leaf material. Those in open sand were raised up. All had a silk pad around lip of burrow containing sand or leaf litter, which prevented additional materials from sliding inside burrow. All burrows led straight down vertically, with a turn 6-12 inches down.	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Dare Co. Comment: 2 females in burrow, 1 male nearby a female in burrow. 14 burrows in 20 square foot area, all 4-5mm in length. Hard pack sand, some leaf litter, some understory pines. Few with small turrets of leaf material. Those in open sand were raised up. All had a silk pad around lip of burrow containing sand or leaf litter, which prevented additional materials from sliding inside burrow. All burrows led straight down vertically, with a turn 6-12 inches down.
	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Dare Co. Comment: 2 females in burrow, 1 male nearby a female in burrow. 14 burrows in 20 square foot area, all 4-5mm in length. Hard pack sand, some leaf litter, some understory pines. Few with small turrets of leaf material. Those in open sand were raised up. All had a silk pad around lip of burrow containing sand or leaf litter, which prevented additional materials from sliding inside burrow. All burrows led straight down vertically, with a turn 6-12 inches down.	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Dare Co. Comment: 2 females in burrow, 1 male nearby a female in burrow. 14 burrows in 20 square foot area, all 4-5mm in length. Hard pack sand, some leaf litter, some understory pines. Few with small turrets of leaf material. Those in open sand were raised up. All had a silk pad around lip of burrow containing sand or leaf litter, which prevented additional materials from sliding inside burrow. All burrows led straight down vertically, with a turn 6-12 inches down.
	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Dare Co. Comment: 2 females in burrow, 1 male nearby a female in burrow. 14 burrows in 20 square foot area, all 4-5mm in length. Hard pack sand, some leaf litter, some understory pines. Few with small turrets of leaf material. Those in open sand were raised up. All had a silk pad around lip of burrow containing sand or leaf litter, which prevented additional materials from sliding inside burrow. All burrows led straight down vertically, with a turn 6-12 inches down.	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Dare Co. Comment: 2 females in burrow, 1 male nearby a female in burrow. 14 burrows in 20 square foot area, all 4-5mm in length. Hard pack sand, some leaf litter, some understory pines. Few with small turrets of leaf material. Those in open sand were raised up. All had a silk pad around lip of burrow containing sand or leaf litter, which prevented additional materials from sliding inside burrow. All burrows led straight down vertically, with a turn 6-12 inches down.
	Recorded by: J. A. Anderson New Hanover Co. Comment: CABE - @ -77.905108, 34.046033	Recorded by: J. A. Anderson New Hanover Co. Comment: CABE - @ -77.905108, 34.046033
	Recorded by: Mark Shields Scotland Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Mark Ciarrocca fide Brian Bockhahn New Hanover Co. Comment: Photographed on top of dune
	Recorded by: R. Newman Carteret Co. Comment: FOMA	Recorded by: Matt Windsor Dare Co. Comment: JORI - pitfall trap I set in the woods directly behind the maintenance shop
	Recorded by: R.E. Thomas Moore Co. Comment: WEWO - female col. at WEWO (S 109) 9/20/83 from burrow without turret entrance, deep sand ridge; Weymouth Woods-SNP, Southern Pines, NC

Photo Gallery for Geolycosa pikei a burrowing wolf spider