As I mentioned at the end of yesterday’s post, I’m afraid that the second of my new images here may not appeal very much to those of you who are not among the smaller group of avid spider fans, so feel free to stop reading here if you’re anxious.
I found this big beauty, sporting a leg span of around an inch and a half, or about four centimeters, on Sunday morning (three days ago) in a very dark spot–clearly visible but nearly hidden, so that I couldn’t make out any real details. I approached very cautiously and was able to ease a glass jar over it without disturbing it at all and then slipped a piece of cardboard under it. I carried it to one of our small black oaks and released it on the smooth bark, where the light was much better and I was able to study it from several angles. It was fairly patient with my close scrutiny for a few minutes.
I spent some time on the Internet consulting one of my favorite, um, websites, spiders.us, and was able to identify it as a variety of wolf spider (family Lycosidae) of the genus Tigrosa. I sent an image to the forums at spiders.us and, within a day, one of the members responded that I’d found a Tigrosa helluo, and that I might consider sending it to another great site, bugguide.net, since they had not had a report of this one in Omaha before.
I am registered as a contributing member of both sites and have submitted these to them for their photo archives. This species, previously called Hogna, was given its new name (Tigrosa) in 2012. The family name, Lycosidae, is meant to convey “fierce like a wolf,” and Tigrosa to convey “fierce like a tiger.” Either way, I’m glad I’m not a lot smaller than I am and that I was focusing my full attention on the spider, rather than the other way around.
krikitarts 
It’s a beauty!
Well, thank you, Mike–I must agree. Glad to hear that you count yourself among the smaller group as well!
Easy to see how it got its name.
Excellent shot.
It was very cooperative for just long enough. That helps a lot!
Great detail – very handsome. I see them here occasionally though I’m not sure what species of wolf spider they are.
Yes, I’d say that “handsome” is appropriate here. It’s a great help to have such online resources as are available to us now, and it’s a special treat to add to their knowledge bank for others of a similar inquisitive persuasion. When such encounters happen, it’s always a real challenge to try to get a few images that go beyond the snapshot category and delve deeper into the portrait mode. It’s wonderful when it works out.
Maybe not a beauty at first sight… but she s looking really friendly at you…
Good for you! It was partly with you in mind that I wrote the warning…
That is a big spider. Love your photos and no, I am not squeamish
Thanks, Raewyn. You have some wonderful spiders down there too–I’m always excited to find a new one. So far I think Trite planiceps is my favorite.
Wow, such amazing photos. I’m not a great fan of spiders, but I can appreciate their beauty. :)
You are in some very good company, and it’s a gift to be able to step back and appreciate their special qualities, regardless of first impressions of outward appearance. I hope, as time goes by and entropy takes its toll, that others regarding us may be as open-minded.
Fascinating creature…and well captured, Gary.
Yes, the fascination persists, and there appears to be no end to the variety. One could devote a lot of serious study here…
It’s good of you to have said hello to this helluo species, whether its genus calls up a wolf or a tiger, or perhaps just a spider. You may have chosen a tree to put the spider on, but its bite is probably worse than its bark.
To a potential mate, the species might well have been heaveno, especially after beholding this magnificent example of the genial genus, its visage perhaps invoked by a friendly genie? I suspect, however, that—from the perspective of, say, an insect the size of a horsefly or smaller—its bite would likely turn out to be far worse than its bark, no matter how black the oak.