Webnesday (52) Warning: Not a Cutie!

Last week CD spotted this spider in an upper corner of our hall. I carefully coaxed it out of the corner and onto a wall so I could ease a glass over it, cover the opening with a bit of cardboard, and take it outside. I promptly released it onto a small bouquet of yellow (weed) flowers and a couple of dandelions, where it spent a few minutes before dropping down on a silken thread and venturing out into the greater world. I’m pretty sure it’s a wolf spider (genus Lycosidae), but I can’t find a close species match in my little Spiders of New Zealand guide (by Cor J. Vink). There are several varieties of spiders that are quite common indoors (long-leggedy cellar spiders and the occasional jumper that may come in an open window), but it’s rare to find a wolf spider inside, as they are normally roving hunters. I hadn’t realized what a startling countenance it had until I saw it through my macro lens and started processing my photos. With nightmarish predators like this around, I’m quite thankful that, at least this time around, I’m not a small insect! As always—if you dare—click on an individual photo if you’d like to see it in greater detail.