Discover
Identify
Record
Rustic Wolf Spider - Trochosa ruricola
The females are 15 mm (sometimes even bigger) and the males are 10 mm. Both sexes are dark brown with a pale band running the length of the carapace and continuing to the first half of the abdomen. The two short lines on the carapace are diagnostic of Trochosa species.
The light cardiac mark helps to distinguish it from the similar T. terricola, but confirmation of this species may require examination of the genitalia.
Confirmation of this species: "Requires examination at high magnification in good lighting, typically examination of the genitalia." Bee, L., Oxford, G., & Smith, H. (2020). Britain's Spiders: A Field Guide. Second Edition. Princeton University Press.
Grassland, lawns and woodland scrub.
Mainly from April to June
The spider hunts on the ground and is often caught in pitfall traps.
Fairly frequent and widespread in Britain
Fairly common in Leicestershire and Rutland.
4019 British records to Jan 2014
Leicestershire & Rutland Map
Enter a town or village to see local records
MAP KEY:
Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2020+ | 2015-2019 | pre-2015
UK Map
Species profile
- Species group:
- Spiders
- Kingdom:
- Animalia
- Order:
- Araneae
- Family:
- Lycosidae
- Records on NatureSpot:
- 12
- First record:
- 03/06/1992 (Jon Daws)
- Last record:
- 28/09/2023 (Nicholls, David)
Total records by month
% of records within its species group
10km squares with records
The latest images and records displayed below include those awaiting verification checks so we cannot guarantee that every identification is correct. Once accepted, the record displays a green tick.
In the Latest Records section, click on the header to sort A-Z, and again to sort Z-A. Use the header boxes to filter the list.