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What the sources say

Carolina Wolf SpiderHogna carolinensis

Every figure, record and mechanism on the Carolina Wolf Spider profile was written from a source, and this is the working table behind it: 57 claims checked word for word against these sources. The left column is what the page says. The right column is the source's own words, copied, not paraphrased; a ... marks a cut and[brackets] an insertion. Open any source and check it yourself.

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Source
01

Hunsucker et al. 2025

Hunsucker et al. (2025). Comparing Nutrient Intake by Wolf Spiders (Hogna carolinensis) Consuming Frogs (Acris blanchardi) and Crickets (Gryllodes sigillatus). Ecology and Evolution.

The page saysA web-free night hunter
The source saysTrials began at approximately 9 pm to optimize spider predation behavior, as this species is nocturnal.Note: tagline; 'approximately' refers to the 9 pm start, not to nocturnal
The page saysgrinds up frogs
The source saysCarolina wolf spiders use mastication to feed, grinding their prey into small pieces.Note: tagline; frogs: next claim
The page saysgrinds up frogs
The source sayswith multiple species of Lycosidae, including Hogna carolinensis , observed consuming frogsNote: tagline, diet
The page saysFrogs among its prey, ground into small pieces
The source saysCarolina wolf spiders use mastication to feed, grinding their prey into small pieces.Note: stats.diet
The page saysFrogs among its prey, ground into small pieces
The source sayswith multiple species of Lycosidae, including Hogna carolinensis , observed consuming frogsNote: stats.diet; the crickets were lab food, so they are not named as diet
The page saysIt is nocturnal, which means active at night
The source saysTrials began at approximately 9 pm to optimize spider predation behavior, as this species is nocturnal.Note: 'which means active at night' is the dictionary gloss of nocturnal; the quote's 'approximately' belongs to the trial start time, not the claim
The page saysone team collected adults in Oklahoma between 9 pm and midnight
The source saysForty adult female Carolina wolf spiders were collected between 2100 h and 2400 h in Stillwater, OklahomaNote: 9 pm = 2100 h; midnight = 2400 h; the sample was collected 2100-2400 h
The page saysFrogs are on its menu
The source sayswith multiple species of Lycosidae, including Hogna carolinensis , observed consuming frogs
The page saysCarolina wolf spiders feed by mastication, grinding their prey into small pieces
The source saysCarolina wolf spiders use mastication to feed, grinding their prey into small pieces.
The page saysa spider that finished a meal discarded a small ball of chewed prey
The source sayswhich was indicated when spiders discarded a small ball of their masticated preyNote: 'finished' = 'stopped feeding': 'Prey remains were only collected once spiders stopped feeding on them, which was indicated when...'
The page saysPrey remains are mostly exoskeleton, which spiders cannot digest
The source saysPrey remains consist mostly of exoskeletons, which are indigestible to spidersNote: 'cannot digest' = 'indigestible'; general statement about prey remains, not frog-specific
The page saysSpiders extracted essentially none of the lipids present in frogs and most of the lipids present in crickets
The source saysspiders extracted essentially none of the lipids present in frogs and most of the lipids present in crickets
The page saysLipids are fats
The source saysThe weight of the sample (±0.1 mg) was recorded as the lean mass, and the difference in mass between pre- and postextraction was recorded as lipid.Note: the paper's lipid is the fat extracted by chloroform; 'Lipid' is also called fat in standard usage; lipid-extraction wording only
The page saysFrogs and crickets held similar masses of them
The source saysfrogs and crickets had similar masses of available lipids (Frog:10.6 mg, Cricket:14.8 mg)
The page saysthe spiders took over 75% of the fat in crickets
The source saysspiders consumed over 11 mg of lipid from crickets, which was over 75% of the available lipid in cricket samples
The page saysalmost none in frogs
The source saysSpiders consumed essentially none of the 14 mg of lipid available per frog
The page saysThe study's authors could not say whether the spiders were unable or unwilling to take it
The source saysIt would be interesting to study this further to determine if spiders were unable or unwilling to consume lipids present in the frog body.
The page saysspiders took in about three times as much lean tissue
The source saysAverage lean tissue consumed from frogs was about three-fold greater than that from crickets
The page saysthe part left once fat is removed
The source saysThe weight of the sample (±0.1 mg) was recorded as the lean mass, and the difference in mass between pre- and postextraction was recorded as lipid.Note: lean mass is what is weighed after the lipid is extracted
The page saysAdult females in an Oklahoma study averaged 26.05 mm in length and 1,973.5 mg, just under 2 g
The source saysAverage weight and length, respectively, were 1973.5 ± 44.5 mg and 26.05 ± 0.2 mm for spidersNote: 1973.5 mg = 1.97 g. The 40 spiders were all adult females collected in Stillwater, Oklahoma ('Forty adult female Carolina wolf spiders were collected'); 'Wet weight (±0.1 mg) and length (±1 mm) were recorded for all spiders'. The paper says 'length', not body length. 'just under 2 g' is 1.97 g.
The page saysA 2025 study cites reports of this species eating frogs, and its own spiders fed on Blanchard's cricket frogs in the lab
The source sayswith multiple species of Lycosidae, including Hogna carolinensis , observed consuming frogsNote: 2025 is the year of the cited reference (Ecology and Evolution, 2025).
The page saysA 2025 study cites reports of this species eating frogs, and its own spiders fed on Blanchard's cricket frogs in the lab
The source saysDiet trials were conducted using banded crickets and Blanchard's cricket frogs.Note: 2025 is the year of the cited reference (Ecology and Evolution, 2025).
The page saysTwo grams, one to three years
The source saysAverage weight and length, respectively, were 1973.5 ± 44.5 mg and 26.05 ± 0.2 mm for spidersNote: heading; about 2 g is 1.97 g (adult females)
The page saysThey have been seen doing it
The source sayswith multiple species of Lycosidae, including Hogna carolinensis , observed consuming frogs
The page saysNight hunter, no web
The source saysas this species is nocturnalNote: heading
The page saysGround into small pieces
The source saysCarolina wolf spiders use mastication to feed, grinding their prey into small pieces.Note: heading
The page saysFat stays on the plate
The source saysspiders extracted essentially none of the lipids present in frogsNote: blockquote lead-in
The page saysweightKg: 0.002
The source saysAverage weight and length, respectively, were 1973.5 ± 44.5 mg and 26.05 ± 0.2 mm

Source
02

Herzog, Reeves & Wilder 2025

Herzog, Reeves & Wilder (2025). Testing for Differences in Consumer-Based Nutrient Cycling Between Male and Female Wolf Spiders (Hogna carolinensis). Ecology and Evolution.

The page saysfemales live in burrows until they breed
The source saysFemales, with an estimated lifespan of 2–3 years, inhabit burrows until reproductionNote: stats.habitat; 'estimated' in the quote belongs to the lifespan, not to the burrows
The page saysFemales are the heavier sex
The source saysFemales, with an estimated lifespan of 2–3 years, inhabit burrows until reproduction and are larger in massNote: 'larger in mass' = heavier
The page saysThey are estimated to live two to three years and use burrows until they reproduce
The source saysFemales, with an estimated lifespan of 2–3 years, inhabit burrows until reproduction
The page sayswhile a male lasts about a year
The source saysmales have shorter lifespans (i.e., ~1 year; Punzo 2003 )
The page saysA 2025 study estimates two to three years for females and about one year for males, citing earlier work
The source saysFemales, with an estimated lifespan of 2–3 years, inhabit burrows until reproductionNote: 2025 is the year of the cited reference (Ecology and Evolution, 2025).
The page saysA 2025 study estimates two to three years for females and about one year for males, citing earlier work
The source saysmales have shorter lifespans (i.e., ~1 year; Punzo 2003 )Note: 2025 is the year of the cited reference (Ecology and Evolution, 2025).
The page saysIn a 2025 study of wild-caught adults, they were on average 42.3% heavier in wet mass and 37.1% heavier in dry mass than males, with carapaces (the hard top shield of the front body) 8.5% wider
The source saysOn average, females were 42.3% heavier in wet mass, 37.1% heavier in dry mass, and had carapace widths 8.5% larger than males.Note: 'carapace' gloss is standard anatomy 2025 is the year of the cited reference (Ecology and Evolution, 2025).
The page saysTwo grams, one to three years
The source saysmales have shorter lifespans (i.e., ~1 year; Punzo 2003 )Note: heading: one year for males, two to three for females (previous claims)

Source
03

Alfaro, Griswold & Miller 2018

Alfaro, Griswold & Miller (2018). Comparative spigot ontogeny across the spider tree of life. PeerJ.

The page saysA web-free night hunter
The source saysH. carolinensis do not form webs.Note: tagline; 'night' is the next claim
The page saysThis species does not form webs
The source saysH. carolinensis do not form webs.
The page saysIts hunting style is called "sit and pursue"
The source saysH. carolinensis , belonging to the diverse Lycosidae family, employs a sit & pursue strategy
The page sayseach stage between molts is an instar
The source saysH. carolinensis reached adulthood in twelveNote: Instar = stage between molts, standard definition; the quote anchors the count only
The page saysOne lab-reared female was followed to adulthood and reached it at her twelfth instar
The source sayswhile after the seventh instar in H. carolinensis , a single female was followed to adulthood (twelfth instar)
The page saysNight hunter, no web
The source saysH. carolinensis do not form webs.Note: heading
The page saysIt spins no web
The source saysH. carolinensis do not form webs.Note: vibe.reason
The page saysits hunting style is called sit and pursue
The source saysH. carolinensis , belonging to the diverse Lycosidae family, employs a sit & pursue strategyNote: vibe.reason

Source
04

Punzo & Ludwig 2002

Punzo & Ludwig (2002). Contact with maternal parent and siblings affects hunting behavior, learning, and central nervous system development in spiderlings of Hogna carolinensis (Araeneae: Lycosidae). Animal Cognition.

The page sayscarries its babies on its back
The source saysSpiderlings emerged from their egg sacs and climbed onto the dorsal surface of their mother's abdomen where they remained until their yolk supply was depleted (5 days).Note: tagline; dorsal surface = the top (back) of the abdomen
The page saysCarries its spiderlings on its back, and those that stay with her learn mazes better
The source saysResults indicated that EC subjects are more efficient at capturing moving prey (crickets) and exhibited improved performance (significantly fewer blind alley errors) in the maze.Note: stats.superpower; EC = spiderlings that stayed in contact with mother and siblings
The page saysCarries its spiderlings on its back, and those that stay with her learn mazes better
The source saysSpiderlings emerged from their egg sacs and climbed onto the dorsal surface of their mother's abdomenNote: stats.superpower
The page saysSpiderlings leave the egg sac and climb onto the top of her abdomen, where they stay until their yolk supply is used up, 5 days
The source saysSpiderlings emerged from their egg sacs and climbed onto the dorsal surface of their mother's abdomen where they remained until their yolk supply was depleted (5 days).
The page saysThey disperse on day 6
The source saysThey dispersed on day 6 after emergence.
The page saysAt 16 days old, spiderlings kept with their mother and siblings were more efficient at capturing moving crickets than spiderlings raised alone
The source saysWe compared the ability of 16-day-old EC and IC spiderlings to capture prey in a linear runway and to learn a complex maze (spatial learning).Note: with: 'Results indicated that EC subjects are more efficient at capturing moving prey (crickets)'
The page saysThey also made significantly fewer blind alley errors in a maze
The source saysexhibited improved performance (significantly fewer blind alley errors) in the maze
The page saysEarly contact seems to matter
The source saysthe data suggest that early contact with the maternal parent and siblings is of vital importance to CNS development in lycosid spiderlings
The page saysBabies on board
The source saysclimbed onto the dorsal surface of their mother's abdomenNote: heading
The page saysA mother carries her young
The source saysclimbed onto the dorsal surface of their mother's abdomen where they remained until their yolk supply was depleted (5 days)

Source
05

Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS)

Hogna carolinensis (Walckenaer, 1805), Taxonomic Serial No. 857994. Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS).

The page saysNative to the continental US and Mexico
The source saysJurisdiction/Origin: Continental US, Native Mexico, NativeNote: stats.habitat and body
The page saysNot Evaluated
The source saysHogna carolinensis (Walckenaer, 1805)Note: stats.conservationStatus. The species name only; ITIS states no Red List status. GBIF's copy of the Red List returns no category for Hogna carolinensis (usage key 2146643, checked 2026-10-11) and Crossref has no 10.2305 assessment DOI for the name, so there is no assessment to cite. Precedent llama, alpaca, assassin-bug.
The page saysThe Carolina wolf spider (Hogna carolinensis) is native to the continental US and Mexico
The source saysJurisdiction/Origin: Continental US, Native Mexico, Native

How the table was made: a writer drafted the profile from these sources and logged each claim with its quote, a reviewer with nothing but this table checked every sentence said no more than its quote, and a script confirmed each quote appears word for word in the source. The method is in the site'sAbout page.