Australian Wolf Spiders Volker Framenau "Wolf Spiders? Aren’T They All Large, Hairy and Really Wolf Spiders
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Newsletter of the Land for Wildlife Scheme July 2009 Vol. 13, Number 3 NEWSLETTER OF THE LAND FOR WILDLIFE SCHEME REGISTERED BY AUSTRALIA POST PRINT POST: 606811/00007 DANCES WITH WOLVES - AUSTRALIAN WOLF SPIDERS Volker Framenau "Wolf spiders? Aren’t they all large, hairy and really wolf spiders. The second character unique to wolf spiders dangerous?" This is a common question asked by many is their mobile brood care. After mating, females will people when I tell them what I am doing for a living. construct a spherical eggsac in which they lay their Let’s get some of these misconceptions straight! eggs; around 3-5 in the small Zoica species and up to Wolf spiders, scientifically and may be more than 1,000 in the known as the spider family largest spiders. The females then Lycosidae, may be large, i.e. up fix this eggsac to their spinnerets to 30 mm body length or so (not and will carry it everywhere they counting the legs), but many are go (Fig.1). Often, in burrowing also much smaller when fully species, females will expose the grown. In fact, one of the smallest eggsac to the sun, possibly to speed wolf spiders known is the tiny up the development of the eggs. Zoica minuta that was discovered After the young spiderlings on the Old Argyle Station in the hatch from their eggs and leave Kimberley region of WA in the late the eggsac with the help of their 1970s. The body of these spiders is mother, they do not immediately only up to 1.5 mm (!) long. Wolf disperse. They climb onto the spiders are only moderately hairy Fig. 1: Artoria mckayi, female with eggsac (Avon female’s abdomen where special (in particular compared to other River, Victoria). (V. Framenau) hairs allow them to hold on for spiders) and often display striking another 2-4 weeks, piggybacking colour patterns (e.g. Figs 3 and 4). wherever mum goes to avoid They are not dangerous to humans, hazardous situations. Often, there although bites of the larger species are so many spiderlings on a female, might hurt for a while (but not more that they also cover the carapace of than a bee sting). the mother which is barely visible What characterises a wolf spider? underneath. This mobile brood care, A number of features differentiate in combination with their diversity wolf spiders from all other spiders. in hunting strategies (vagrant Morphologically, wolf spiders have to permanently burrowing; see below) and their efficient dispersal a unique eye pattern, with a single Fig. 2: Tetralycosa alteripa, juvenile (Lake Lefroy, row of four small frontal eyes, and Western Australia). (V. Framenau) capabilities via ballooning (wind four additional large eyes, situated dispersal on a strand of silk), is in almost a square, on top and in the frontal half of their thought to be responsible for the huge ecological success carapace (Fig. 2 and 3). Some of the larger eyes have a of wolf spiders. With almost 2,400 scientifically described highly reflective structure, the tapetum, that reflects light species worldwide, they are the fourth largest spider and allows nocturnal spotlighting of even the smallest family. Around 160 species are currently described from continued on page 4 1 Western Wildlife Vol 13 No. 3 EDITORIAL Greetings! habitat".* Certainly, let’s celebrate of the holding". Eighty years on, LFW celebrated reaching a the biodiversity, but how have we it is these ‘desirable’ trees that are significant milestone when the changed our land use activities being removed. 2,000th property was registered. to reverse the exceptional loss of As well as the international The Minister for the Environment habitat? biodiversity hotspot list, Australia presented a certificate to Glenn Why, for example, are we has also listed 15 sites that are Dewhurst of the Black Cockatoo permitting the removal of huge old national hotspots. The Pilbara is Rehabilitation Centre, surrounded roadside or paddock trees whose one of these. Read Stephen van by well-wishers and very noisy hollows provide nesting sites and, Leeuwen’s summary of findings cockatoos. See page 3 for more if marris, whose blossom sustains from the recent Pilbara Biological details. nectar-feeding fauna including Survey to see just why this area honeyeaters throughout the autumn Just what is a ‘biodiversity qualifies. From the same region, feed gap? Isn’t this somewhat hotspot’? Stephen Davies reminisces about short-sighted? In the WA Centenary one of the region’s interesting We probably all know by now publication The Story of a Hundred animals, the pebble mound mouse. that the south-west of WA has been Years (1929) the then Director of identified as a ‘global biodiversity Agriculture, G. L. Sutton says "So We continue to get fascinating hotspot’. We tend to be really proud great has been the desire of the settler stories from members, and in this of this, as it celebrates our truly to conquer the forest and produce issue you will read about boodies, outstanding natural diversity, but we crops that far too little timber has phascogales (two species), leucistic should not forget that the definition been left for the purposes of shade, cockies, ants and another snake tale. of these ‘hotspots’ does not just relate shelter and firewood. This defect And note how the real-life bush to the flora and fauna. The term is recognised by many of the later detective led to information about refers to an area where "exceptional settlers, who are leaving clumps a fascinating group of creatures. concentrations of endemic species of trees in the paddocks as well as Have you got a story you would like are undergoing exceptional loss of strips of uncleared land, one chain to share? What about something or more wide, on the boundaries botanical? INDEX of their paddocks. This practice is most desirable and should become Penny Hussey Antics __________________________ 12 general. It adds alike to the [* For ref, contact Ed.] A piebald cockie __________________ 13 usefulness and the attractiveness A wambenger story _______________ 15 Biodiversity of an economic hotspot ___ 6 Boodie rats ______________________ 12 Contact details for Land for Wildlife Officers Bush detective ___________________ 4 Celebration of the 2000th registration___ 3 Name Location Phone Email Dances with wolves ________________ 1 Heather Adamson Mandurah (08) 9582 9333 [email protected] Editorial _________________________ 2 Looking through the phone book _____ 14 Avril Baxter Narrogin (08) 9881 9218 [email protected] Mystery animal 'droppings' are beetle 'push- Fiona Falconer Coorow (08) 9952 1074 [email protected] ups' ___________________________ 16 Newly-naturalised bindweed –––––––– 19 Wayne Gill Esperance (08) 9083 2100 [email protected] Pebble-mound mice ________________ 9 Claire Hall Perth (08) 9334 0427 [email protected] RabbitScan ______________________19 Swan Weeds Database ___________ 19 Mal Harper Merredin (08) 9041 2488 [email protected] The genus Gompholobium _________ 10 Sheila Howat Bridgetown (08) 9761 2405 [email protected] The murdering animal ____________ 18 Western ground parrots distinct from eastern Penny Hussey Perth (08) 9334 0530 [email protected] ground parrots ___________________ 17 Cherie Kemp Busselton (08) 9752 5533 [email protected] Wildflowers of the Great Southern ____ 18 Wonderful Wongan Wildlife! _________ 20 Zara Kivell Mundaring (08) 9295 9112 [email protected] Sylvia Leighton Albany (08) 9842 4500 [email protected] USE OF ARTICLES FROM WESTERN WILDLIFE Material may be reproduced without permission as long as Dorothy Redreau Albany (08) 9842 4500 [email protected] the source is acknowledged and the article is reproduced in its entirety without any alterations. If you wish to use only Philip Worts Kojonup (08) 9831 0832 [email protected] part of an article, please liaise with the Editor. www.dec.wa.gov.au/landforwildlife 2 Newsletter of the Land for Wildlife Scheme A Celebration of the 2000th Registration! In the years since LFW first started Glenn responded with an outline in 1997, over 2000 landholders have of the future for the BCRC, and registered their properties with the a huge vote of thanks to all scheme. It was decided to celebrate volunteers. the 2000th at Kaarakin, the Black The site is vested in the City Cockatoo Rehabilitation Centre of Gosnells, and the Mayor, Cr (BCRC). Olwen Searle JP, outlined the The BCRC had recently moved many initiatives that the City has from private property to a site vested undertaken to maintain biodiversity in the City of Gosnells, formerly on its land. She, too, praised occupied by the Cohunu Wildlife volunteers. Park. The 16 hectare site has some Refreshments were then served, good bushland, but also areas of and Kaarakin volunteers took groups overgrazed kangaroo enclosures, of visitors around to see the facilities so the LFW report concentrated on and get close to these beautiful bushland rehabilitation techniques. birds. Coincidentally, this location demonstrates how threatened species can unite all levels of the community in working to ensure their survival. State and local government, community groups, private landholders and volunteers The Minister with a symbolic firestick. are all involved in helping Kaarakin (Maureen Griffiths) become established, and all were represented at the celebration, as as a symbol of the importance of fire well as a large number of LFW in caring for country. members. The Department of Environment and Conservation’s Director The occasion began with a Harmony was a great favourite! Here she ‘welcome to country’ from Nyoongar General, Keiran McNamara, is with Cr Julie Brown, Deputy Mayor, City elder Trevor Walley.