Ecology, Evolution, and the Diversity of Wolf Spiders (Araneae, Lycosidae)

While Lycosidae (commonly named wolf spiders) represents dominant predatory macro-arthropods and one of the most diverse spider families in the world (with more than 2400 species currently described), the reasons for such an ecological and evolutionary success are quite unclear.

In this presentation, I will review the works we have been doing on this particular taxon over the last two decades. Using both field and laboratory approaches, we will see how factors acting at different spatio-temporal scales can explain the high diversity of Lycosidae over time and the co-occurrence of closely-related species, even at small spatial scales.

Because wolf spiders are often dominating ground-dwelling assemblages of harsh environment (in Europe, most species do not build webs and catch their prey by wandering), a special focus will be done on how they withstand abiotic stresses like flooding, salinity and low temperatures (starvation being considered effectless to Lycosid species).