Tasmanicosa godeffroyi

Description

Tasmanicosa godeffroyi, one of the wolf spiders, is a mid sized spider found in all states of Australia. Perhaps the most commonly noticed of the wolf spiders in Australia. Variable in pattern and colour, though the underside of the abdomen is black. Wolf spiders tend to rest at the entrance of their burrows, and their eyes reflect the light of passing cars or torchlight. The burrow has a thin veil of silk, without a lid, unlike some other wolf spiders. The burrow is circular in cross section, it travels down for around 15 cm, then parallel with the ground for the next 15 cm. The body length of the female is up to 27 mm, the male 25 mm. Tasmanicosa is a genus of spiders in the family Lycosidae. It was first described in 1959 by Roewer. As of 2017, it contains 14 species, all from Australia.