Pirates On The Pond Pirate Wolf Spider - Pirata piraticus AKA Prate Otter Spider

Pirate Wolf Spider - Pirata piraticus AKA Prate Otter Spider Walking on water on one of the ponds at Cromwell in this weks Spring Sunshine

This Spider is usually associated with marshy places and near to water where it hunts along the banks and on the water's surface thanks to water repellent hairs on its legs. it s occurs in a wide variety of wetland habitats such as pond and stream margins, marshes, fens, upland blanket bogs, Sphagnum seeps and reed-beds. In sunny weather this ambush predator can be found in the open, but in cooler weather it conceals itself amongst low vegetation.

Females can be up to 9 mm long, whilst males are about 6 mm. The colour pattern of this spider is quite distinctive with a red-chestnut abdomen with a central mustard coloured cardiac mark and white sides to both the abdomen and carapace.