''Ctenus captiosus'', known generally as the Florida false wolf spider or tropical wolf spider, is a species of wandering spider in the family Ctenidae. It is found in the United States., and is one of two species of Ctenidae occurring in Florida. Little is known about the biology of this species.

Description

The body length (excluding legs) of a male is , and for females . The leg span may be as long as . The abdomen is a yellow-gray except for a pale median band consisting of a series of connected triangles edged by brown. The dorsal surface of the legs are dark like the

carapace A carapace is a Dorsum (biology), dorsal (upper) section of the exoskeleton or shell in a number of animal groups, including arthropods, such as crustaceans and arachnids, as well as vertebrates, such as turtles and tortoises. In turtles and tor ...

, but the underside of the legs and sternum are much paler, almost yellow. They prefer

mesic habitats In ecology, a mesic habitat is a type of habitat with a moderate or well-balanced supply of moisture, e.g., a mesic forest, a temperate hardwood forest, or dry-mesic prairie. Mesic habitats transition to xeric shrublands Deserts and xeric sh ...

, and are most commonly seen in the springtime, presumably as they are searching for mates as the weather warms. Generally, ''C. captiosus'' can be found in both oak and pine trees, leaf litter, and caves. ''Ctenus captiosus'' has also appeared in large numbers in summer in

pond pine ''Pinus serotina'', the pond pine, marsh pine or pocosin pine, is a pine tree found along the Southeastern portion of the Atlantic coastal plain of the United States, from southern New Jersey south to Florida and west to southern Alabama. This pi ...

and sand pine scrub, and in the fall in flatwoods.

Toxicology

A study conducted by researchers at Lewis & Clark College on a single female ''C. captiosus'' found that it carried a total venom protein of 604.25. It has been reported that a bite from this species is described as a needle-like puncture with subsequent swelling about the site, nausea, dizziness, and flulike symptoms that persist for several days. Another case implicated a cause of a necrotic bite, although evidence was circumstantial and an assay of the venom did not find

Sphingomyelin phosphodiesterase D Sphingomyelin phosphodiesterase D (EC 3.1.4.41, sphingomyelinase D) is an enzyme of the sphingomyelin phosphodiesterase family with systematic name sphingomyelin ceramide-phosphohydrolase. These enzymes catalyse the hydrolysis of sphingomyelin, res ...

. While there have been reports of bites being harmful to humans, there is no substantial research or evidence that supports this.

References

Ctenidae Articles created by Qbugbot Spiders described in 1935 Endemic spiders of the United States {{ctenidae-stub