How are wolf spiders described regarding their prey capture method?
Answer
cursorial predators
Wolf spiders are classified as cursorial predators, a term that fundamentally defines their approach to securing food. This means they actively pursue, stalk, and chase down their mobile prey, such as crickets and grasshoppers, using high speed and keen vision to overwhelm the target. This active foraging contrasts sharply with the strategy employed by many other spider groups that rely on spinning intricate, static silk traps, often aerial webs, designed to ensnare insects mid-flight. The 'wolf' designation stems from this pursuit-based hunting niche, mimicking the approach of mammalian pack hunters.
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