Wolf spiders reveal their love secrets

Universe beneath our feet: a wolf spider goes hunting in grass

The semaphore chat-up methods of the male wolf spider have been captured on film for the first time, reports Roger Highfield

The touchingly maternal behaviour of the female wolf spider and the semaphore chat-up methods of the male have been captured on film for the first time for a major new television series, Life in the Undergrowth, presented by Sir David Attenborough.

The male spiders can woo by tapping their legs on the ground or on a fallen leaf. Some species also have small corrugations on their mating organs - palps - to make a buzzing sound. Since wolf spiders hunt on the ground, they have to have good eyesight and the males can back up their love songs with visual signals.

The palps and forelegs can be marked with black bands or coloured tufts of hair and waved about with all the vigour of a naval signalman. "Visual signals are a vital part of many mating rituals, including our own.

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in Florida....they are interesting, really pretty, and HUGE!!

Dang thing was the size of a luncheon plate!

They are interesting though......they don't make webs, but jump on their prey....the one I saw was sitting so motionless on a fence that it took a second look to actually see it!