Terrifying! “Athletic” Maine Spider Will Hiss & Chase Prey
One of the nice things about living in Maine, and New England in general, is the lack of really dangerous animals, insects, and reptiles. Sure, you don't want to mess around with a mama bear or try to ride a moose. But, overall, Maine has very few really dangerous critters.
That being said, there are still a few animals / snakes / insects that are kind of scary...
According to WGME, the Wolf Spider is quite a bit more proactive, when it comes to catching prey, then a normal spider.
The average spider builds a web and then waits for a fly, mosquito, or other insect to get caught in the web. It then swoops in to cocoon its next food.
According to Jim Dill, a pest management specialist with University of Maine Cooperative Extension, wolf spiders are ground dwellers who he describes as being "athletic". Instead of waiting for its prey, the spider will actively hunt down flies, other insects, and even other spiders. The fact that it has amazing night vision really helps with its ability to hunt prey.
Oh yeah, it hisses, too. Well, sort of. It makes a hissing sound, but is not really hissing. It is actually making the hissing noise by rubbing its legs together. A process called "strigulation".
The good news is that the spider is not poisonous. Actually, according to Maine.gov, there are no poisonous spiders native to the state. So, the only way you're going to encounter a poisonous spider in the 207 is if you encounter an escaped pet.