Shiny wolf spider (Pardosa moesta)
The shiny wolf spider is a spider in the family Lycosidae that is not dangerous to people. GBIF holds 460 licensed U.S. records of it; it reaches our listing threshold in 11 states, most of all Alaska (224), Illinois (170) and Wisconsin (40).
Is the shiny wolf spider poisonous or venomous?
Not in any medically significant way. Like almost all spiders the shiny wolf spider (family Lycosidae) has venom for its prey, but it is not a widow or recluse, the two U.S. groups whose bites need medical attention.
Which states have the shiny wolf spider?
Records are spread over 11 states; the top three, Alaska, Illinois and Wisconsin, hold 94% of them.
| # | State | Records | Share of state spiders | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | 224 | 0.9% | 12th of 280 |
| 2 | Illinois | 170 | 0.9% | 9th of 243 |
| 3 | Wisconsin | 40 | 1.3% | 14th of 149 |
| 4 | Montana | 7 | 0.3% | 29th of 75 |
| 5 | Minnesota | 4 | 0.1% | 90th of 145 |
| 6 | Ohio | 3 | 0.0% | 132nd of 332 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | 2 | 0.0% | 121st of 189 |
| 8 | Michigan | 2 | 0.1% | 85th of 122 |
| 9 | Colorado | 0 | — | — |
| 10 | Maine | 0 | — | — |
| 11 | North Dakota | 0 | — | — |
Where the shiny wolf spider is recorded in each state
Alaska
Alaska holds 224 licensed records, the 12th most recorded of 280 spiders listed there. Most of its licensed records in Alaska come from Denali Borough, Fairbanks North Star Borough and Prince of Wales-Outer Ketchikan Census Area. Next come Anchorage Municipality (16) and Skagway-Yakutat-Angoon Census Area (13).
Illinois
Illinois holds 170 licensed records, the 9th most recorded of 243 spiders listed there. Most of its licensed records in Illinois come from Jo Daviess County, Lee County and McHenry County. Next come Cook County (5) and Lake County (5).
Wisconsin
Wisconsin holds 40 licensed records, the 14th most recorded of 149 spiders listed there. Most of its licensed records in Wisconsin come from Vilas County, Kenosha County and Milwaukee County. Next come Lafayette County (2).
Top counties in the U.S.
| # | County | State | Records | Share of U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Denali Borough | Alaska | 114 | 24.8% |
| 2 | Jo Daviess County | Illinois | 97 | 21.1% |
| 3 | Lee County | Illinois | 43 | 9.3% |
| 4 | Vilas County | Wisconsin | 27 | 5.9% |
| 5 | Fairbanks North Star Borough | Alaska | 26 | 5.7% |
| 6 | Prince of Wales-Outer Ketchikan Census Area | Alaska | 23 | 5.0% |
| 7 | Anchorage Municipality | Alaska | 16 | 3.5% |
| 8 | McHenry County | Illinois | 14 | 3.0% |
| 9 | Skagway-Yakutat-Angoon Census Area | Alaska | 13 | 2.8% |
| 10 | Matanuska-Susitna Borough | Alaska | 9 | 2.0% |
| 11 | Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area | Alaska | 6 | 1.3% |
| 12 | Kenosha County | Wisconsin | 6 | 1.3% |
| 13 | North Slope Borough | Alaska | 5 | 1.1% |
| 14 | Cook County | Illinois | 5 | 1.1% |
| 15 | Lake County | Illinois | 5 | 1.1% |
How recent are the shiny wolf spider records?
The shiny wolf spider record leans on older material: only 37% of dated U.S. records come from 2017–2026, and the median record is from 2014. The oldest dated record is from 1935; the busiest year was 2018, with 76 records.
| Decade | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 1930s | 2 | 0.4% |
| 1940s | 3 | 0.7% |
| 1960s | 1 | 0.2% |
| 1970s | 18 | 3.9% |
| 1980s | 2 | 0.4% |
| 1990s | 59 | 12.9% |
| 2000s | 87 | 19.0% |
| 2010s | 247 | 53.9% |
| 2020s | 39 | 8.5% |
Species recorded in the same counties
Of the 26 counties where the shiny wolf spider is most recorded, 15 are also top counties for the long-jawed orb weaver, more than for any other spider. None of its closest neighbors is venomous.
| Species | Shared counties |
|---|---|
| Long-jawed orb weaver | 15 |
| Pale sheetweb weaver | 13 |
| Sixspotted orbweaver | 12 |
| Trochosa terricola | 12 |
| Nearctic white-striped running crab spider | 11 |
| Bronze jumper | 10 |
| Common stretch spider | 10 |
| Dictyna major | 10 |
Related species in the U.S.
Other members of the family Lycosidae with profiles here: Rabid wolf spider, Koch's wolf spider, Wetland giant wolf spider, Georgia wolf spider, Shoreline wolf spider and McCook's split wolf spider.
GBIF records read 2026-09-29. Listed: any license. Counted: CC0/CC BY only. How we count.