Lycosa is a genus of wolf spiders distributed throughout most of the world.

can be distinguished from common wolf spiders by their relatively large size.

This genus includes the European Lycosa tarantula, which was once associated with tarantism, a dubious affliction whose symptoms included shaking, cold sweats, and a high fever, asserted to be curable only by the traditional tarantella dance.

No scientific substantiation of that myth is known; the venom of Lycosa spiders is generally not harmful.

[1][2] As of November 2020[update], the World Spider Catalog accepted the following species:[1]