I assume the wolf spider in my photo is a female specimen of Pardosa lugubris. I captured it while it crossed a decaying leaf of a mullein plant (Verbascum) in my garden. Females have a body length of approximately 4 to 8 mm; they are generally larger than males (5.0 mm).
The photo is not my greatest spider image, but my first photo of a creepy-crawly in 2026. What an early start into this year’s macro season of small animals!