From their fearsome fangs to rippling legs, spiders strike fear into many people – especially when they invade the home or workplace.

Two men in Missouri have had an especially unwelcome visit from a large wolf spider, whose abdomen was covered in a writhing mass of tiny spiderlings.

While the mother arachnid may have been looking for a safe place to raise her wriggling brood, her presence was met with horror by panicked onlookers.

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Two men in Missouri have had an especially unwelcome visit from a large wolf spider, whose abdomen was covered in a writhing mass of babies (pictured left). While the mother arachnid may have been looking for a safe place to raise her wriggling brood (right), her presence was met with horror by the panicking workmen

Bobby Brown, a former student of Northwest Missouri State University, filmed the creature, which he said measured around four inches (10cm) in diameter when its legs were fully extended.

In his video, the large creature, thought to be a wolf spider, walks towards the cameraman, who gradually backs away, but not before getting close enough to see the creature’s ‘back’.

He shouts: ‘Look at the babies on her back!’ and zooms in to show the countless youngsters scrambling over their furry mother’s abdomen to hitch a ride.

Mr Brown posted his video on Facebook with the caption: ‘Two guys have been working and crawling around on these panels for a few days and then this little lady came out to say hi.

‘She was about four inches all spread out, and her body was about the size of a Gatorade cap with all of the babies on her.’

Wolf spiders are good mothers because immediately after spiderlings emerge from the egg sac, a mother will allow them to clamber up her legs and live on her abdomen where they are camouflaged from predators and get the best chance of survival

WOLF SPIDER 'CHILDCARE' Wolf spiders are members of the family Lycosidae and are agile hunters with excellent eyesight. Some pounce upon their prey and chase it, while others wait in burrows. They range in size and rely on camouflague for protection. Female wolf spiders are unique in the way they carry their eggs. They attach a spherical silk egg sac to their spinnerets at the end of their abdomens, to allow them to carry their unborn young with them. Female spiders have to hold their sacs in a raised position to keep them from dragging on the floor. They are also good mothers because immediately after the spiderlings emerge from the egg sac, a mother will allow them to clamber up her legs and live on her abdomen where they are safely camouflaged from predators and get the best chance of survival. Wolf spiders can be found in a wide range of habitats both coastal and inland around the world. Advertisement

Wolf spiders are a member of the family Lycosidae. Stuart Hine, Centre Manager, Identification and Advisory Service at the Natural History Museum in London, told MailOnline that females in the family typically ‘carry their egg cocoons around with them and when they hatch, the young spiderlings crawl onto her abdomen where they are afforded protection and maternal care – including a share of her food.’

Female wolf spiders are unique in the way they carry their eggs. They attach a spherical silk egg sac to their spinnerets at the end of their abdomens, to allow them to carry their unborn young with them.

Female spiders have to hold their sacs in a raised position to keep them from dragging on the floor.

They are also good mothers because immediately after the spiderlings emerge from the egg sac, a mother will allow them to clamber up her legs and live on her abdomen where they are safely camouflaged from predators for the best chance of survival.

While Mr Brown appears to act as if he is frightened of the advancing arachnid in the video, he overcomes his fear to free the beast, The Daily Star reported.

‘I picked her up, and took her outside. I caught a rat snake yesterday also. I took it out back and set it free,’ he said.

While animal enthusiasts will no doubt praise his bravery, some people responding to the video on the social network suggested that he should have shot or crushed the mother spider.

Female wolf spiders are unique in the way they carry their eggs. They attach a spherical silk egg sac to their spinnerets at the end of their abdomens, to allow them to carry their unborn young with them. Wolf spiders come in different shapes and sizes, which is why this one looks furrier than the one in the video

... AND BRITAIN IS BEING INVADED BY CANNIBAL SPIDERS An army of green-fanged cannibal spiders is invading Britain - eating smaller arachnids as they set up nests in homes across the country. The eight-legged creatures are believed to be tube spiders - one of the largest types in the UK - and their bite is like a bee sting. Their thick black bodies range from between 1.5cm to 2.2cm wide, their fangs shine menacingly green, and they are known to eat their own mothers. Mike Rance first spotted the eight-legged beast when he was outside his friend's house in Newport, South Wales. Mr Rance, 41 from Cwmbran, said: 'I spotted this one on the wall and shined a light on to it and could see its fangs. 'It was devouring another smaller spider – they're proper little cannibals. 'We tried to feed it a woodlouse but it wasn't interested. 'They only seemed to want to eat smaller ones, I guess they must be easier prey.' A vet confirmed that one of the spiders, which had been captured, was a tube spider. Advertisement

The video has been viewed over seven million times since it was posted last week and Mr Brown has responded to its success by saying: ‘It's...insane. I posted that spider video on Friday, and now it's gotten a million shares. I literally get a friend request every 10 seconds.

‘My phone goes off all night long with updates. I've gotten 400 friend requests today alone. Worst. Decision. EVER!!!!’

Earlier this month, at the begnning of 'spider season' in temporate climates, a Califonian man filmed spiders that he caught in a jar.

In the video, a female showers tiny spiderlings across her glass cell, when she is attacked by a larger male.

Experts told MailOnline that it seemed as if the mother was giving her brood the best chance of survival when she was under threat, by releasing them into the world.

It appears it is the spiderlings that have made the 'decision,' not her.

Dr Judith Lock, an expert in behavioural ecology at the University of Southampton, told MailOnline that it looks as if the spiderlings jumped off their mother's backs when she was under threat.

A few species of spiders allow their offspring to ride on their backs while they are small. This gives them a better chance of not being eaten.

'The agressor spider flips the mother over. Perhaps the spiderlings recognise a chance in orientation and that's when the jump off,' Dr Lock said.

An invertebrate keeper at Bristol Zoo Gardens added: 'The babies scattering is their best chance of survival- not likely to be causing a distraction or an attack. Maternal care methods vary greatly in the world of spiders.'