Wolf spiders are among the largest spiders in Nebraska. They are common outdoors, and only accidentally find their way indoors by wandering into houses and buildings.

There is still much to learn about the navigation skills of other similar spiders, says Eileen Hebets, an arachnologist at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, who was not involved in the study.

Spiders don’t have ears like humans, so they don’t necessarily hear things in the traditional way. But sound produces vibrations that travel through the ground and into their webs via silk ...