1 Spiders constitute an extensive and diverse branch of the phylum Arthropoda. 2Whereas the genomes of four web-weaver spider species and a single cave-living 3 spider have been determined, similar studies have not been reported previously for a 4 wandering spider. The pond wolf spider, Pardosa pseudoannulata, is a wandering 5 hunter that immobilizes prey using venom rather than a web. It is also an important 6 predator against a range of agriculturally important insect pests. The increasing 7 interest in its wandering lifestyle and in the potential of spider venom as a tool for 8 pest control have prompted a detailed study on this wandering spider species. We 9 have generated a high-quality genome sequence of P. pseudoannulata and analysed 10 genes associated with the production of silk and venom toxins. Sequencing reveals 11 that P. pseudoannulata has a large genome of 4.26 Gb. The presence of only 16 12 spidroin genes and four types of silk glands is consistent with the moderate use of silk 13 and the lack of a prey-catching web. A large number of genes encode neurotoxins and 14 there is evidence that the majority are highly selective for invertebrates. Comparison 15 between spider species reveals a correlation between spider neurotoxin selectivity for 16 target organisms and spider prosoma size, suggesting a possible coevolution of these 17 two features. The genome data provides valuable insights into the biology of P. 18 pseudoannulata and its potential role as a natural enemy in pest control. 19

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