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Pardosa modica is similar to other Pardosa, with a brown carapace that has a broken light brown to yellow (Kronestedt, 1981), or reddish (Chamberlin, 1908), band down the middle, and continuous lateral bands of similar colour, which are wider in the female. There are also two light spots just behind the eyes. The sternum is dark brown with a light, but indistinct median stripe (Kronestedt, 1981), bordered by black lines (Chamberlin, 1908). The chelicerae are light brown to yellow with darker streaks. The abdomen is grayish brown on top and mottled on the sides, and has a row of irregular black marks along each side (Kronesdtedt, 1981). The underside may have no markings, or two dark lines running down the middle and converging at the end of the abdomen, and sometimes an additional dark line running down each side (Chamberlin, 1908). The legs are light brown and, unlike some Pardosa, do not have rings. Instead, the femora have light longitudinal streaks (Kronestedt, 1981). Males (length = 6.71 +/- 0.51 mm) are only slightly shorter than females (length = 6.93 +/- 0.45 mm), and female carapace width (2.27 +/- 0.22 mm) seems to be narrower than male carapace width (2.41 +/- 0.21 mm) (Dondale & Redner, 1990). Characteristics of the male palp and the female epigynum must be used to distinguish P. modica from the other Pardosa. The palp is distinguished by its stout terminal apophysis, with the conductor situated distal to the basal margin of the apical division, and by its small median apophysis. The epigynum is distinguished by its atrium, which is about as wide as long, and by its median septum, which has a short, narrowed anterior, with the anterior margins of the cavity sclerites extending anterolaterally (Dondale & Redner, 1990).

Like other wolf spiders, Pardosa modica hunts actively, by pouncing on prey and holding it with its front legs, while mashing it up with its chelicerae (Gertsch, 1979), and is a general predator on arthropods, including insects and other spiders.