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Pardosa fuscula is the only species of the Pardosa atrata group present in North America (Dondale & Redner, 1987). Carapace (dorsal portion of the cephalothorax or head region) broad, dark brown, darker in the eye region, with two longitudinal lighter bands near the lateral edges (these bands more distinct in females), one smaller stripe the same color, over de dorsal mid line covering just the thoracic groove. Mouthparts: Chelicerae, labium, and endites dark brown. Sternum (ventral plate between legs) dark brown. Coxae (1st leg segment) and legs dark and dusky with dorsal black streaks, especially on femora (3rd leg segment). Abdomen dark brown to black with an antero-dorsal light patch, lighter ventrally. Length between 6.5 to 7.6 mm. Males are usually similar than females but darker and slightly smaller. Male palp (see additional picture, articulated appendages anterior to 1st pair of legs): Terminal apophysis (ta in image) small and curved, finger like, median apophysis (ma in image) big and swollen with two projections, anterior projection broad and curved posteriorly, posterior projection small and hooked anteriorly Female epigynum (see additional picture, located in the anterior ventral side of the abdomen): Wider than long, lateral plates (lp in image) broadly rounded on each side, posterior endings swollen (1 in image), anterior part of septum (s in image) slender and narrow, posterior part triangular fitting between posterior ends of lateral plates (2 in image), atrium (a in image) broad and rounded.

This species is typically found near water bodies and shows high affinity to this habitat, it has been considered as a semi-aquatic species, having a strong positive correlation with moist litoral areas (Graham et al 2004), such as salt marshes (Dondale & Redner 1990), meadows (Dondale & Redner 1990; Nordstrom & Buckle 2002), bogs, swamps, beaches (Benell-Aitchison & Dondale 1990) and peatlands (Dondale & Redner 1994). As many other Pardosa species, P. fuscula shows a biennial life cycle (Pickavance 2001), copulation events may occur through all summer because females with egg sacs have been collected from late May to mid October (Dondale & Redner 1990), although these should be more frequent during August because spiderlings show higher abundances during September that in other months (Pickavance 2001). As many other Pardosa species, P. fuscula immatures overwinter two times before reaching adult stage (Pickavance 2001).