The name Lycosa or Pardosa venatrix has been used since Simon in 1882 to denote a widespread Palearctic species. The nominal species Lycosa venatrix Lucas, 1846 was originally designed as the type species for the genus Wadicosa Zyuzin, 1985. It has, however, been recognized that the species long known as venatrix was misidentified: the species so named by Lucas is evidently not a species of Wadicosa. Therefore, we now fix Lycosa fidelis O. P.-Cambridge, 1872, the species actually involved in the misidentification, as the type species for Wadicosa. An emended diagnosis for the genus Wadicosa is given, as well as a redescription of W. fidelis. The presence of some hitherto unrecorded structures in the male palp is emphasized. A hypothetic view on the mating mechanism in W. fidelis is presented.