Wolf spiders are common arachnids found across various environments, and identifying them can be helpful. These spiders are known for their active hunting style rather than relying on webs for prey capture. Understanding their unique features and behaviors allows for proper identification, distinguishing them from other spider species. This guide will help you identify a wolf spider.
Physical Characteristics
Wolf spiders possess a robust and often hairy body, typically ranging in size from about a quarter of an inch to over an inch in body length, excluding their legs. Female wolf spiders are generally larger than males. Their coloration usually includes shades of brown, gray, or black, with darker stripes or markings on their back or cephalothorax, which aids in camouflage.
A distinguishing feature of wolf spiders is their unique eye arrangement, which consists of eight eyes in three rows. The first row has four small eyes at the bottom, followed by two much larger eyes in the middle row, and two medium-sized eyes on the top row. This eye pattern helps differentiate them from other spiders. They also have long, hairy legs and two sharp, horizontal fangs.
Behavioral Cues
Wolf spiders are active hunters, meaning they do not build webs to catch their prey. Instead, they stalk, chase, and pounce on insects and other small arthropods. Their excellent eyesight and rapid movement enable them to pursue their prey across various terrains. Some species may construct burrows for shelter or ambush prey from near the burrow’s mouth.
Female wolf spiders exhibit maternal care. After laying eggs, the female encases them in a spherical silk sac, which she attaches to her spinnerets and carries. This allows her to transport her unhatched young. Once the spiderlings emerge from the sac, they climb onto their mother’s back, remaining there for several weeks before dispersing.
Distinguishing from Similar Spiders
Wolf spiders are mistaken for other spider species, particularly the brown recluse, funnel-web spiders, and tarantulas. Differentiating them relies on observing key physical and behavioral traits. Brown recluse spiders, for instance, are smaller and have a smoother, less hairy body compared to the more robust and hairy wolf spider. A distinction is the brown recluse’s violin-shaped marking on its back and its six eyes arranged in three pairs, whereas wolf spiders have eight eyes in their characteristic three-row arrangement and lack the violin mark.
Funnel-web spiders, while also fast-moving, construct distinctive sheet-like webs with a funnel-shaped retreat where they wait for prey. Wolf spiders, in contrast, are active hunters that do not build webs. Their body types also differ, with wolf spiders being more muscular and funnel weavers appearing leaner. Tarantulas are larger and heavier than wolf spiders, with longer hair and different eye arrangements, with eyes often covered by hair. Tarantulas also have fangs that point downward, while wolf spiders have pincer-like fangs that are front-facing.
Common Habitats
Wolf spiders are adaptable and can be found in various habitats, both outdoors and sometimes indoors. Outside, they inhabit ground-level areas such as grasslands, fields, forests, and suburban gardens. They seek shelter under rocks, logs, leaf litter, or within self-dug burrows.
When outdoor temperatures drop, wolf spiders may seek warmer environments and enter homes. Indoors, they are found in basements, garages, windows, and doorways, at ground level or in cluttered areas where they can find cover or hunt for prey. Their presence indoors is accidental, as they are outdoor dwellers.