Brown Recluse vs Wolf Spider

The quick tellLook at the eyes and the back. A brown recluse has six eyes, a plain tan body and a dark violin mark. A wolf spider has eight eyes, two of them large and facing forward, and a hairy striped or mottled body.

Photo: Br-recluse-guy, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Brown recluse

Medically significant · Loxosceles reclusa

Dark violin shape on the back, neck of the violin points to the rear
Six eyes in three pairs (most spiders have eight)
Plain tan abdomen and legs with no bands or spines
Long thin legs; with legs spread it is about the size of a quarter

Size: 0.25–0.5 in. Habitat: Indoors in boxes, closets, attics and basements; outdoors under rocks and bark.

Most bites heal without trouble; a few cause a slow-healing wound. Many wounds blamed on recluses outside their range turn out to be other conditions.

Photo (Carolina wolf spider, the largest US wolf spider): Toby, CC BY 4.0, via iNaturalist

Wolf spider

Harmless · Lycosidae

Hairy brown or gray spider with stripes or mottling
Eight eyes; two large ones face forward and shine in a flashlight beam
Hunts on the ground, no web
Females carry the egg sac and young on their back

Size: 0.4–1.4 in. Habitat: Lawns, leaf litter and fields; wanders into houses in fall.

Bites are rare and mild. Wolf spiders are not dangerous to people.

Where each one lives

Brown recluse only
Wolf spider only
Both
Neither

Brown recluse: 16 states. Wolf spider: 50 states. Both live in 16 states.

Side by side

	Brown recluse	Wolf spider
Danger	Medically significant	Harmless
Size	0.25–0.5 in	0.4–1.4 in
States	16	50
Habitat	Indoors in boxes, closets, attics and basements; outdoors under rocks and bark	Lawns, leaf litter and fields; wanders into houses in fall

Questions

How can you tell a brown recluse from a wolf spider?

Look at the eyes and the back. A brown recluse has six eyes, a plain tan body and a dark violin mark. A wolf spider has eight eyes, two of them large and facing forward, and a hairy striped or mottled body.

Which one is dangerous?

The brown recluse: medically significant. The wolf spider: harmless. If you are not sure, keep your distance and do not handle it.

Where do both live?

Both live in 16 states: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas.