Wolf spider

How to identify it

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 (body length). Habitat: Lawns, leaf litter and fields; wanders into houses in fall.

Where it lives

Lives here
Rare records
Gone
Not here

Lives in 50 states. Tap a state for details.

When it is out

Open US records by month; most fall in May to August.

Look-alikes

Brown Recluse vs Wolf Spider Brown recluse: medically significant
Hobo Spider vs Wolf Spider Hobo spider: harmless

State by state

State	Status	Open records	Counties
Illinois	Lives here	4,275	58
Texas	Lives here	4,138	166
California	Lives here	3,171	55
Alaska	Lives here	2,409	23
Florida	Lives here	1,137	59
Oklahoma	Lives here	1,050	37
Montana	Lives here	832	14
Pennsylvania	Lives here	680	43
Virginia	Lives here	662	76
Arizona	Lives here	649	12
New Mexico	Lives here	636	25
Ohio	Lives here	518	55
North Carolina	Lives here	510	63
New York	Lives here	461	41
Massachusetts	Lives here	429	14
Maryland	Lives here	427	20
Indiana	Lives here	402	35
Colorado	Lives here	358	29
Wisconsin	Lives here	320	32
Louisiana	Lives here	265	32
Arkansas	Lives here	240	29
Kansas	Lives here	240	29
Missouri	Lives here	240	40
Tennessee	Lives here	226	37
Georgia	Lives here	220	62
South Carolina	Lives here	201	25
New Jersey	Lives here	189	19
Utah	Lives here	183	18
Wyoming	Lives here	182	5
Michigan	Lives here	181	37
Alabama	Lives here	172	29
Kentucky	Lives here	171	42
Mississippi	Lives here	169	33
Delaware	Lives here	168	3
Washington	Lives here	153	25
Minnesota	Lives here	116	26
New Hampshire	Lives here	109	7
Iowa	Lives here	91	13
Nebraska	Lives here	82	20
Vermont	Lives here	78	9
Maine	Lives here	61	11
Connecticut	Lives here	58	8
Oregon	Lives here	55	15
West Virginia	Lives here	53	17
Hawaii	Lives here	38	3
Idaho	Lives here	31	8
Nevada	Lives here	29	7
South Dakota	Lives here	26	11
Rhode Island	Lives here	22	3
North Dakota	Lives here	10	4

States not listed have no open records and are outside the range.

Questions

Where does the wolf spider live?

In 50 states: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

Is the wolf spider dangerous?

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

How do you identify a wolf spider?

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.

When is the wolf spider most active?

Most open US records fall in May to August.