Brown Spider Identification: Wolf Spider vs Brown Recluse Spider

These spiders are a common sight around our Tennessee home.

We find them both indoors and outside. This one was photographed in the corner of our dining room.

At first, I was scared it might be a poisonous Brown Recluse spider!

Turns out it’s a Wolf spider, which is a rather common household spider.

See a spider in your house? It might be a happyface spider (…don’t worry, be happy!)

Here’s a spider identification chart to help you see at a glance the type of spider you’re looking at.

 

How I Found Out It’s A Wolf Spider

According to a FunTimesGuide reader (Neil C.):

This is a type of wood wolf spider, not a brown spider. This type is not poisonous, and actually make good pets. They are a major benefit to out ecology, and we need them… They are the good bugs.

… Thanks, Neil!

 

Yep, Definitely A Wolf Spider

Kendall Huddleston adds the following:

The image of the brown spider perched in the corner is the most common seen wolf spider. If they are fast, take off across the floor at high speed and have brown and black racing stripes down the length of their body, they are harmless. They stalk and kill their prey with large powerful fangs and practically no poison. They do not produce webs but may run a single strand a distance as a feeling line. They can see extremely well and use sight and stalking as their primary hunting method. They can get very large, the ‘big mommas’ up to five inches and can live a long time, over ten years. They are partial hibernators and are the ones seen running across the snow on sunny winter days. Neil C. is right, they make good pets and will get docile and not try to bite you after you handle them for awhile. I have literally forced thousands of these critters to bite me since I was a kid with no harm other than the powerful pin pricks. But Neil, they are Arachnids, closer relatives to the crayfish, crabs and lobsters. Far distant from ‘bugs’ or insects.

… Thanks, Kendall!

 

More About Wolf Spiders

• The Wolf Spider: How Dangerous Is It?
• Wolf Spider Basic Facts
• Orkin: Facts, ID And Control Of Wolf Spiders
• Wolf Spiders & Other House Spider Myths

 

More About Brown Recluse Spiders

• Brown Recluse Spider: Distinguishing Facts
• Video: The Brown Recluse Spider
• Brown Recluse Spider Bite Facts
• Discovery Channel Video: I Was Bitten By A Brown Recluse Spider