Content

• Steps
• Advice
• Warning

Wolf spiders do not belong to the traditional pattern of spiders. They are not webbed and do not capture prey with spider webs; instead, they stalk and hunt for prey - similar to wolves' behavior. Although shaped very similar to tarantulas, wolf spiders are often smaller and belong to another family. The scientific name of the wolf spider is Lycosidae (in Greek it means "wolf.")

Steps

Method 1 of 2: Identify the wolf spider

1. 

   Consider the body features of the wolf spider. Here are a few outstanding features: I am full of fur, brown to gray in color with many marks or stripes, the female is about 35 mm long, the male is about 20 mm.

2. 

   
   
   Observe how the spider's eight eyes are arranged. The wolf spider's eyes were lined up in three rows; the first row has four small eyes; the second row has two large eyes, and the third row has two medium eyes. The eyes in the center of the spider's face are much larger than the other six eyes.

3. 

   Note, if the spider has 3 claws on its ankles, it is definitely a wolf spider. The pastern is the last segment of the spider's leg. The wolf spider has 3 claws at the end of the ankle.

4. 

   
   
   Don't confuse the wolf spider with the brown recluse spider. The wolf spider is also gray-brown in color but does not have a violin shape on the back of the head like a brown recluse spider. In addition, the legs of a wolf spider are shorter than that of a brown recluse or any other webs spider.

5. 

   Check for hair on the spider's belly. This feature may confuse wolf spiders with tarantula spiders, but most wolf spiders are much smaller than tarantula spiders. advertisement

Method 2 of 2: Recognize the habitat of the wolf spider

1. 

   
   
   Notice if the spider returns to the cave. Examine the areas around doors and windows, around the house, and other auxiliary structures. If you see a spider moving into a cave or crevice instead of a spider's web, that's another proof that it is a wolf spider.

2. 

   Watch the wolf spider chasing prey on the ground. Silk spiders rarely appear on the ground. In contrast, wolf spiders are very comfortable crawling on the ground and rarely climb high structures.

3. 

   Observe a white egg sac behind the spider's abdomen in early spring and summer. The female wolf spider carries an egg sac behind the abdomen.

4. 

   Check to see if the female spider carries the young spiders on her back. This is a unique feature of the wolf spider.

5. 

   Note that wolf spiders can hunt during the day and at night. You will notice that most of the wolf spider prey (crickets, caterpillars, etc.) appear both during the day and at night. If you see a lot of insects around, you will probably find a wolf spider nearby.
6. See the spider's running speed. Wolf spiders are extremely fast. It is very difficult to catch a wolf spider due to its extremely fast speed. advertisement

Advice

• Wolf spiders are actually quite shy and usually run away when you get closer, but they will bite when caught.
• You can control the number of wolf spiders around the house by trimming grass and bushes, and keeping piles of stone or wood in the yard.
• It is also helpful to have a magnifying glass available to observe the wolf spider.
• Wolf spiders live for about 2 years and are prey to wasps.

Warning

• Even though the wolf spiders are venomous, you should not kill them. Wolf spiders are not aggressive, and if you get bitten, their venom doesn't matter much. In fact, wolf spiders are very important for the ecosystem, as they eat a lot of harmful insects.
• Don't hold wolf spiders. Although wolf spiders are also quite temperate animals, they can also bite, and their bites are quite painful.
• If you have a weak or fluttering wolf spider in the box, don't feed it with any insects that can fight the spider, such as a live ant.