Not medically significant. It is big and fast, which frightens people, but it hunts on the ground and would rather leave. A bite from a large one hurts like a wasp sting and does no lasting damage.
Size18–35 mm body — the largest wolf spider in North America
MarkingsLarge and robust, thick hairy legs · Two very large forward-facing eyes that shine in torchlight
WhereOpen ground, burrows, lawns and garages. Hunts at night, no web.
What it is not
A carolina wolf spider is most often confused with a species that is medically significant. If you are trying to rule those out, check these:
Two very large forward-facing eyes that shine in torchlight
Grey-brown mottled camouflage, no web
Females carry an egg sac attached to the spinnerets, then carry the young
Where you’ll find it
Across the United States. The Carolina wolf spider is the largest, but there are hundreds of wolf spider species and every state has plenty.
Open ground, burrows, lawns and garages. Hunts at night, no web.
How it behaves
It hunts on foot at night and builds no web at all, which is the quickest way to place one. Its eyes reflect torchlight brilliantly — shine a light across a lawn after dark and the green points looking back are wolf spiders. The female carries her egg sac attached to her spinnerets, then carries the spiderlings on her back for their first week or two, which is unique enough among American spiders to be diagnostic on its own.
What a bite looks like
Rare. A large individual can break skin, leaving two puncture marks with local redness and swelling that settles within a day or two.
Comparable to a wasp sting, with a dull ache afterwards.
We identify, we don't diagnose. Not medically significant, but see a doctor for any bite that becomes infected.
A skin mark cannot confirm which animal caused it. Read the bug bite and sting guide for the limits and the symptoms that should end an online search.
You’ve found one indoors
Leave it, or usher it outside with a large container. It is a beneficial predator and it does not want to be indoors. Reducing ground-level clutter and sealing door gaps keeps them out more effectively than anything else.
Common questions
Are wolf spiders dangerous?
No. They are large and fast, which frightens people, but they are not medically significant. A bite from a big one hurts like a wasp sting and heals without incident.
Why is it covered in tiny spiders?
That is a mother carrying her young. Wolf spiders carry the egg sac on the spinnerets and then carry the spiderlings on the abdomen for a week or two after hatching. No other American spider does this.
What are the green dots in my lawn at night?
Wolf spider eyes reflecting your torch. Hold the light next to your temple and look along the beam — a well-populated lawn can be startling.
Is it a brown recluse?
No. Wolf spiders are far larger and more robust, with thick hairy legs and two very large forward-facing eyes. A recluse is small, slender, bare-legged and has six eyes in three pairs.
Toby · CC-BY