Wolf Spiders

The Wolf Spider has many species in the family and those species can look very different. I sent several pictures to a couple of different entomologists, asking them to help me identify which species they were. I received one response. Neither was able to help. I was told the Wolf Spider has too many species that are too similar to confidently identify them without dissection. Due to this problem, I can only lump the Wolf Spiders into one section.

Below are several pictures of the different Wolf Spiders you might come across. If I receive any images of Wolf Spiders I do not have listed, I will add them. I will also replace the images I have with better pictures as I get those.

See below the images for more information on the Wolf Spider.

Photograph by: Anna M. - Traverse City, Mi.

Photograph by: Don Farrell - Barry County, Mi

Photograph by: Anne Mandrick - Branch, Mi.

Photograph by: Loni Cloum - Pontiac, Mi.

Photograph by: Kristopher Allyn - Mt.Clemens, Mi.

Photograph by: K.J.Ester - Madison Heights, Mi.

Description
As you can see from the pictures above, the Wolf Spider comes in a variety of looks. However, there are a few common characteristics to help you recognize the Wolf Spider when you see one.
1) The Wolf Spider has thick, sturdy legs that are meant for running along the ground and chasing down prey.
2) For the most part, its two body sections are similar in length. The abdomen can be wider or thinner depending on how long it has been since it fed, but length is similar between the two parts.
3) The most telling part of the Wolf Spider is its eyes, if you can see them. They will always have a horizontal row of four eyes in the front of the cephalothorax. Above that row of four eyes, will be a pair of larger eyes, and above those will be another pair of smaller eyes. (The top pair can sometimes be hard to see).

As seen above, the males in the Rabid Wolf Spiders will often have two front legs that are much darker than the rest of the spider.

Size
The Wolf Spider can be found n many different sizes, depending on the species. If you include the legs span, they can range from 3/8" (10mm), to nearly 3" (76mm) across..

Web
The Wolf Spider is a hunting spider, therefore it will rely on its strong legs and speed to run down prey, rather than spin a web to catch its food. Some species of Wolf Spider will hide in burrows in the ground and wait for its food to walk by and then lunge out after it. The only time they spin a web is to nest or to cover its eggs.

Note* The picture above, of the male, Rabid Wolf Spider, from Kristopher Allyn is unique in the fact the spider is hanging upside down in a web. I can only imagine this Wolf Spider was hoping to hunt down the spider that owned this web.

Bite Info
The bite from the Wolf Spider can cause some redness as well as some minor swelling. The swelling and pain can last for as long as 10 days in the worst cases. On a rare occasion, the bite can cause some necrotic lesions similar to that of the Brown Recluse, only much less severe.