Have you ever encountered a spider? We are not talking about any alien creatures. We are talking about spiders. To have spider’s sight is not rocket science for us because we all have seen the spiders inside or outside the house. Does the confusion occur when you want to identify which spider species you have encountered? The answer is yes.
Commonly found in the USA, brown recluse spiders and wolf spiders are often confused for each other. Both these spiders look alike with similar features. However, there are discernable differences.
Let’s peep at the differences between wolf spiders and brown recluses.
Wolf spider or brown recluse spider?
Though it is not easy to get confused between the two, the following identification tests will help you to find the differences:
Violin on the neck:
Brown recluse spiders have markings on the cephalothorax, making them famous as “violin spiders.” Many spider species have similar markings. But comparing with wolf spiders, these spider species do not have any markings on the head.
Eyes:
Brown recluses have six eyes arranged in a pair of two.
Wolf spiders have eight eyes.
Both these spider species have peculiar and contrasting eye arrangements, which makes them easily identifiable.
Wolf spiders have eight eyes, with the middle two being the most prominent. The bottom four are least conspicuous.
Brown recluses have six eyes arranged in a pair of two which is the rarest spider feature. The eyes are visible at the rounded end of the violin.
Legs:
Wolf spiders have stocky legs with spines, whereas brown recluses have slender legs with hair.
Every spider species has eight legs, being an arthropod. However, the design varies massively between different spiders. Wolf spiders have stocky legs with spines. In contrast, brown recluses have slender legs covered with hairs.
Colors:
Wolf spiders have patches and lines on their bodies, whereas brown recluses have uniform coloration over the abdomen.
The color is the most crucial identifying factor of both these species. The wolf spider has patches and different color lines on their bodies.
The brown recluses have uniform coloration throughout their entire body.
If any of the spider species has different colors, it is not a brown recluse.
To summarize the difference between these two, you can identify the difference between these two spider species:
Remember, wolf spiders are spinny-legged, multicolored, eight-eyed, non-violin marked arachnids safe for humans.
Remember, brown recluses are hairy-legged, uniform colored, six-eyed, violin marked arachnids causing bites to the humans, keeping at an arm’s length.
Wrapping up:
So, if you have assured which spider species you have encountered, it is best to consult professional pest control experts to remove the spider infestation.
