5 Spiders That Look Like the Brown Recluse

Spiders that look like the brown recluse include huntsmans, wolf spiders, hobo spiders, grass spiders, and house spiders.

If you live in a southern state, there is a chance that you might have already come across a genuine brown recluse in your yard or even your house.

However, many people report seeing a brown recluse when in fact, what they saw was something different. And with so many different spiders that look like a brown recluse, it’s easy to sometimes mistake the brown recluse with another spider.

If you are making this mistake often and you confuse the brown recluse with another spider, then this article will help you out.

Let’s take a look at the most common spiders that look like a brown recluse, and that people mistake for the brown recluse.

Spiders That Look Like Brown Recluse

These are the most common spiders that are mistaken for brown recluse.

1. Huntsman Spiders

One of the first species that people mistake the brown recluse for is the huntsman spider, and it’s not hard to see why.

Firstly, the huntsman spider appears a very menacing spider, just like the brown recluse. It is also colored brown and it has longer legs, just like the brown recluse. However, there are also some crucial differences between the two that will make it easier for you to distinguish between the two.

Firstly, the huntsman spider is far larger than the brown recluse. Sometimes, they might be up to two times larger than the recluse. The overall size on average for the huntsman spider is about 6 inches, which is several times larger than the brown recluse. The first way to tell the difference between the two is to look at the size.

Then, the huntsman spider is also much hairier than the brown recluse, and it does have different patterns on its body. So with the help of these cues, you’ll be able to tell the difference between a huntsman spider and a brown recluse.

2. Wolf Spiders

Another spider that people often mistake for the brown recluse is the wolf spider. But knowing the difference between the two will be very important since the wolf spider is far less dangerous than the brown recluse.

Firstly, the wolf spider is slightly larger. But the one key difference here is that wolf spiders are hairy, while the brown recluse is not. Also, the wolf spider will have black-yellow patterns on its back, while the brown recluse will appear to be entirely brown. You should be able to tell the difference just by looking at these two.

On the behavioral level, brown recluses tend to create webs, while the wolf spiders don’t do that at all. If you see webs around your home that have a slightly asymmetrical shape, then it’s highly likely that what you’re dealing with is the brown recluse.

3. Hobo Spiders

Now, the hobo spider might be much closer in terms of appearance to the brown recluse than you might think. Yet one of the easiest ways to tell the difference between the two is to look at the markings on the body of both spiders.

Hobo spiders have much more pronounced markings on their back, and they’re brown-black-yellow. The brown recluse, on the other hand, doesn’t have any markings at all – while some will also have a violin-shaped marking on its back, as well. However, these are not as well see as on the hobo spider.

Both hobo spiders and brown recluses can be quite dangerous to humans, though. That’s why it’s crucial to stay away from both of these spiders. Besides, many people also mistake the hobo spider for another spider species such as the wolf spider, so being able to tell how a hobo spider looks would be crucial in this case.

Another difference between the brown recluse and the hobo spider is that the brown recluse does not make as many webs as the hobo spider. The latter will create funnel-like webs that will span across larger areas, while the brown recluse will only make smaller, asymmetrical webs that will only be seen in smaller areas.

4. Grass Spiders

Grass spiders are sometimes also confused for the brown recluse, but there are some key differences between the two. Firstly, the habitat – grass spiders are rarely found indoors as they prefer to live in grasslands and other areas in nature where they are free to create their funnel-like webs.

You will probably see a lot of webs in the grass around your home, which is a good indicator that the grass spider lives nearby.

However, with the brown recluse, there will be no such thing. They don’t tend to create webs, and they will also not usually live in grasslands, because they prefer to be in tight, hidden areas of your home where they can remain at peace.

Another way to tell the difference between the two is to observe the patterns on their bodies. These will be much more pronounced on the grass spider than they will be on the brown recluse, which is entirely brown and might not have many patterns at all. It should be quite simple to find the differences between a grass spider and a brown recluse.

5. House Spider

The term “house spider” is generally broad and is meant for a wide range of spider species, but usually, when we talk about house spiders, we think about the brown house spider or the Steatoda Grossa.

In this case, you will be able to tell the difference between this spider species and the brown recluse by taking a look at its appearance and its color. The brown recluse will be entirely brown, while the house spider, in this case, will also have other colors on its body such as black or even yellow.

The body of the house spider will also be bulkier than the body of the brown recluse, so it will appear to be slightly thicker. This will be quite easy to spot, especially if you see the spider on the wall, you should be able to tell the difference between the two quite quickly.

What about the Daddy Long Legs?

Yes, we’ve even heard of people mising up the brown recluse and the daddy long legs.

But the visible differences between these two spiders are vast. You should be able to tell the difference just by looking at the two spiders.

The main difference here is that daddy long legs have far longer legs than the brown recluse. The daddy long leg might have legs that span up to 1 inch in length, which is quite large compared to what a brown recluse might look like.

Finding the difference between the two should not be too tough, because the brown recluse will have a bulkier body and it will also have thicker legs. So if you are able to distinguish between the two, you should be able to easily tell the difference just by looking at the appearance.

Conclusion

Spotting the differences between the brown recluse and other spider species will be crucial to help you stay safe. Brown recluses are known for their ability to hide and camouflage themselves, but there are also several other spider species that look just like brown recluses.

Luckily, it will not take that much for you to identify the differences between these spiders.