8 Amazing Spiders that Look Like Wolf Spiders

Spiders that look like wolf spiders include hobo spiders, prowling spiders (false wolf spiders), swift spiders, two-tailed spiders, jumping spiders, grass spiders, huntsman spiders, and brown recluses.

Some of these spider species might resemble wolf spiders thanks to similar features such as legs and the shape of the body. However, one of the main ways to distinguish wolf spiders from the rest is by looking at its eyes – it has two rows of two eyes and one row of four eyes below these two.

In this article, we’ll go through the list of spiders that look like wolf spiders, and how you can distinguish between them.

Disclaimer: This is information for entertainment and educational purposes only. Do not approach a wild animal and keep your distance. Only professionals should handle wild animals. Seek professional help immediately if you have been bitten or otherwise harmed. Consult your local wildlife authority for the right advice for your situation and locality.

List of Spiders that Look Like Wolf Spiders

Let’s take a look at the spiders that look like wolf spiders.

1. Hobo Spiders

Hobo spiders are commonly mistaken for wolf spiders. They have a strip of white and gray hairs on their legs which might look quite similar to wolf spiders. They are also both brown, which might confuse some people as to which spider species they’re looking at.

However, you can easily distinguish them from wolf spiders by looking at their eyes and their length. Wolf spiders have three rows of eyes, which is one of the main features that will allow you to tell the difference between a wolf spider and a hobo spider.

The abdomen of these spiders is also longer than that of wolf spiders. They don’t have stripes on their abdomen, while the wolf spider often has stripes on the abdomen. Also, the wolf spider might carry its babies around with it, which is how you’ll see that the spider you’re looking at is a wolf spider.

Read More: Wolf Spider vs Hobo Spider

2. Prowling Spiders (False Wolf Spider)

The prowling spider comes from a family called Miturgidae. These spiders are found in semi-arid areas and eucalyptus forests especially in Australia, but they might also appear in other parts of the world.

These spiders are also sometimes called false wolf spiders because of their similar appearance to wolf spiders.

You might find that you might confuse these two spider species because they’re so similar.

But despite that, several differences will allow you to distinguish between the two species:

• The first difference is the eyes. The wolf spider has three rows of eyes, while the prowling spider only has two rows of four eyes. These spiders also commonly create webs that they’ll use to rest and hunt other spiders.
• This spider is also a bit lighter in color when compared to the wolf spider.

Take a look at these differences to see which spider you’re looking at.

3. Swift Spider

The swift spider is also quite similar to the wolf spider. You’ll see this spider remain active throughout the day when you might see it darting around and moving very quickly around the ground.

However, you might be able to see the differences if you take some time to investigate them closely:

• The main difference is the colors and the shapes on the abdomen. The swift spider is darker and has white spots on its abdomen, while the wolf spider is browner in color and has some stripes on its abdomen.

• Secondly the swift spider has two rows of four eyes, while the wolf spider has three rows of eyes. This is another difference between wolf spiders and swift spiders that will help you tell the difference.

4. Two-Tailed Spider

The two-tailed spider, or the Hersilia spider, is sometimes mistaken for the wolf spider. They might be mistaken since they live in similar habitats.

They can be found on trees and under the bark of trees where they will wait and hide to hunt their prey.

However, these two spiders do have some key differences:

• Firstly, the two-tailed spider has much longer legs. This is the main difference between the two, and the spider is also much more slender than the wolf spider.

• Secondly, this spider also creates webs. It’s also great at camouflaging and hiding in its habitat, which allows it to surprise its prey and hunt it down with ease, but also hide from potential predators along the way.

5. Jumping Spider

The jumping spider is sometimes mistaken for the wolf spider thanks to its furry appearance and similar colors.

There are two similarities to look out for:

• The main difference between a wolf spider and a jumping spider is in the legs. Jumping spiders have much shorter legs, and they are recurved, which allows the jumping spider to jump higher and farther using these legs.

• Secondly, the eyes. You will see that the jumping spider has four eyes in front of its body, and these eyes are quite clearly visible if you take a closer look at the jumping spider.

Related: Do Wolf Spiders Jump?

6. Grass Spiders

The grass spider, or Agelenopsis, is one of the most common spider species found around homes, especially if you have a garden or a lawn.

For this reason, you might confuse them for the wolf spider, because they also have very similar colors.

However, grass spiders are a bit lighter in color and also has darker legs compared to the wolf spider. They are quite similar in size, though, which means that some people might mistake the two species.

Related Article: Grass Spider vs House Spider

7. Huntsman Spiders

Hunstman spiders and wolf spiders are two of the best hunting spiders in the world. They both prefer to eat insects and they both like to ambush their prey, making them highly effective against smaller animals of prey.

The main difference is in the legs. The huntsman spider has slightly longer legs and also, the huntsman spider legs are more curved when compared to wolf spider legs, which are straight and not as long.

Related Article: Wolf Spider vs Black Widow

8. Brown Recluse

Last but not least, you might also confuse the wolf spider for the brown recluse, especially if you don’t know the big differences between the two species.

However, the brown recluse is much lighter in color and it doesn’t have stripes on its body. The brown recluse also doesn’t have hairs on its body, which allows you to see the differences quite easily.

Related: Spiders that Look like the Brown Recluse

Conclusion

In this article, we’ve taken a look at which spiders look like wolf spiders, and we’ve also taken a look at the differences, which will hopefully allow you to spot the spider species when you see them with ease.