By Cheryl Conley, Lake Creek Nature Preserve
Wolf spiders will look at you like they have something to say and they’re not afraid to say it. They have a face complete with two large eyes that seem to stare right at you giving them a surprisingly expressive appearance. They have six smaller ones arranged in three rows. On the bottom row are four small eyes. Above those sit the two enormous eyes that give the spider its unmistakable “face.”
On top of its head are two more medium-sized eyes giving the creature a full surveillance system. The effect is a spider that doesn’t just wander through the yard—it looks like it’s studying you right back. This is fitting, because wolf spiders are active hunters with excellent vision, meaning that when you notice them, chances are they noticed you first.
The large middle eyes give wolf spiders excellent vision, especially at night. Try shining a flashlight across your grass after dark and you might see tiny greenish sparkles. It’s the reflective layer in the wolf spider’s eyes sending light right back to you. While most spiders rely mainly on vibrations, wolf spiders see which means if you notice one, it probably noticed you first.
There are over 2,800 species of wolf spiders. In Texas alone, there are 64 species. In the Houston area, the most common ones are the Carolina wolf spider, the tiger wolf spider, and the rabid wolf spider. The Carolina is the largest wolf spider in North America—we’re talking up to four inches across. Despite its name, the rabid wolf spider can’t give you rabies. It gets the name from its erratic, twitchy movement. It’s smaller than the Carolina wolf spider and is very common in Houston yards and wooded areas. All three are beneficial because they keep the pest population down but that doesn’t make finding one in the house any less creepy.
One evening I spotted a rather large spider strolling across my floor like it owned the place. Since I am not a fan of spiders sharing my living space, my reaction was immediate and decisive. I stepped on it. What happened next was something straight out of a low-budget horror film. Instead of the situation ending, the spider seemed to explode into motion as hundreds of tiny baby spiders suddenly scattered in every direction across the floor.
It turns out the spider I had encountered was a mother wolf spider carrying her young on her back—a common wolf spider behavior that is fascinating from a biological standpoint and deeply alarming from a barefoot-in-the-house standpoint. I learned two things that night: wolf spiders are devoted mothers, and I can move surprisingly fast when properly motivated. Wolf spider mothers carry their spiderlings on their backs for several days after they hatch, protecting them until they are ready to venture out on their own.
One of the things that sets wolf spiders apart from most other spiders is that they don’t spin webs. They chase down their prey on foot. They rely on their eight eyes and speed to catch insects. They can spin silk, though, which they use for lining their burrows and carrying their egg sacs.
Wolf spiders can bite but it’s rare and usually only happens if they feel threatened. If they bite, it’s generally mild. You’ll experience some redness, swelling and a little pain. For those with allergies, you could have a stronger reaction.
Wolf spiders may look intimidating with their staring eyes and speedy legs, but they are just hardworking members of nature’s pest-control team. They hunt insects, care for their young, and generally keep to themselves—unless they accidentally wander into someone’s living room.
If that happens, you may experience a brief moment of panic followed by a renewed appreciation for how quickly a spider can run. Still, once the excitement subsides, it’s worth remembering that these eight-eyed hunters are far more helpful than harmful… preferably when they’re outside. Don’t do like I did. Simply put—catch and release outside.