While spiders trigger fear among many people, they serve an important role as natural pest control agents. By hunting other pests these spiders cause a decrease in insect numbers across the home. What sets Brown Recluse and Wolf Spiders apart from other spider types found in New Jersey? We must examine the specific characteristics that differentiate these two types of spiders from each other.

Brown Recluse and Wolf Spider: Who’s Who?

When you stumble upon a spider in the wild you may pause before approaching it to give it a hug. A serious fear reaction to spiders affects about 15% of the population who experience arachnophobia. The sight of a spider’s fangs and legs can cause discomfort while Brown Recluse and Wolf Spiders might appear similar when viewed from afar.

These creepy crawlers have clear distinctions which become apparent when you observe them closely.

Bodies

The majority of people incorrectly label spiders and other many-legged creatures as insects or “bugs” without realizing that spiders belong to the distinct category of arachnids. Ticks along with scorpions and crustaceans all gather at their family reunion. Yes, you heard that right—lobsters and crabs are their cousins!

One cool bodily function that is different between Brown Recluse and Wolf Spiders is that recluses have spinnerets under their core for spinning webs, while most wolf spider species do not.

However, the wolf spider has the brown recluse beat big time when it comes to size, which is almost as intimidating as their name. Depending on the species, this spider can grow anywhere from 1-1.5 inches long, with a leg span often reaching three inches. Whoa.

Even though the brown recluse is much smaller and their legs don’t have the prominent hairiness that wolf spiders have, folks sometimes confuse the two. If you see a brownish spider larger than a half-inch long, it is most likely not a brown recluse.

Brown Recluse and Wolf Spiders are sneaky and have donned clever brown or gray camouflage that mimics the foliage, rock, and soil around them. Of course, the brown recluse is renowned for the violin-shaped marking on its upper body, which folklore says represents the venomous spider “fiddling away” while its prey quickly dies. Having said that, wolf spiders do have some markings on their backs that could make you take a second look if you ever come across one.

Both brown recluse spiders and wolf spiders depend on multiple eyes to hunt prey and evade threats but brown recluses possess six eyes while wolf spiders have eight.

Life Cycle of a Brown Recluse and Wolf Spider

For wolf spiders, autumn is prime mating season and first dates are all the rage. Males attract the larger females, and once they mate, the females search for an isolated spot to lay their eggs. They are true artists when spinning their silk egg sac to deposit up to 100 eggs into it. They keep their egg sac attached to their body until the eggs hatch in about 7-14 days. The babies will stay in the egg sac for up to 22 days until this momma chews the sac open. The baby spiders, called spiderlings, are almost microscopic, and once hatched, they swarm her body. The protective mother will carry her brood on her body for a couple of weeks, and then the babies wander away on their own.

Brown recluses choose the hottest summer months to breed. After mating, the female lays about 50 eggs in a woven egg sac. She then attaches it to a hiding spot and leaves in search of another mate. Females can mate several times during the season. Brown recluse spiderlings hatch in about a month and are entirely independent from day one.