Quick Take
- The world's largest wolf spider lives in a place so remote and obscure that most arachnologists never get a chance to see one, and its current status makes that even less likely. Meet the rarest wolf spider →
- Some wolf spiders grow large enough to be regularly mistaken for a completely different and much more feared arachnid. See the tarantula confusion →
- Wolf spider mothers use a survival strategy for their young that almost no other spider on Earth pulls off. Discover how mothers protect spiderlings →
- The size gap between the smallest and largest wolf spider species is far wider than the name 'wolf spider' suggests, something the comparison chart makes abundantly clear. View the full size comparison →
Wolf spiders belong to the family Lycosidae. There are over 2,500 wolf spider species globally, with nearly 250 wolf spider species in the U.S. and Canada. They can be found in almost any type of habitat from the beach to the Arctic. They are often found in wooded areas, grassy fields and meadows, and even suburban lawns. But how big do these spiders get?
Wolf Spider Size
With so many species of wolf spiders, giving an average size for these arachnids becomes challenging. However, generally speaking, the length of their bodies falls between 0.25 and 1.5 inches, depending on the species. Many common wolf spiders have a leg span between 1 and 2 inches. However, larger species of the wolf spider have a leg span that can reach between 4 and 5 inches.
Some large wolf spiders are sometimes mistaken for tarantulas due to their size. The Carolina wolf spider is widely considered to be the largest wolf spider species in North America. It has a body length of up to 1.4 inches and a leg span of up to 4 inches. Native North American tarantulas such as the Oklahoma brown tarantula (Aphonopelma hentzi), also known as the Texas brown tarantula or the Missouri tarantula, can also have a leg span of 4 inches.
The Carolina wolf spider has a total body length of up to 1.4 inches.
©Will E. Davis/Shutterstock.com
Wolf Spider Facts
Wolf spiders can be brown, grey, black, or tan. They often have dark brown or black markings, including mottling and/or stripes. They have eight eyes in three rows. There are two medium-sized eyes in the top row that face outward, two enlarged eyes in the center of the middle row, and four small eyes arranged in a line in the bottom row.
If you see a spider carrying an egg sac on its abdomen, you’ve spotted a wolf spider. Carrying an egg sac attached to the spinnerets is a trait that sets wolf spiders apart from most other spiders, though a few other spider families, such as nursery web spiders, also carry their egg sacs with them. If you see a spider that looks like it’s covered in small spots, it is also likely a wolf spider mother. Their babies ride around on the mother’s back after hatching until they’re ready to move about on their own in around two weeks.
Wolf spiders do not build webs. They live in burrows underground and hunt for their prey instead. Some species line their burrows with silk. Female wolf spiders also weave silk sacs to hold their eggs so they can carry them around.
Wolf spider females carry their spiderlings on their backs until they are ready to leave in about two weeks.
©Alexey Wraith/Shutterstock.com
Types of Wolf Spiders Size Comparison Chart
Here is a size comparison of some common wolf spider species in the U.S.
| Common Name/Species | Distribution | Size |
|---|---|---|
| Carolina wolf spider (Hogna carolinensis) | Common across the continental U.S. and into southern Canada | 0.7 to 1.4 inches |
| Tigrosa grandis (Common name N/A) | Montana, east to Missouri, and south to Texas | 0.39 to 0.94 inches |
| McCook’s split wolf spider (Schizocosa mccooki) | Southern Canada through the western half of the U.S. to central Mexico | 0.4 to 0.89 inches |
| Forest wolf spider (Hogna frondicola) | Across southern Canada and in the U.S. east of the Rocky Mountains | 0.35 to 0.55 inches |
| Missouri burrowing wolf spider (Geolycosa missouriensis) | From southern Alberta and Saskatchewan throughout the Great Plains | 0.59 to 0.82 inches |
| Rabid wolf spider (Rabidosa rabida) | Across the eastern U.S. west to Texas | 0.43 to 0.83 inches |
| Tiger wolf spider, woodland giant wolf spider (Tigrosa aspersa) | Eastern and Central U.S. | 0.5 to 1 inch |
| Dotted wolf spider (Rabidosa punctulata) | Eastern and Central U.S. | 0.43 to 0.67 inches |
| Allocosa subparva (Common name N/A) | Western North America | 0.18 to 0.36 inches |
| Koch’s wolf spider (Alopecosa kochi) | Southern Canada south through the western U.S. | Up to 1 inch |
The Largest Wolf Spider in the World
The record for largest wolf spider goes to the Deserta Grande wolf spider (Hogna ingens). This critically endangered spider can only be found in the Castanheira Valley on the small Portuguese island of Deserta Grande in the Madeira archipelago. The island is approximately 540 miles southwest of mainland Portugal. This spider has a body length of up to 1.5 inches and a leg span of up to 4.7 inches.
With its legs outstretched, the largest Deserta Grande wolf spiders are exactly as wide across as a standard CD, DVD, or Blu-ray disc at 4.7 inches. Deserta Grande wolf spiders are almost as wide as a standard 12 oz soda can is tall at 4.83 inches tall. The spider’s body is as long as a standard match.
Deserta Grande wolf spiders are found in the remote Castanheira Valley on Deserta Grande Island.
