#technicolorama

It's actually super easy to distinguish the two when you know what to look for!

I'll focus on your location that you shared via IM in terms of wolf species you may encounter, but the following info is true of all wolves within the brown recluse (Loxosceles reclusa) range anyway.

Before I get into that, though, for anyone who may want to know how to ID a brown recluse, make sure you're even in their range. Their range is relatively small:

(map source)

If you're outside of this range, it's very VERY unlikely that any spider you encounter is a brown recluse. There are some other Loxosceles species found in the southwest US and into California, though, and they look similar. As far as I understand, there isn't really enough data on the effects of their venom to say whether or not their bites are medically significant like the brown recluse’s may be, but if anyone's seen any research on that, feel free to tell me how wrong I am.

Anyway, here are a male (top) and female brown recluse:

Photos by eattaway92 and wildcarrot

And for size reference:

Photo by catenatus

So! Some things to note. First, there aren’t really any markings on their body except for the famous dark violin shape on the cephalothorax and sometimes a slightly darkened stripe on the front of the abdomen which is super visible in this photo:

Photo by ryandove

Second, the legs are long and spindly and don’t look hairy unless you’re very close up. The way they hold their legs is often almost crab-spider-like. Third, the eyes! This is, I think, the most obvious way to distinguish them from wolves. Brown recluses have only six eyes, grouped in pairs, so it looks like three black dots if you’re viewing it from a distance. Here’s a close-up:

Photo by salticidude

Wolves will not have the violin shape. Almost all species of wolf you’d encounter will also have other markings on their body, especially dark stripes on the cephalothorax. Some may have an abdominal stripe similar to the recluse, but it’s usually much less subtle.

Here are two of the most common wolves in the southern US, Rabidosa rabida and Tigrosa annexa:

Photos by sambiology and cavemander17

You can see the body and legs are far more robust, more densely haired, and the markings are pretty wildly different than the recluse which is fairly plain. There’s no wolf spider I know of that looks even remotely like a recluse as far as markings go.

The big thing though!! Are the eyes. Wolves have eight eyes, but two are comically large cartoon eyes that face forward. Even on the very tiny ones, you can still see their big eyes. Prepare yourself it’s very cute

Photos by annikaml and feistyone

If I’m ever not weeping about wolf eyes, just assume I am dead. Anyway, beyond all that, size in particular is not a very good indicator when trying to differentiate, because wolves have a huge range from the size of your fingernail to practically the size of a tarantula. Let’s admire this one just for fun

Precious :) Carolina wolf photo by afroherpkeeper

Recluses are a lot more consistently sized as adults, about the size of a quarter.

I would also like to add that while recluse venom can potentially be harmful, most bites do not require medical attention and heal just fine on their own, especially for healthy adults. Serious reactions happen in something like less than 1% of bites.

Also, they’re called recluses for a reason. They’re nocturnal, non-aggressive, and tend to avoid people. Most bites happen because they got caught in bedding or clothing and accidentally pressed against someone’s skin, so they bit as a defensive reaction so they could escape the big scary predator about to smoosh them. If you capture them in a cup (wear gloves if you’re afraid!) and put them outside away from your house, it’s very unlikely you’ll see them again. No need to kill them!

Wolves, of course, are capable of biting, but their bites are not medically significant.

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