Brown Spider (likely a Wolf Spider or Grass Spider)
Scientific Name: Family Lycosidae or Agelenidae
Order & Family: Order Araneae; Family Lycosidae (Wolf Spiders) or Agelenidae (Funnel Weavers)
Size: Typically 10mm to 35mm (body length), depending on specific species.
Natural Habitat
Commonly found in grassy areas, leaf litter, gardens, and under rocks. They often wander into homes, garages, or basements during seasonal changes.
Diet & Feeding
Carnivorous; they primarily eat ground-dwelling insects like crickets, ants, flies, and other small spiders.
Behavior Patterns
Wolf spiders are solitary hunters that chase prey rather than spinning webs to catch food. Grass spiders build funnel-shaped webs. Most are nocturnal and carry their egg sacs with them (wolf spiders) or hide them in crevices (grass spiders).
Risks & Benefits
Benefits: Effective natural pest control as they eat various agricultural and household pests. Risks: They are generally shy and not aggressive. While they can bite if handled or provoked, their venom is not considered medically significant to humans, typically causing only minor swelling or itching similar to a bee sting.
Identified on: 3/13/2026