# Help me ID this Big Scary Spider that was on my patio **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 6, 2010, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-id-this-big-scary-spider-that-was-on-my-patio/542183 "2010-06-06T16:43:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Avarie537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/48db29/32.png) [@Avarie537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avarie537)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2010, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-id-this-big-scary-spider-that-was-on-my-patio/542183/1 "2010-06-06T16:43:42Z")
I was pulling weeds (long overdue) and this Big Scary Spider scuttled across my patio. I covered him with a bucket and got the kids inside before taking a few pictures for you all to look at. FWIW, the head/abdomen was about 1.25 inches long and the whole thing was about 2 inches long. [![Imgur](https://live.staticflickr.com/4060/4674805649_9a57e73cb6_b.jpg "P6067827 s") ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/20297932@N08/4674805649) [![Imgur](https://live.staticflickr.com/4005/4675428290_4f14c242d4_b.jpg "P6067826 s") ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/20297932@N08/4675428290) [![Imgur](https://live.staticflickr.com/1268/4675427800_04ba304bb5_b.jpg "P6067825 s") ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/20297932@N08/4675427800) [![Imgur](https://live.staticflickr.com/4062/4674804167_dcc9c8e7ef_b.jpg "P6067824 s") ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/20297932@N08/4674804167) Should I be concerned? ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2010, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-id-this-big-scary-spider-that-was-on-my-patio/542183/2 "2010-06-06T16:57:35Z")
Your location, which isn’t shown for guest accounts, is going to be important here, or I miss my guess. First impression is that it’s a larger version of the jumping spiders we have around here (eastern edge of NC piedmont), which I don’t know the scientific name of either, but it has the right mandibular structure to match them. Did it jump abruptly when disturbed? ---
**Author:** ![whitetho](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whitetho/32/1059_2.png) [@whitetho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whitetho)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2010, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-id-this-big-scary-spider-that-was-on-my-patio/542183/3 "2010-06-06T17:17:13Z")
> [@Polycarp](#): > > Your location, which isn’t shown for guest accounts, is going to be important here, or I miss my guess. If you click on the user name and select the About Me tab, it informs us that **Avarie537** and said spider reside in “IndianapObamalis”. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2010, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-id-this-big-scary-spider-that-was-on-my-patio/542183/4 "2010-06-06T17:19:34Z")
I am not a spider person but it kind of looks like the wolf spiders we get around here, scary looking but benficial. However, I can’t get a good look at your pics on my iPhone. I tried to find some pics of wolf spiders to show you but I got a severe case of the willies. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2010, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-id-this-big-scary-spider-that-was-on-my-patio/542183/5 "2010-06-06T17:36:48Z")
Looks like a wolf spider to me. [Wolf Spider troop transport](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmr-B_JZTnE) - You may want to avoid this if spiders give you the willies… ---
**Author:** ![Avarie537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/48db29/32.png) [@Avarie537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avarie537)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2010, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-id-this-big-scary-spider-that-was-on-my-patio/542183/6 "2010-06-06T17:48:24Z")
I am in Indianapolis, and no it did not try to jump at all. ---
**Author:** ![Avarie537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/48db29/32.png) [@Avarie537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avarie537)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2010, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-id-this-big-scary-spider-that-was-on-my-patio/542183/7 "2010-06-06T17:56:46Z")
I have higher resolution pictures if anyone wants to see them. I didn’t want to get too close, but if I see it again I’ll try to get better pics. ---
**Author:** ![Avarie537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/48db29/32.png) [@Avarie537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avarie537)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2010, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-id-this-big-scary-spider-that-was-on-my-patio/542183/8 "2010-06-06T18:03:06Z")
Triple post by me FTW! I found a site with an almost identical spider and it is indeed a wolf spider. So it’s nice to know that I don’t need to be overly concerned. [http://www.spiderzrule.com/wolf4.htm](http://www.spiderzrule.com/wolf4.htm) Scroll down to the submission dated 23 October 2009. ---
**Author:** ![Al\_Bundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@Al\_Bundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al_Bundy)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2010, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-id-this-big-scary-spider-that-was-on-my-patio/542183/9 "2010-06-06T20:36:04Z")
I don’t know the brand of your spider. It does look like a larger version of something we have around here. Based upon subjective appearance, I would not be concerned. Based upon the size you report and if it is different from the norm you see, I would heighten my risk level to orange. I never kill individual spiders unless they have proven to be malicious. My SO would kill anything with six legs. I am forced to put them outside if she is nearby and screaming. If the spider is gracious enough to stick around, I use it as a photo opportunity. One time my now 13 year old and I found a 4" spider that was very beefy too. We captured it and played with it in the driveway. It moved so slowly that we were not afraid to get close. Then the mom came along and out new pet became a free agent. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2010, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-id-this-big-scary-spider-that-was-on-my-patio/542183/10 "2010-06-06T23:20:12Z")
Insects have six legs **Al** ; spiders and other arachnids have eight. It might help to use the analogy I read, ROFLed about, and have remembered ever since: “Spiders are something like computer geeks. They may look ugly and act weird and threatening but they’re experts at using the Web, and they’re one of our most valuable allies in getting rid of bugs.” 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2010, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-id-this-big-scary-spider-that-was-on-my-patio/542183/11 "2010-06-07T00:19:46Z")
> [@Polycarp](#): > > Insects have six legs **Al** ; spiders and other arachnids have eight. > > It might help to use the analogy I read, ROFLed about, and have remembered ever since: > > “Spiders are something like computer geeks. They may look ugly and act weird and threatening but they’re experts at using the Web, and they’re one of our most valuable allies in getting rid of bugs.” 🙂 Computer geeks have 8 legs? And yay me, a spider phobe first to identify a spider!