THE INSECTLIBRARY FIELD GUIDES
Grass SpiderIdentification, facts & practical guidance
Grass spiders are Agelenopsis funnel weavers. Their sheetlike webs and long rear spinnerets help distinguish them from wolf spiders.
Compiled by the InsectLibrary Team · Updated · Editorial policy
Identification and lookalikes
Look for a flat sheet of silk leading to a funnel retreat, often in grass or low vegetation. The spider usually waits near the funnel. Long, paired spinnerets can project from the end of its abdomen.
Grass spider versus wolf spider
Both can be brown and striped. A grass spider uses a sheet web to intercept prey; a wolf spider generally hunts away from a prey-catching web. Web form and eye arrangement are stronger clues than color.
What to do next
Photograph the web as well as the spider. Leave outdoor webs undisturbed when possible. This guide covers Agelenopsis, not every funnel-weaving spider in Agelenidae.
Grass Spider: species profiles
Explore 13 species profiles covered by this guide, with recorded names and available photos.
Potter’s Grass Spider
Agelenopsis potteri
(c) S Boisvert, some rights reserved (CC BY)Western Funnelweb Spider
Agelenopsis aperta
Eastern Funnelweb Spider
Agelenopsis naevia
Utah Funnelweb Spider
Agelenopsis utahana
Oregon Funnelweb Spider
Agelenopsis oregonensis
Pennsylvania Funnelweb Spider
Agelenopsis pennsylvanica
Kaston’s Funnelweb Spider
Agelenopsis kastoni
Agelenopsis actuosa
Agelenopsis actuosa
Emerton’s Funnelweb Spider
Agelenopsis emertoni
Long Stylet Funnelweb Spider
Agelenopsis longistyla
Agelenopsis aleenae
Agelenopsis aleenae
Spatulate Funnelweb Spider
Agelenopsis spatula
Showing 12 of 13 species. Browse all in Araneae →
Sources and further reading
- mdc.mo.gov - grass spidershttps://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/grass-spiders
References support the subject discussed here; they do not certify every imported directory record. Regional sources describe their own locations. Read our source and correction policy.