Grass Spider Identification

The spider behind the flat sheet webs with a funnel at one end that cover Kansas City lawns and shrubs on dewy September mornings. Harmless, and frequently mistaken for brown recluse when one wanders indoors.

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How to Identify It

Brown with two dark stripes on the head, a striped abdomen, banded legs, and long spinnerets that stick out behind. Sits at the mouth of a funnel-shaped retreat in a sheet web and darts out at prey.

Size: Body 10–20 mm

Commonly Confused With

Brown recluse (grass spiders have stripes, banding, and a web; recluses have none) and wolf spiders (no web).

Why It Shows Up

Cool fall nights push males indoors looking for mates. They do not build indoor webs and usually die within days.

Where Homeowners Find It

Lawns, groundcover, shrubs, window wells, along the foundation, and inside along basement walls and garage floors in fall.

Seasonal Activity in KC

Webs most visible August through October; indoor sightings peak in September and October.

Risk Level

None significant. Bites are very rare and minor.

What You Can Do Yourself

• Door sweeps and window well covers stop nearly all indoor visits.
• Trim groundcover back from the foundation.

What Professional Treatment Involves

Exterior perimeter treatment in late summer reduces the number that reach the house. Interior treatment is rarely warranted for this species.

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Common Questions

How do I tell a grass spider from something that looks similar?