Tasmanicosa godeffroyi
Garden Wolf Spider Identification in Australia
Robust, strongly patterned Australian wolf spider found in gardens, woodland and heath, with a grey-brown-and-white body and dark underside.
Painful but usually not life-threateningThe Garden wolf spider, Tasmanicosa godeffroyi, is a robust ground hunter that may turn up on lawns, paths, in leaf litter or beside an open burrow. It does not build a prey-catching web. A patterned adult, an open-ground setting and the characteristic wolf-spider eye arrangement can support this match, but the Union Jack-style pattern is a clue rather than a stand-alone species test.
Quick identification
- Body about 1.5–2.2 cm long, with a robust wolf-spider build
- Strong grey, brown and white patterning with a dark or black underside
- Eight eyes in the wolf-spider arrangement: four small front eyes and two larger pairs above
- Ground hunter in gardens, woodland, heath, leaf litter or beside an open burrow; no capture web
What to check next
Check the whole body, the three-row wolf-spider eye arrangement and the open-ground setting together. The Union Jack-style pattern can support the match, but colour alone cannot separate T. godeffroyi from other Tasmanicosa or large wolf spiders.
When to seek medical help
The Australian Museum does not regard this species as dangerous, although any spider can bite if trapped or handled. Do not handle it; for a bite, follow healthdirect first-aid advice and seek medical care for severe or spreading symptoms, allergic signs or uncertainty. If a funnel-web or mouse-spider bite is possible, treat it as an emergency.
Where it is usually seen
Urban gardens, lawns, woodland, forest edges, heath, leaf litter and fairly open ground across the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria and Western Australia. Open burrows may be visible in garden soil; a night-time ground encounter is commoner than a web encounter.