Portacosa cinerea
Grey Wolf Spider Identification in Australia
Large, uniformly grey wolf spider whose compacted-ground retreat may have a distinctive circular plug-like trapdoor that is sometimes left open while the spider hunts.
Usually low riskThe accepted name for the Australian Grey wolf spider is Portacosa cinerea. Older guides may use Dingosa simsoni, but the World Spider Catalog treats that name as a misidentification. A large grey wolf spider beside a round burrow door is a useful field clue, not a complete photo diagnosis: the wolf-spider eye pattern, active night hunting, exact range and specialist adult characters matter more than the lid alone.
Quick identification
- Large, mostly grey wolf spider with a robust ground-running form
- Forward-facing wolf-spider eyes and a reflective tapetum can show in a safe night photograph
- Burrow may have a circular plug-like trapdoor that can be left open while the spider hunts
- Active ground hunter rather than a spider waiting in a broad prey-catching web
- South-eastern Australian locality and compacted open ground support the current Portacosa route
What to check next
Photograph the whole spider and burrow from a safe distance without lifting the lid or digging. Check the wolf-spider eye arrangement, body form and broad locality before relying on the trapdoor clue. A routine photograph may support Grey wolf spider, but adult Portacosa species identification can require specialist examination.
When to seek medical help
Wolf spider bites are usually minor and local. Wash the area, use a wrapped cold pack and seek medical advice if pain persists, swelling spreads or symptoms are more than mild. Do not delay first aid to catch or identify the spider; call 000 for collapse, breathing difficulty or anaphylaxis.
Where it is usually seen
Compacted open ground such as road verges and river banks, plus open woodland, grassland and suitable garden soil across south-eastern mainland Australia and Tasmania. The spider may roam outside its retreat at night.