But before you enter "panic mode" and drum up visceral scenarios of the U.S.'s most venomous spider, aka brown recluse spider ...

Brown recluses are small spiders known for venom that can cause swelling, blistering and a fever in humans. If you’re unsure ...

Because of their size and brown-ish appearance, the wolf spider is often mistaken for the brown recluse. The wolf spider is not venomous to humans though they can still bite.

Wolf spiders are not dangerous to humans, but they are often confused with brown recluse spiders. To be sure, look for that brown fiddle shape. Wolf spiders don’t have that.