What kind of Large brown spider lives in northern michigan?

Question

I have property on an island in northern Michigan and we frequently find large brown spiders about the size of your palm. They are fast and jump. We frequently come home and have several bites on our legs that are about the size of a quarter and are a deep purplish red they itch and bleed horribly. Im not sure if their is a connection but what kind of spider could this be, or what is causing these bites??

Answer 1

They are wolf spiders, and they get pretty big, as well they have very "sturdy" legs, because instead of webbing in a corner like a regular house spider, they burrow in the ground and hunt their prey at night.  They are nocturnal, so I'm wondering why you're encountering so many during the day, they are quick and would rather run away than bite, but if you happen upon a nest, they will get defensive and bite.  I don't know if the bites you're suffering are related, it's possible, but it could be something else.  Everyone reacts differently, so you can try putting calamine lotion on the bite/irritation.

Answer 2

Learn to ID them, here -

http://www.spideridentification.org/

http://www.usq.edu.au/spider/index.htm

http://www.arachnology.be/pages/Identifi...