The Asian wolf spider Arctosa subamylacea (Bösenberg & Strand 1906), originally described from Japan, is currently treated as a junior synonym of the European Arctosa stigmosa (Thorell 1875). However, both species differ noticeably in genital and somatic morphology. Here, we remove A. subamylacea from its synonymy with A. stigmosa and redescribe both species from material recently collected in Asia and Europe. Both species differ in their habitat preferences, as A. stigmosa typically inhabits gravel and sandy habitats in alluvial river floodplains, whereas A. subamylacea lives in low vegetation near hills and in agricultural areas, sometimes near ponds and lakesides.