# Brown Recluse Spider (*Loxosceles reclusa*) The Brown Recluse Spider is a special spider with a violin-shaped mark on its back. They like to keep to themselves, hiding in quiet spots. - **Category:** [Invertebrate](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/invertebrate) - **Rarity:** Rare - **Danger:** 4/5 · High - **Snaps:** 6 - **Habitat:** Dark corners of homes and buildings - **Also known as:** Fiddleback Spider, Violin Spider ![Brown Recluse Spider](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771424521/objects/5576.jpg) ## Appearance The Brown Recluse Spider has a distinctive violin-shaped mark on its back, giving it a unique look. Its body is uniformly light to dark brown with long, slender legs and lacks any patterns on its abdomen. It also possesses six eyes arranged in three pairs instead of the typical eight. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Arthropoda - **Class:** Arachnida - **Order:** Araneae - **Family:** Sicariidae - **Genus:** Loxosceles ## Brown recluse, up close The brown recluse spider (Loxosceles reclusa) is a six-eyed brown spider of the family Sicariidae. It lives in the south-central and midwestern United States, roughly from Kansas east to Kentucky and from southern Iowa south to Louisiana, often inside houses, barns and sheds. It is shy and hunts insects at night. Its bite is uncommon and usually heals well, but it can sometimes cause a serious skin wound, and many wounds blamed on it have other causes. Also called: Fiddleback spider, Violin spider. A six-eyed spider of the American heartland that hides in boxes and shoes. Check its eyes, follow its looped silk, then test yourself. ### Special abilities - **Eye-Pair Check** (3 pairs of eyes: the surest clue): The surest way to recognise a recluse is not the violin but the eyes: six of them, in three pairs. [1][2][8] - With a magnifying glass, look for one pair at the front and one pair on each side, with gaps between. - Next clues: legs of one colour with no spines or bands, and a plain abdomen with no pattern. - With this checklist, more than 99% of spiders found by Californians can be ruled out as recluses. - Doctors, pest controllers and other authorities have mistaken many harmless spiders for brown recluses, so experts ask for a proper identification. - **Box Lodger** (≥ 9 mm crack width it picks): By day it squeezes into a dark, quiet gap, and the flap of a cardboard box is perfect. [6][7][4] - In tests, brown recluses picked cracks at least 9 mm wide and preferred upright gaps to flat ones. - They chose hideouts already lined with recluse silk over fresh ones or ones used by an unrelated spider. - Some stayed in the same hideout for a whole 30-day test; others moved every 2–3 days. - In homes they turn up in boxes, cupboards, behind furniture and in shoes and clothes left on the floor. - **Loop-Spring Silk** (≈50 nm thin ribbon, spun into loops): It spins flat silk ribbons and twists tiny loops into them, a trick that can make the silk tougher. [5][9][10][2] - The ribbon is only about 50 nm thick, a few layers of protein, yet it rivals the best spider silks. - Recluse silk ribbons are built from protein fibres about 20 nm wide and more than 1 μm long. - Scientists found that the tiny loops recluses spin into the ribbon can make the silk tougher. - Its messy webbing lines the hideout and is also used to build egg sacs. - **Skin Swap** (5–8 moults to grow up): To grow, a young recluse sheds its whole skin 5–8 times, leaving an empty spider-shaped copy behind. [2][11] - Shed skins look like a spider with its legs stretched out. Finding them is a sign that recluses live nearby. - Day length matters: in a winter lab test, 8 of 10 young brown recluses moulted under 14-hour days, but none under 10-hour days. - Young spiders started moulting again in spring even though they were not being fed. - Chilean recluses in the same test moulted whatever the day length. - Young brown recluses that moulted in winter (out of 10): 14 hours of light a day 8 of 10; Natural daylight 3 of 10; 10 hours of light a day 0 of 10 - **Egg-Sac Stash** (≈50 eggs per sac): A female wraps about 50 eggs in a small off-white silk sac and keeps it in her hideout. [2][4] - An egg sac is about 8 mm (1/3 in) across. - In one lab study, sacs held 50 eggs on average (0–91), each female made 2.7 sacs and about half the eggs (48%) hatched. - A female can make up to 5 egg sacs in her life. - That is few for a spider: many common spiders lay hundreds or thousands of eggs. - **Venom Kit** (≈10% of bites cause bigger skin damage): Venom glands in the front body feed the fangs, and silk glands sit in the abdomen. The venom is for insects; most bites on people heal well. [12][13][1][4][2] - The key venom ingredient is an enzyme called sphingomyelinase D. It breaks down a fat in cell membranes and causes the skin damage some bites lead to. - This enzyme has been found in every recluse species tested and their close relatives, the six-eyed sand spiders, but in no other animals. - About 10% of bites cause moderate or worse skin damage and a scar. Most cause only redness and swelling and heal on their own. - Rarely, mostly in children, a bite can make a person ill all over. That is why anyone who may have been bitten should see a doctor. - **Famine Mode** (4–7 months without food at 5 °C): Its body runs on very little energy, so it can wait months for its next meal, especially when it is cool. [4][1] - For its size, its heart beats slowly, at a rate like a tarantula’s. - Starved in a lab, field-caught brown recluses lived 4–7 months at 5 °C, but only 1–2 months at 30 °C and under 2 weeks at 40 °C. - Recluse spiders in general can survive 6 to 12 months without food. - All brown recluses survived 30 days at 0 °C, but none survived 30 days at −5 °C. - How long starved brown recluses lived (lab): At 5 °C 4–7 months; At 30 °C 1–2 months; At 40 °C under 2 weeks - **Leftovers Lover** (99 of 100 other spiders scavenged too; still debated): At night it hunts insects, and it will also eat insects that are already dead. [1][2][14][15] - It leaves its hideout after dark to hunt, or waits for insects to come within a few inches of its retreat. - In a 2003 study, brown recluses preferred dead crickets to live ones, even crickets killed with insecticide. - A later study found scavenging is common: 99 of 100 other spiders tested also ate dead crickets. How much recluses rely on it in the wild is not known. ### Body parts - **Eyes** (6 eyes in 3 pairs) [1][2] - Six eyes of the same size, grouped in three pairs called dyads: one pair at the front and one on each side, with gaps between them. - Most spiders have eight eyes, often in two rows of four. - Together the three pairs form a half-circle. - **Violin mark** [1] - The dark violin shape sits on top of the front body part, the cephalothorax, never on the abdomen. - It is fairly clear on adult brown recluses but can be faint, so it is not a reliable clue on its own. - People often “see” violins on harmless spiders, including dark marks on the abdomen. - **Fangs** (0% median bite response when pinched (lab)) [2][3][4] - Its fangs are very small. It cannot bite through clothing. - In a lab test, brown recluses that were gently pressed or pinched almost never bit. Wolf spiders in the same test bit back in most trials. - Bites happen when a spider is pressed against bare skin, for example in bed or while getting dressed. - **Palps** [4] - Palps are the two short feelers beside the fangs. A spider uses them to touch and hold things. - In adult males the palp tips are swollen, because males use them to mate. - Male brown recluses have much shorter palps than male Chilean recluses, whose palps are exceptionally long. - **Legs** (US quarter about its size with legs spread) [1][2] - Long, thin legs, the same colour all over, with fine hairs and no stout spines, stripes or rings. - The name Loxosceles means “slanted legs”, for the way recluses hold their legs at rest. - With its legs spread out, an adult is about the size of a US quarter coin. - **Abdomen** (≤ 9.5 mm body length (3/8 in)) [1] - The abdomen is one plain colour, covered in fine hairs, with no stripes or spots. - The whole body is no more than about 9.5 mm (3/8 in) long. - **Heart** (4–7 months without food at 5 °C) [4][2] - For a spider its size, its heart beats slowly, at a rate similar to a tarantula’s. - This slow, low-energy body helps it survive for months without a meal. - It copes with winters in unheated basements and hot summers in attics. - **Spinnerets** (≈50 nm thick silk ribbon) [5][2] - Its silk comes out flat like a ribbon. Only recluse spiders are known to make silk this shape. - Each ribbon is about 50 nm thick, only a few layers of protein molecules. - It lines its daytime hideout with messy webbing and uses the same silk to make egg sacs. - **Box** (≥ 9 mm crack width it prefers) [4][6][7] - Indoors it hides in cardboard boxes, especially under folded flaps, and behind bookcases and dressers. - In tests it chose cracks at least 9 mm wide, preferred upright gaps to flat ones, and liked hideouts already lined with recluse silk. - **Shoe** (44 caught on sticky traps in one home in a day) [1][2] - Around dawn, a spider out hunting may tuck itself into a shoe or clothes left on the floor. - Adult males and older young wander more than females, so they are the ones most likely to end up in shoes and bedding. - Shaking out shoes and clothes before putting them on prevents most bites. ### Stats | Stat | Value | Notes | |---|---|---| | Body length | ≤ 9.5 mm | 3/8 in at most [1] | | With legs | US quarter | about its size with legs spread out [2] | | Eyes | 6 | in 3 pairs; most spiders have 8 [1] | | Lifespan | 2–4 years | on average; adult after about 1 year [2] | | Oldest (lab) | 4.8 years | a female; a quarter of females lived over 1,000 days [4] | | Eggs per sac | ≈50 | 0–91 in a lab study; 2.7 sacs per female [4] | | Moults | 5–8 | before it is adult [2] | | Without food | 4–7 months | at 5 °C; 1–2 months at 30 °C [4] | | Silk ribbon | ≈50 nm | thick; a few protein layers [5] | | Kansas house | 2,055 | recluses caught in 6 months, and nobody was bitten; ≈ 11 spiders a day for 6 months [16] | ### Photos - [From above: the violin mark sits on the front body part](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Brown_recluse_spider%2C_Loxosceles_reclusa.jpg) (photo: CDC Public Health Image Library, Public domain) - [Close-up: six eyes in three pairs](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dorsal_view_of_Loxosceles_reclusa_(Brown_Recluse_Spider)_(22235181003).jpg) (photo: Insects Unlocked, CC0) - [Face to face: fangs and palps](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Anterior_view_of_Loxosceles_reclusa_(Brown_Recluse_Spider)_(22830337766).jpg) (photo: Insects Unlocked, CC0) - [Adult male beside a penny for scale](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Loxosceles_reclusa_adult_male_1.jpg) (photo: mattb, Public domain) - [Adult male from above](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Loxosceles_reclusa_adult_male_2.jpg) (photo: mattb, Public domain) - [A young brown recluse, 3.6 mm long, with a beetle it caught](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Loxosceles_reclusa_P1130093b.jpg) (photo: xpda, CC BY-SA 4.0) - [About the size of a US quarter with its legs spread](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Brown-recluse-quarter.jpg) (photo: Br-recluse-guy, Public domain) - [A brown recluse beside a longhorn beetle](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Loxosceles_reclusa_P1390698a.jpg) (photo: xpda, CC BY-SA 4.0) - [Out of hiding, on stone](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Loxosceles_reclusa_180428299.jpg) (photo: Chrissy McClarren and Andy Reago, CC0) ### Questions - **Is the brown recluse spider dangerous?** It can be, but bites are uncommon. It is shy and bites only when trapped against skin. About 10% of bites cause moderate or worse skin damage, and most heal on their own. Rarely, mostly in children, a bite makes a person ill all over, so anyone who may have been bitten should see a doctor. [1][2][4] - **How can you tell if a spider is a brown recluse?** Look at the eyes: six eyes in three pairs, where most spiders have eight. A brown recluse also has legs of one colour with no spines, a plain abdomen and a body no longer than about 9.5 mm. The violin mark alone is not reliable. If in doubt, ask an expert to identify it. [1][8] - **What should you do if a brown recluse bites you?** Stay calm and tell an adult. Put something cold on the bite, raise the arm or leg and get medical help. If it is safe, an adult can trap the spider in a jar without touching it so an expert can identify it, which helps the doctor. [2][1] - **Is there an antivenom for brown recluse bites?** Not in North America. Antivenom for recluse bites is used in South America, but none is sold in North America, so doctors treat the wound and symptoms. Most bites heal well. [4][12] - **Where do brown recluse spiders live?** In the south-central and midwestern United States, roughly from Kansas east to Kentucky and from southern Iowa south to Louisiana. They are rare near the Gulf coast and very rarely found outside this range, usually after being carried in boxes or furniture. [18][4][2] - **Are there brown recluses in California or Florida?** California has no brown recluse populations: of about 600 suspected recluses sent in from California, only one was a brown recluse. In a Florida survey of 220 properties reported to have recluses, breeding recluses were found at only 19, and they were Mediterranean recluses. [1][3] - **How long can a brown recluse live without food?** In a lab, starved brown recluses lived 4–7 months at 5 °C, 1–2 months at 30 °C and under 2 weeks at 40 °C. Their slow heart and low energy use help. [4] - **How long do brown recluse spiders live?** They become adult after about a year and live 2–4 years on average. In one lab study, males averaged 897 days and females 794 days, and one female lived 4.8 years. [2][4] ### Brown recluse myths and facts Tap Myth or Fact for each claim, then check the answer. - "A violin mark proves a spider is a brown recluse." **Myth!** The violin can be faint, and people “see” violins on many harmless spiders. Check for six eyes in three pairs, plain legs with no spines and a plain abdomen. [1][8] - "Brown recluses live all over the United States." **Myth!** In a survey of 1,773 spiders and relatives sent in from 49 states, no recluses came from 25 of the 29 states outside the known range, which runs roughly from Kansas to Kentucky and from southern Iowa to Louisiana. [17][18] - "A doctor can tell a recluse bite just by looking at the wound." **Myth!** Many conditions look alike, especially skin infections. In one emergency department study, 85.7% of people who blamed a spider had an infection; only 3.8% had a real spider bite. [19][2][20] - "Every brown recluse bite turns into a big wound." **Myth!** About 10% of bites cause moderate or worse skin damage. Most only cause redness and swelling and heal on their own, often within about 3 weeks. [1][2] - "Brown recluses can go months without eating." **Fact!** Starved in a lab, field-caught brown recluses lived 4–7 months at 5 °C. [4] - "A house full of recluses means someone will be bitten." **Myth!** A Kansas family caught 2,055 brown recluses in their home in 6 months, and nobody was bitten. [16] - "Brown recluses will eat dead insects." **Fact!** In a 2003 study they even preferred dead crickets to live ones. Most other spiders scavenge when they get the chance, too. [14][15] - "Brown recluses chase and attack people." **Myth!** They hide from people. In a lab test, recluses that were gently pinched almost never bit. Bites happen when a spider is trapped against skin. [3][2] ### Brown recluse records Superlatives and big numbers, each checked against its source. - A silk shape like no other: Recluse spiders, including the brown recluse, ≈50 nm (thick flat ribbons; no other spider silk or human-made fibre has this shape) [5] - A one-of-a-kind venom enzyme: Recluses and six-eyed sand spiders, SMD (sphingomyelinase D is unknown anywhere else in the animal kingdom) [13] - Busiest house, zero bites: A home in Lenexa, Kansas, 2,055 (recluses caught in 6 months; at least 400 were big enough to bite, but nobody was bitten) [16] - A barn full of recluses: A barn in Oklahoma, 1,150 (brown recluses collected in three nights, with numbers barely dropping) [4] - Longest life in the lab: A female brown recluse, 4.8 years (the oldest in a lifespan study where females averaged 794 days and males 897 days) [4] ### A brown recluse’s life From a small silk egg sac to a spider that can live for years. - **Day 0**: Egg sac. A female lays about 50 eggs in an off-white silk sac about 8 mm across, inside her hideout. [2][4] - **Hatching**: Spiderlings. Tiny spiderlings come out. In one lab study, about half of the eggs hatched. [4] - **First year**: 5–8 moults. Each spiderling sheds its skin 5–8 times as it grows. Short winter days can pause moulting until spring. [2][11] - **About 1 year**: Grown up. It becomes an adult after about a year. [2] - **Adult nights**: Night life. Males roam at night looking for females. Females stay near home and can make up to 5 egg sacs in their life. [1][2] - **Winter**: Waiting it out. It can live through winter in an unheated basement and go months without food. [2][4] - **2–4 years**: Old age. The average lifespan is 2–4 years. One lab female lived 4.8 years. [2][4] ### Where brown recluses live, and the bite mix-up Brown recluses are common inside their range and very rare outside it. Yet “recluse bites” are reported far from where the spider lives. - **Kansas → Kentucky** core range. The range runs from Kansas east to Kentucky and from southern Iowa south to Louisiana. Recluses become scarce towards the edges, such as near the Gulf coast. [18][4] - **1,773** spiders and relatives sent in from 49 states. In a nationwide “is this a recluse?” survey, people from 25 of 29 states outside the range sent in no recluses at all. [17] - **1 of ≈600** Californian “recluses” that really were one. That one spider came with a family who had moved from Missouri. California has no brown recluse populations. [1] - **2,055 · 0 bites** in one Kansas home. If a heavily infested house had no bites, a bite is very unlikely where recluses are almost never found. [16][21] - **85.7%** of “spider bites” were infections. Of 182 emergency patients who blamed a spider, 156 were diagnosed with an infection and 7 with a real spider bite. [19] - **19 of 220** Florida properties with recluses. Checking 220 Florida properties reported to have recluses, scientists found breeding recluses at only 19, and those were Mediterranean recluses, not brown ones. [3] - **Further north?** with climate change. Computer models suggest a warmer climate could let the range spread north into states such as Nebraska, Michigan and Ohio. [18] Blaming a spider can delay treatment of the real cause, such as an infection. Experts say a bite should only be diagnosed when the spider is seen biting or found and identified. ### Staying safe around brown recluses Brown recluses don’t hunt people. Bites happen when a spider is trapped against skin, so a few simple habits prevent almost all of them. - **Shake** shoes and clothes. Shake out shoes and clothes before putting them on, and keep them off the floor. [2] - **Gloves** for stored boxes. Wear gloves and long sleeves when sorting boxes in garages, basements and attics. [2] - **Plastic** storage boxes. Keep rarely used things in plastic storage boxes instead of cardboard, and clear away clutter. [2][4] - **Beds** away from walls. Move beds away from the wall and remove bed skirts so spiders can’t climb in. [2] - **Sticky traps** to check. Flat glue traps placed by an adult along walls and in corners show whether recluses are around. [2] - **Doctor** if bitten. Tell an adult, put something cold on the bite, raise the arm or leg and get medical help. If it is safe, an adult can trap the spider in a jar, without touching it, so an expert can identify it. [2][1] - **No antivenom** in North America. None is sold there, so doctors treat the wound and symptoms. Most bites heal well. [4][12][1] This page is for learning, not medical advice. If in doubt, call a doctor or a poison control centre. ### Brown recluse vs Chilean recluse vs wolf spider Two recluses and the brown spider most often mistaken for one. The Chilean recluse has its own deep card. | | Brown recluse | Chilean recluse | Wolf spider | |---|---|---|---| | Scientific name [1][4] | Loxosceles reclusa | Loxosceles laeta | Family Lycosidae (many species) | | Eyes [1][22] | 6, in 3 pairs | 6, in 3 pairs | 8: a row of 4 small eyes below 4 bigger ones | | Legs [1][23] | One colour, no spines | One colour, no spines | Often banded | | Markings [1][22] | Violin on the front body; plain abdomen | Violin on the front body; plain abdomen | Often stripes or spots | | Egg sac [2][4][22] | ≈50 eggs, kept in the hideout | ≈88 eggs on average | Carried on the mother’s spinnerets | | Crack width it prefers [6] | ≥ 9 mm | ≥ 6.4 mm | — | | Starved in the lab [4] | 4–7 months at 5 °C | ≈1.2 years on average | — | | Bit back when pinched (lab) [3] | Median 0% | — | Median 80% | | Bites [1][13][4][23] | ≈10% cause moderate or worse skin damage | Venom also contains SMD | No serious effects noted | — means not measured in these sources. Telling recluse species apart takes a microscope and an expert. ### Is the brown recluse endangered? No. It has never been assessed for the IUCN Red List, and it is common in homes and barns across its range. - **IUCN Red List:** Not Evaluated (NE). Inside its range it is abundant and reliably found, often in large numbers around people. [24][25][4] - Not evaluated (IUCN status checked via GBIF, 2026) - **Threat: No known major threats** (22 of 25 homes): It does well around people: in one Kansas survey, 22 of 25 homes had brown recluses, 83.5 per home on average. [4] - **Threat: Pest control**: People remove recluses from homes with sticky traps and pesticides, yet the species stays common. [2][4] - **Helping: Correct identification**: Experts ask people to check the eyes and to send spiders to an arachnologist rather than guess. This also prevents misdiagnosed “bites”. [8][1] - **Helping: Mapping its range**: Scientists map where it lives and model how climate change could shift its range north. [18] - **Chilean recluse (Loxosceles laeta)** (NE): Also not evaluated. It has its own deep card. [26] ### Brown recluse behaviour - Resting in its hideout by day: It is nocturnal and stays in a dark, quiet spot until night. [1] - Walking about after dark: Hunting insects, alive or dead. [1][2] - A male roaming far from home: An adult male searching for females. [1][2] - Not biting when pinched: In lab tests, recluses almost never bit when gently pressed or pinched. [3] - Biting when squashed against skin: A last defence when trapped in clothes or bedding. [2][4] - Choosing a silk-lined crack: Recluse silk tells it a hideout is a good one. [6][7] ### Who’s who - **Adult female**: The egg-layer. Females seldom travel far from their hideout, so sticky traps catch them less often than males. (Lived 794 days on average in a lab study; one reached 4.8 years) [2][4] - **Adult male**: Swollen palp tips, used for mating. His palps are much shorter than a male Chilean recluse’s. (Roams at night looking for females; lived 897 days on average in a lab study) [4][1][2] - **Spiderling (young)**: A tiny copy of the adult. It grows by moulting 5–8 times and is adult after about a year. (Hatches from a sac of about 50 eggs) [2][4] - **Adult with shed skin**: An adult beside the skin from its last moult. The old skin stays behind with its legs stretched out, like an empty spider. (Finding shed skins helps confirm that recluses live in a building) [2][11] ### Brown recluse quiz 1. How many eyes does a brown recluse have? **6, in 3 pairs.** Recluses have six eyes in three pairs. Most spiders have eight. [1] 2. What is the most reliable clue that a spider is a recluse? **The eye pattern.** The violin can be faint or imagined. Six eyes in three pairs is the best check. [1] 3. Where is a recluse’s violin mark? **On the front body part.** It is on the cephalothorax, the front body part, never on the abdomen. [1] 4. About how many eggs are in a brown recluse egg sac? **50.** A lab study found 50 eggs per sac on average. [4] 5. How many brown recluses did a Kansas family catch at home in 6 months, with no bites? **2,055.** They caught 2,055, and nobody was bitten. [16] 6. How thick is a brown recluse’s silk ribbon? **≈50 nm.** About 50 nm: only a few layers of protein molecules. [5] 7. How many times does a young brown recluse moult before it is adult? **5–8 times.** It sheds its skin 5–8 times. [2] 8. How long did starved brown recluses live at 5 °C? **4–7 months.** Cool and slow, they lasted 4–7 months without food. [4] 9. Which area is the core of the brown recluse’s range? **Kansas to Kentucky, southern Iowa to Louisiana.** It lives in the south-central and midwestern United States. [18] 10. In an emergency department study, what share of “spider bites” turned out to be infections? **About 86%.** 85.7% were infections; only 3.8% were real spider bites. [19] 11. What stopped young brown recluses moulting in a winter lab test? **Short days.** None moulted with 10 hours of light a day; 8 of 10 did with 14 hours. [11] 12. What should you do if you think a brown recluse has bitten you? **Tell an adult and get medical help.** Tell an adult, put something cold on it and get medical help. Never touch the spider. [2] ### Sources (checked 2026-10-16) 1. [Vetter RS (2018). Pest Notes: Brown Recluse and Other Recluse Spiders. UC ANR Publication 7468. UC Statewide IPM Program.](https://ipm.ucanr.edu/home-and-landscape/brown-recluse-and-other-recluse-spiders/) 2. [University of Kentucky Entomology (n.d.). Brown Recluse Spider. Entomology fact sheet ENTFACT-631.](https://entomology.ca.uky.edu/ef631) 3. [Coticchio LA, Cassill DL (2026). Recluse spiders (Araneae: Sicariidae): contesting myths on distribution, bite behavior, and medical risk in Florida. Journal of Medical Entomology.](https://doi.org/10.1093/jme/tjag004) 4. [Vetter RS (2008). Spiders of the genus Loxosceles (Araneae, Sicariidae): a review of biological, medical and psychological aspects regarding envenomations. Journal of Arachnology 36:150–163.](https://doi.org/10.1636/RSt08-06.1) 5. [Schniepp HC, Koebley SR, Vollrath F (2013). Brown recluse spider’s nanometer scale ribbons of stiff extensible silk. Advanced Materials 25(48):7028–7032.](https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.201302740) 6. [Vetter RS, Rust MK (2008). Refugia preferences by the spiders Loxosceles reclusa and Loxosceles laeta (Araneae: Sicariidae). Journal of Medical Entomology 45(1):36–41.](https://doi.org/10.1603/0022-2585(2008)45[36:RPBTSL]2.0.CO;2) 7. [Vetter RS, Rust MK (2010). Influence of spider silk on refugia preferences of the recluse spiders Loxosceles reclusa and Loxosceles laeta (Araneae: Sicariidae). Journal of Economic Entomology 103(3):808–815.](https://doi.org/10.1603/EC09419) 8. [Vetter RS (2009). Arachnids misidentified as brown recluse spiders by medical personnel and other authorities in North America. Toxicon 54(4):545–547.](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.toxicon.2009.04.021) 9. [Wang Q, Schniepp HC (2018). Strength of recluse spider’s silk originates from nanofibrils. ACS Macro Letters 7(11):1364–1370.](https://doi.org/10.1021/acsmacrolett.8b00678) 10. [Koebley SR, Vollrath F, Schniepp HC (2017). Toughness-enhancing metastructure in the recluse spider’s looped ribbon silk. Materials Horizons 4:377–382.](https://doi.org/10.1039/C6MH00473C) 11. [Vetter RS, Penas LM, Hoddle MS (2017). Effect of seasonal photoperiod on molting in Loxosceles reclusa and Loxosceles laeta spiders (Araneae: Sicariidae). Journal of Arachnology 45(3):277–282.](https://doi.org/10.1636/JoA-S-16-043.1) 12. [Lachmayr H, Merrill AH (2024). A brief overview of the toxic sphingomyelinase Ds of brown recluse spider venom and other organisms and simple methods to detect production of its signature cyclic ceramide phosphate. Molecular Pharmacology.](https://doi.org/10.1124/molpharm.123.000709) 13. [Binford GJ, Wells MA (2003). The phylogenetic distribution of sphingomyelinase D activity in venoms of Haplogyne spiders. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part B 135(1):25–33.](https://doi.org/10.1016/S1096-4959(03)00045-9) 14. [Sandidge JS (2003). Arachnology: scavenging by brown recluse spiders. Nature 426:30.](https://doi.org/10.1038/426030a) 15. [Vetter RS (2011). Scavenging by spiders (Araneae) and its relationship to pest management of the brown recluse spider. Journal of Economic Entomology 104(3):986–989.](https://doi.org/10.1603/EC10428) 16. [Vetter RS, Barger DK (2002). An infestation of 2,055 brown recluse spiders (Araneae: Sicariidae) and no envenomations in a Kansas home: implications for bite diagnoses in nonendemic areas. Journal of Medical Entomology 39(6):948–951.](https://doi.org/10.1603/0022-2585-39.6.948) 17. [Vetter RS (2005). Arachnids submitted as suspected brown recluse spiders (Araneae: Sicariidae): Loxosceles spiders are virtually restricted to their known distributions but are perceived to exist throughout the United States. Journal of Medical Entomology 42(4):512–521.](https://doi.org/10.1093/jmedent/42.4.512) 18. [Saupe EE, Papes M, Selden PA, Vetter RS (2011). Tracking a medically important spider: climate change, ecological niche modeling, and the brown recluse (Loxosceles reclusa). PLoS ONE 6(3):e17731.](https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0017731) 19. [Suchard JR (2011). "Spider bite" lesions are usually diagnosed as skin and soft-tissue infections. Journal of Emergency Medicine 41(5):473–481.](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jemermed.2009.09.014) 20. [Bennett RG, Vetter RS (2004). An approach to spider bites. Erroneous attribution of dermonecrotic lesions to brown recluse or hobo spider bites in Canada. Canadian Family Physician 50:1098–1101.](https://europepmc.org/article/MED/15455808) 21. [Vetter RS, Bush SP (2002). Reports of presumptive brown recluse spider bites reinforce improbable diagnosis in regions of North America where the spider is not endemic. Clinical Infectious Diseases 35(4):442–445.](https://doi.org/10.1086/341244) 22. [Missouri Department of Conservation (n.d.). Wolf Spiders. Field guide.](https://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/wolf-spiders) 23. [Penn State Extension (n.d.). Wolf Spiders.](https://extension.psu.edu/wolf-spiders) 24. [GBIF (2026). Loxosceles reclusa Gertsch & Mulaik, 1940: IUCN Red List category via the GBIF species API (NOT_EVALUATED).](https://api.gbif.org/v1/species/5170704/iucnRedListCategory) 25. [Wikidata (2026). brown recluse spider (Q284352).](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q284352) 26. [GBIF (2026). Loxosceles laeta (Nicolet, 1849): IUCN Red List category via the GBIF species API (NOT_EVALUATED).](https://api.gbif.org/v1/species/5170659/iucnRedListCategory) ## Measurements & details - **Size:** 6-9.5 mm - **Lifespan:** 730-1460 days - **Leg Count:** 8 ## Diet & Feeding Brown Recluse Spiders are nocturnal hunters that eat small insects and other arthropods. - **Primary Foods:** cockroaches, crickets, silverfish, moths, beetles - **Foraging Method:** Ambush ## Ecological connections - **Eats:** German Cockroach (*Blattella germanica*) — A common indoor insect prey. - **Eats:** [Fall Field Cricket](https://www.snappit.app/explore/fall-field-cricket) (*Gryllus pennsylvanicus*) — A common outdoor insect prey. ## Traits - [Wildlife](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wildlife): Wildlife encompasses all undomesticated animal and plant life existing in their natural habitats. - [Solitary](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/solitary): Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care. - [Web Builder](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/web-builder): This trait characterizes organisms that construct elaborate silken webs for catching prey, shelter, or reproduction. - [Carnivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/carnivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of animal tissue. - [Keystone Species](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/keystone-species): Describes a species whose presence and role have a disproportionately large effect on its environment. - [Urban Friendly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/urban-friendly): This habitat trait indicates species that can coexist with humans in urban and suburban environments, utilizing man-made structures and green spaces. - [Nocturnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/nocturnal): Nocturnal animals are primarily active during the nighttime hours, typically resting or sleeping during the day. - [Venomous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/venomous): Venomous organisms produce toxins that are injected into another animal, typically through a bite or sting. ## Collections - [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/insects) - [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/insects-and-bugs) ## Safety **Danger:** 4/5 · High Do not touch or pick up. Tell an adult. If you think a spider bit you, see a doctor. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Brown Recluse Spider? Compare body proportions, leg shape, abdomen markings and the web, if there is one. Eye arrangement can be decisive but rarely shows up in a casual phone photo. A web is a supporting clue, not proof of who built it. Spider Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How big is Brown Recluse Spider? 6-9.5 mm ### How long does Brown Recluse Spider live? 730-1460 days ### What does Brown Recluse Spider eat? Brown Recluse Spiders are nocturnal hunters that eat small insects and other arthropods. ### Where is Brown Recluse Spider usually found? Dark corners of homes and buildings ### How does Brown Recluse Spider hunt? Ambush ### How many legs does Brown Recluse Spider have? 8 ## Where to spot - [Pennyrile State Forest](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/pennyrile-state-forest) — Kentucky, US · Forest - [Sunset Zoo](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/sunset-zoo) — Kansas, US · Zoo - [Central Springfield Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/central-springfield-historic-district) — Illinois, US · Historic District - [Fayette County Courthouse Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/fayette-county-courthouse-historic-district) — Alabama, US · Historic District - [Lyceum-The Circle Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/lyceum-the-circle-historic-district) — Mississippi, US · Historic District - [Mount Nord Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/mount-nord-historic-district) — Arkansas, US · Historic District [View all places to see Brown Recluse Spider](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/brown-recluse-spider) ## More Invertebrate - [Coral](https://www.snappit.app/explore/coral) - [Crab Spider](https://www.snappit.app/explore/crab-spider) (*Mecaphesa asperata*) - [Garden Spider](https://www.snappit.app/explore/garden-spider) (*Araneus diadematus*) --- Source: [Brown Recluse Spider: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-recluse-spider)