The brown recluse spider (Loxosceles reclusa) is a venomous spider reaching a length of 6 to 20 mm. The color is dark brown to medium and is also known as violin spider. There is a slight difference in color between the abdomen and cephalothorax. Although the bite is venomous brown recluse spiders are nearly harmless to humans.
Brown Recluse Spider Facts
Anatomy
- Unlike most other spiders the brown recluse spider has six eyes. These eyes are arranged in pairs.
- The brown recluse spider measures ¼ to ¾ inch (6.4 – 19.1 mm) in body length.
- They are golden brown to dark brown in color.
- Distribution
- The brown recluse spiders are found all over the southern Iowa, southeastern Nebraska, Indiana, Illinois, and southeastern Ohio.
- The spider is a native animal in central Texas, north to Kentucky as well as western Georgia.
- It does not live in California.
Habitat
It is often found building a small retreating web behind objects of any type including closets, woodpiles, sheds, plenum spaces, and cellars.
Behavior
- Brown recluse spider will extend all his legs provided the surface is flat.
- When threatened, the spider lowers its body so that it could withdraw rearmost legs to lung forward.
- By nature, brown recluse spiders are aggressive but they will avoid conflict insofar as possible.
- They rarely jump instead brown recluse spiders rely on horizontal movement.
- Brown recluse do not leave the silk line while running and thus the spider is easy to trace.
Reproductive Biology
- The average lifespan of brown recluse spider is 1 to 2 years.
- The female produces many egg sacs in May to June—each sac contains around 50 eggs.
- These eggs hatch in about 4 weeks.
- Young spiders are called spiderlings and they reach adulthood at one year age.
- They can go by 6 months without eating or drinking anything.
Conservation Status
Not Defined
