Identify a Brown Recluse

The brown recluse spider, also known as the violin spider, is a venomous creature whose bite can cause children and adults to become ill. The brown recluse is unusual because it has only six eyes (most spiders have eight) and wears a violin-shaped marking on its back. If you live in a region that is home to brown recluse spiders, it's a good idea to learn how to identify them. Read on to find out more about how to spot a brown recluse.

Steps

Knowing the Identifying Features

  1. Look at the color. A brown recluse has a dirt or sandy brown body with a slightly darker marking at its center. Its legs are a lighter brown and completely uniform in color, with no additional markings.[1]
    • If the spider has stripes or other pigments on its legs, it's not a brown recluse.
    • If the spider has more than two pigments on its body, it's not a brown recluse.
    • If the spider has legs that are darker than its body, it's not a brown recluse.
  2. Examine the violin shape on the spider's body. It's a slightly darker brown color than the rest of the body, or cephalothorax. The violin shape isn't clearly defined, so it may not look to you exactly like the musical instrument.
    • Many spiders have similar shapes on their bodies, so this alone is not significant enough to identify the spider as a brown recluse.
    • Again, look at the color of the violin shape closely. If it has spots of different pigments, then you are not looking at a recluse.
  3. Count the eyes. The brown recluse, unlike other spiders, has only six eyes. They are arranged in pairs: one pair is in the center, and there's a pair on either side. Because the eyes are so small, it can be difficult to see them without a magnifying glass. If you count eight eyes, you're not looking at a recluse.[1]
  4. Look for fine hairs. The brown recluse has many fine, short hairs on its body. Unlike some other spiders, it does not have spines on its body or legs. If you see a spider with spines, it's definitely not a recluse.
  5. Check the body width. The brown recluse's body doesn't grow to be larger than {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}}. If you're looking at a spider that's larger than this, it's a different type of spider.[1]

Checking Out the Recluse's Habitat

  1. Know what regions recluses inhabit. The recluse's range is in the midwestern, southeastern, and southwestern regions of the United States.[2] If you don't live in one of these regions, then it is highly unlikely that you will encounter a brown recluse, although it is possible.[3]
  2. Know where brown recluses like to reside. True to their name, brown recluse spiders build their webs in out-of-the way places that aren't usually in plain sight. Brown recluses usually build webs in places that are dry and haven't been recently disturbed. Here are a few places you may spot them:
    • Rotting bark
    • Attics
    • Basements
    • Closets
    • Sheds
    • Barns
    • Woodpiles
    • Shoes
    • Dressers
    • Toilets
    • Cardboard boxes
    • Behind pictures
    • In unused beds
  3. Look for the recluse's web. Brown recluse webs are loose, sticky, and off-white or grayish.[4] You won't see a brown recluse web strung between trees or walls - that type of web is built by an orb weaver.

Deciding if You Have Brown Recluse Bite

  1. Be aware of how the bite feels. The initial bite of the brown recluse usually doesn’t cause pain. This means that you may not be aware of the bite for as long as 8 hours, at which time the bite area will become red, tender and swollen.
  2. Notice other symptoms. In some cases the bite alone is the worst symptom, but sensitive people and children may develop other symptoms. Monitor your body for these symptoms that may occur:[5]
    • Chills
    • General feeling of illness
    • Fever
    • Nausea
    • Sweating
  3. Seek medical treatment. The danger with a bite from this spider is severe tissue damage, and in rare cases it can cause someone to fall into a coma.[6] Seek medical treatment as soon as you realize you were bit by a brown recluse. Seek immediate medical attention if a child or an elderly person has been bitten; the bite of the brown recluse spider is most dangerous to such persons and can produce very severe symptoms. While waiting to get medical treatment, you can take these immediate first-aid steps:
    • Wash the bite area with soap and water
    • Apply an ice pack directly to the bite area for ten minutes, then remove it for ten minutes.
    • Repeat until you reach medical facilities.



Tips

  • Shake out your seasonal items that you've stored away, footwear or anything kept in a dark area, before you do a lot of handling or wear them.
  • Common entry points of the brown recluse spider into your home are through vents, gaps under doors and gaps beneath siding. Plug such holes to prevent entry and vacuum/sweep up dead insects regularly to remove a desirable meal source.
  • It is rare to see the brown recluse during daylight hours.
  • Brown recluse spiders typically live for 2 to 4 years, and are preyed on by geckos, crickets, centipedes, and wolf spiders.

Warnings

  • If you live in an area where brown recluse spiders are prevalent, it is wise to shake out your bed linens and blankets before going to bed. You should also check your shoes and slippers before putting them on; this spider is likely to crawl into them during the night.
  • This spider cannot bite through clothing, so be sure to wear heavy-duty gloves and long sleeves if you are sorting through plastic bags, boxes, or other materials.
  • The brown recluse is not a particularly aggressive arachnid; this spider will tend to only strike at you if it gets trapped against your skin - something that happens most often when you roll over in bed or put on clothing.

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 http://spiders.ucr.edu/recluseid.html
  2. ↑ http://spiders.ucr.edu/images/colorloxmap.gif
  3. ↑ http://ento.psu.edu/extension/factsheets/brown-recluse-spiders
  4. ↑ http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2061.html
  5. ↑ http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002859.htm
  6. ↑ http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002859.htm
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