Brown Recluse Spider

Scientific name: Loxosceles reclusa Gertsch and Mulaik
(Araneae: Sicariidae)

Facts: Brown recluse spiders live in undisturbed areas. The body of an adult is 3/10 to 1/2 inch long, but much larger if legs are included. Adults have a violin-shaped spot on the cephalothorax (head and thorax combined). The bite can result in a severe wound that may require two months to heal. Usually, the internal reaction to a bite is less severe than is the reaction to the bite of a black widow spider.

Photo credit: John A. Jackman, Extension Entomology, Texas A&M University