If you live in many of the southwest states, you may also live in the vicinity of a Brown Recluse spider.  Distinguishing this spider from other spiders is critical because their bite can cause a painful, potentially life-threatening wound. Preventive pest control and familiarity with their appearance can help you avoid a painful Recluse spider bite.

Appearance From a Distance

Body Size

Both sexes are very similar in size and shape, although males have slightly smaller bodies and longer legs than females. The Recluse has a fused head and thorax structure called a “cephalothorax,” which sits atop an abdomen. From a distance, the body appears to have two sections and can be anywhere from one-eighth to one-half an inch long, and one-quarter inch wide.

Legs

Recluse legs are long in relation to their body. At rest, their legs sit at a slanted angle and can spread to the approximate width of an American quarter. Their scientific name, “Loxosceles” means “slanted legs.” Both the legs and the body are covered with fine hairs, which can look like velvet.

Color

Brown Recluse spiders are, in fact, brown. Younger spiders are usually lighter in color, although Recluses at any age can be dull yellow all the way to chocolate in color. Their color is usually uniform as well, not mottled or spotted.

On Closer Inspection

Unwelcome guest by Eje Gustafsson

Markings and Eyes

It is the appearance of these two distinctive attributes together that set Brown Recluse spiders apart from other spiders. Spiders that have one or the other attribute, but not both, are not Recluse spiders.

The Violin

The distinctive “violin”-shaped marking is seen on top of the cephalothorax, with the wide base of the violin at the front of the head and the neck of the violin running backward towards the abdomen. Because of this uniquely shaped marking, the spider is also called the “fiddleback spider”, “brown fiddler”, or “violin spider”. The violin is usually darker than the rest of the cephalothorax.

The Eyes

Unlike other spiders that have eight eyes, Brown Recluses have only six, set out in three pairs across the front of the cephalothorax.

Brown Recluse spiders are shy (“reclusive”) and live in warm, dry but dark and sheltered locations close to the ground. Because they are nocturnal, you won’t likely see them in daylight.

For effective and affordable spider control, trust Preventive Pest Control. Contact us for a FREE inspection!

Photo credit: Unwelcome guest by Eje Gustafsson, used under CC BY 2.0/ resized from original