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DESERT & OTHER
RECLUSE
SPIDERS |
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Eleven species of recluse spiders are native to the United States and two non-natives have become established in certain highly restricted areas of the country.
venomous) also bear markings in this distinctive shape. The Brown Recluse is found primarily in the Midwest and parts of the South: from Southern Wisconsin to Ohio, and south to Central Texas and Northern Florida.
The other species of Recluse spider found in the U.S. look very similar to the Brown Recluse; only a spider expert can tell the difference between the species.
Other native U.S. species of Recluse spider and their ranges:
Apache Recluse (Loxosceles apachea): Southeastern Arizona to Southern New Mexico to Western Texas.
Arizona Recluse (L. arizonica): Central and Southern Arizona to Southeastern California.
Baja Recluse (L. palma): Southern California to Northern Baja, Mexico.
Big Bend Recluse (L. blanda): Western Texas.
Desert Recluse (L. deserta): Southern and Central California to Central Arizona to Southern Nevada.
Grand Canyon Recluse (L. kaiba): Arizona's Grand Canyon area.
Martha's Recluse (L. martha): Southern California.
Russell's Recluse (L. russelli): Southern California's Death Valley area.
Texas Recluse (L. devia): Southern Texas.
Tucson Recluse (L. sabina): Tucson, Arizona area.
The following two species of Recluse spider were introduced to the U.S. from other countries:
Chilean Recluse (L. laeta): a mean-tempered spider, the Chilean Recluse was introduced to the U.S. from South America, and exists in colonies throughout Southern California. The Chilean recluse is about twice the size of most other species of Recluse spider, and its bite is particularly nasty.
Mediterranean Recluse (L. rufescens): Introduced to the U.S. from the
Mediterranean area and found throughout the U.S., the bite of the Mediterranean
Recluse is not as severe as bites from other species of Recluse spider.
The brown recluse spider is the proper common name for only one species,
Loxosceles reclusa. It is the most widespread of the North American recluse spiders and lives in the south central Midwest from Nebraska to Ohio and south through Texas to Georgia. Although the brown recluse does not live in California,
they do have four species of native recluse spiders. The most common Californian recluse spider is the desert recluse,
Loxosceles deserta. It is found mostly in the Sonoran and Mojave deserts, in the foothills of the lower San Joaquin Valley, and in adjacent areas of Mexico; most of these areas are sparsely populated by humans. In older literature, this spider was referred to as
Loxosceles unicolor. There are additional species (Loxosceles russelli, Loxosceles palma, Loxosceles martha), but they are so uncommon that they are of scientific interest only.
In addition to these native species, the Chilean recluse spider, Loxosceles laeta (pronounced “LEE-ta”), has become established in portions of Los Angeles (Alhambra, Sierra Madre, Monterey Park, San Gabriel). This spider, however, seems to be confined to a very limited area in Los Angeles County even though it has lived there for possibly over 70 years (one specimen collected from Los Angeles in 1936 is housed in Chicago’s Field Museum spider collection). Also, occasional interceptions of the Mediterranean recluse,
Loxosceles rufescens, are found in commercial goods shipped from out-of-state, but no populations of this spider are currently known in California.
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17 November, 2016:
We live in California and I have heard many many times that brown
recluses are not found here. But this spider does look very much like
the pictures and it has three eyes.
It was found at our elementary school in a cabinet. We'd love to have
your prognosis.
Thank you very much.
Cary |
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Reply: Could possibly be a desert
recluse - glen
24 June, 2011:
these were taken in my house in Las Vegas NV
the spider has smooth non hairy legs and is a light tan color and a small fiddle shape on his back. he has long fangs that cover his face but when you look beyond the fangs you can see what looks like 3 eyed. two beside eachother and one just below it.
sorry the pictures aren't clear. I’ve been trying all day to get a good pic. these are from my cell phone. I have found 5 of these spiders just within this last month. Usually I find them crawling on my bathroom floor or wall or in the litter box. this one in the pic I found crawling up my wall coming from behind my head board(btw my bed is near a window). a few months ago a juvenile actually crawled across my laptop while I was typing while laying in my bed. The whole room was dark except for the light from my screen and it seemed not to even care. I don’t know if it was aiming for the heat because it was cold outside that night. I would think it wouldn’t be the behavior of any spider let alone a brown recluse. any who, I’ve looked at your photos on your site and it looks like both the brown recluse and a male southern house spider. how can I tell which one it is? I looked at one of the face pic’s of the brown recluse and the face looks the same. I have not been able to see a close up of the southern house spider so I don’t know if it’s the same as well.
Is there a place I can take it to identify? I still have this one in a lil insect cage I glued up with mesh so it cant get out. I will give it insects and water until I am able to bring it somewhere far away from here to let it go. I wont kill it because it’s against my morals to kill spiders and it’s just plane bad luck. oh also it is very easy to catch them. They really don’t try to run until I have it in the container. They don’t seem aggressive. I swear spiders love me. I find atleast two or three a day crawling next to me. Mostly parson spiders or these huge black house spiders I sometimes find hiding in my dog’s doggy bed early in the am. I hope you can help. I will try to get a better pic if I can find my camera.
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Reply: Could possibly be an Arizona
recluse - glen
7 July, 2010:
Hi Glen,
I came across your website while gathering information on Brown Recluse spiders. I currently have an infestation of them, to a very severe level. I’ve been forced to hire pest control, which I really don’t like, but none-the-less, I can’t risk a bite from one of these guys. I’m trying to determine which of the eleven species of Recluse spiders these guys are. Any input you might have would be really helpful. I live just north of Phoenix, AZ, in a very rural area. When I moved into my house there were literally hundreds of these spiders. We’ve managed to slowly kill off the majority of them, but we still find about four a week. Most of them are just larger than a quarter, but I have found at least a dozen that have been the size of (if not larger than) a half dollar.
Thank you,
Kacie
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3 July, 2008:
Could you please tell me what kind of spiders these are.
The two (6 & 7) were together underneath a dresser in
my garage and the other was outside on my patio at night hanging from a web.
Would really appreciate any information about them. Thanks.
Liz |
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24 June 2008:
Hi Again, Here's a photo of another desert brown we found in the old house just
before we completely vacated. Kinda freaked my husband out, because it
was on the wall in the living room, and it was pretty dark in there,
considering most of our lamps had been moved already!
This guy was about the biggest one we've found so far. Sorry if the
photo's not the best, but we trapped it in a plastic container with a
quarter (US $.25 for anyone viewing the site that is unfamiliar with US
currency.) to show his size.
Hope you enjoy!
Freemans, Tucson AZ. Ps, I'm also resending our April 2nd guy, because I still don't see him
on your site, and I'm not sure if you lost him or just decided not to
send. He's sitting on a greeting card! "Greetings!!"
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24 May,
2008:
IHi Glen!
We're still in the process of moving out of the "bug house," and are still finding interesting creatures. Here's yet another desert brown spider that we found in my son's bedroom. Not the best photo, as it is evening, and the flash was doing strange things with the lighting outside. And the poor guy looks pretty bad, kinda emaciated, pale in color, and was starting to curl his legs all up once we got him outside. Usually we're over 100 degrees F this time of year, but for some reason had a strange winter-ish storm move through the last couple days, and our high wasn't even 70 today! The spider hit that cold concrete, slowed way down, and started curling his legs all up. Didn't like the cold, I guess! You can add this one to our other brown photos in the desert brown recluse section of your website, if you'd like! :)
Have a great day!
The Freemans, Tucson AZ USA
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13 October,
2006:
Hello Glen. I have been checking out your site for a few years now and just
love it. I wanted to send you some pictures of what I believe is a desert
recluse because I have yet to see a picture of a desert recluse anywhere on
the inet and thought you might like to use it. I will also be posting the
pictures on my own site so I hope that is ok.
I live on the western edge of the Mojave desert in Southern California and
have many of these spiders in and around my home. I have found that they are
a very docile species. In fact, the spider in these pictures didnt even
attempt to bite at the piece of grass I used to move him about. It made me
feel quite guilty for killing it later but kill it I must because I do not
want it coming back into my house. The spider in these picture is mid-sized
for the species out here. I have seen a few that were much larger than this
one and much deeper red in color. Can you tell me if spiders shed their skins? I believe that the two "dead
spiders" in one of the photos are actually skins of either the one spider in
the photo or of the other spider in the box that was dead or both.
I have read that these spiders are indeed medically significant and can
cause necrotic wounds. If bitten, one should try to capture the spider and
seek medical attention right away.
Please feel free to post these pictures on your site if you want to.
Thank you
Erin McGuire
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