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title: "What the sources say about the Brown Recluse | AnimalTracks.wiki"
description: "62 claims from the Brown Recluse profile, each beside the words of the source that backs it."
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# What the sources say about the Brown Recluse (*Loxosceles reclusa*)

> 62 claims from the Brown Recluse profile, each beside the words of the source that backs it. A "..." marks a cut in a quote and [brackets] an insertion.

Profile: [Brown Recluse](https://animaltracks.wiki/animals/brown-recluse/)

## Edwards. Brown Recluse Spider, Loxosceles reclusa Gertsch & Mulaik (Arachnida: Araneae: Sicariidae). Featured Creatures, UF/IFAS Extension, University of Florida.

https://ask.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/IN576

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| Extreme | Reactions to a bite vary from no noteworthy symptoms to severe necrosis or systemic effects. (note: stats.dangerLevel; capability: severe necrosis or systemic effects) |
| Adults are about 7 to 12 mm long | ranging from about 7 to 12 mm in body length |
| females average about 9 mm compared with about 8 mm for males | Adult females average slightly larger, about 9 mm compared to about 8 mm for adult males. |
| In one Arkansas study of 626 spiders, most were found in buildings and outbuildings, especially in boxes and among papers | they recorded the habitat of 626 brown recluse in Arkansas found from May 1962 to December 1964. Most (430) were found in buildings and outbuildings, especially in boxes and among papers |
| Its prey includes rather dangerous animals such as other spiders and ants | Prey consists of a variety of other arthropods, including rather dangerous prey like other spiders and ants. |
| It strikes these with a sudden lunge and bite, then backs away at once while the venom paralyzes them | The attack consists of a sudden lunge and bite, ... after which the brown recluse immediately backs away (personal observation). The venom acts rapidly to paralyze the prey |
| After the prey is overcome, it moves in to feed | After the prey is overcome by the venom, the brown recluse moves in to feed. |
| The maximum age from emergence to death was 894 days for a female and 796 for a male | Maximum age for a brown recluse from emergence to death was 894 days for a female, 796 for a male. |
| A major part of the venom is sphingomyelinase D, which causes hemolysis, the destruction of red blood cells | A major venom component is sphingomyelinase D, which causes hemolysis (destruction of red blood cells). |
| Within 10 minutes of the injection, the capillaries around the bite constrict | Within 10 minutes of venom injection, there is a constriction of capillaries around the site of the bite. |
| If the skin turns purple, it then turns black as cells die | If the skin turns purple, it will then turn black as cells die. |
| Eventually the dead core falls away and leaves a deep pit that gradually fills with scar tissue | Eventually the necrotic core falls away, leaving a deep pit that gradually fills with scar tissue. |
| Reactions run from no noteworthy symptoms to severe necrosis | Reactions to a bite vary from no noteworthy symptoms to severe necrosis or systemic effects. |
| Less than 1% of cases bring the blood problems of severe systemic loxoscelism | The presence of sustained coagulopathy with hemolysis indicates severe systemic loxoscelism. Fortunately, less than 1% of cases exhibit these symptoms. |
| none of the deaths attributed to it had been proven to be its doing | Anderson (1998) noted, however, that none of the fatalities were proven to have been caused by a brown recluse spider. |
| in 1998 a physician who had worked on recluse bites and venom for 40 years | (Anderson 1998) [Dr. Philip C. Anderson is a physician and medical researcher who has worked on brown recluse bites and venom for 40 years] |
| Bites usually happen only when the spider is trapped against skin, such as when a sleeper rolls onto it or someone puts on clothes it has crawled into | Brown recluse spiders usually bite only when they become trapped next to the victim's skin. Bites occur either when sleeping humans roll onto the spider or put on clothes into which the spider has crawled |
| In typical cases, symptoms begin two to six hours after the bite | Typical symptoms are as follows. Symptoms start two to six hours after the bite. |
| Within 12 to 24 hours the wound usually shows whether it will die back, because it turns purple | By 12 to 24 hours, it is usually apparent if a Loxosceles wound is going to become necrotic because it turns purple in color |
| If no necrotic signs have appeared by 48 to 96 hours, they will not develop | if necrotic symptoms do not express by 48 to 96 hours, then they will not develop |
| Insects, spiders and other arthropods | Prey consists of a variety of other arthropods, including rather dangerous prey like other spiders and ants. (note: stats.diet) |
| Outside its range, diagnoses outrun the spider | the chance of interaction between brown recluse spiders and people in Florida is close to nil, agreeing with Vetter's (2000) assessment of reported brown recluse bites outside the natural range of the spider |

## Jones (2004). Brown Recluse Spider. Ohio State University Extension fact sheet HYG-2061-04, copy hosted by Spartanburg County Public Health.

https://www.scph.org/sites/default/files/editor/EH/3.5%20Brown%20Recluse.pdf

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| A six-eyed night hunter with a violin marking | Whereas most spiders have eight eyes, recluse spiders have six eyes that are arranged in pairs in a semicircle on the forepart of the cephalothorax (note: tagline) |
| venom that can kill the tissue around a bite | others experience immediate or delayed effects as the venom kills the tissues (necrosis) at the site of the bite (note: tagline) |
| Venom that can kill the tissue around its bite | others experience immediate or delayed effects as the venom kills the tissues (necrosis) at the site of the bite (note: stats.superpower) |
| Most spiders have eight eyes. Recluse spiders have six, arranged in pairs in a semicircle on the forepart of the cephalothorax | Whereas most spiders have eight eyes, recluse spiders have six eyes that are arranged in pairs in a semicircle on the forepart of the cephalothorax |
| the fused head and thorax | cephalothorax (fused head and thorax) |
| Six eyes and a violin | recluse spiders have six eyes that are arranged in pairs (note: heading) |
| Six eyes | recluse spiders have six eyes that are arranged in pairs (note: blockquote lead) |
| Adults often live about one to two years | Adult brown recluse spiders often live about one to two years. |
| That is necrosis, or tissue death | the venom kills the tissues (necrosis) at the site of the bite |
| Fatalities are extremely rare | Fatalities are extremely rare |
| Necrotic wounds can also come from bacteria, viruses, fungi and other arthropods | Necrotic wounds can result from a variety of agents such as bacteria ( Staphylococcus, "flesh-eating" Streptococcus , etc.), viruses, fungi, and arthropods |
| a wrong diagnosis can delay proper care | Misdiagnosis of lesions as brown recluse bites can delay appropriate care. |
| Adults can survive about 6 months without food or water | They can survive long periods of time (about 6 months) without food or water. |
| The vast majority of bites heal without severe scarring | The vast majority of brown recluse bites heal without severe scarring |
| Most spiders have eight eyes | Whereas most spiders have eight eyes, recluse spiders have six eyes |
| Recluse spiders have six, arranged in pairs in a semicircle on the forepart of the cephalothorax, the fused head and thorax | recluse spiders have six eyes that are arranged in pairs in a semicircle on the forepart of the cephalothorax |
| Venom that kills tissue | the venom kills the tissues (necrosis) at the site of the bite (note: heading) |

## Potter. Brown Recluse Spider (ENTFACT-631). University of Kentucky Department of Entomology.

https://entomology.ca.uky.edu/ef631

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| A six-eyed night hunter with a violin marking | The brown recluse hunts at night seeking insect prey, either alive or dead. (note: tagline) |
| A six-eyed night hunter with a violin marking | For laypersons, the most distinguishing feature of a brown recluse is a dark violin-shaped mark on its back (note: tagline) |
| South central and Midwestern United States | is found throughout the south central and Midwestern United States (note: stats.habitat) |
| Insects, spiders and other arthropods | The brown recluse hunts at night seeking insect prey (note: stats.diet) |
| A dark violin shape sits on its back, with the neck of the violin pointing toward the rear of its body | a dark violin-shaped mark on its back, with the neck of the violin pointing toward the rear (abdomen) of the spider |
| With its legs stretched out, it is about the size of a US quarter | adult brown recluse spiders with legs extended are about the size of a U.S. quarter |
| It lives across the south central and Midwestern United States | is found throughout the south central and Midwestern United States |
| Outdoors it shelters under rocks, logs, woodpiles and debris | In nature, brown recluse spiders live outdoors under rocks, logs, woodpiles and debris. |
| It is also well adapted to living indoors | The spider is also well adapted to living indoors with humans. |
| By day the brown recluse hides in a dark, secluded retreat, which it often lines with irregular webbing | During daylight hours, brown recluse spiders typically retreat to dark, secluded areas. They often line their daytime retreats with irregular webbing |
| At night it hunts insect prey, alive or dead, and it does not use a web to capture food | The brown recluse hunts at night seeking insect prey, either alive or dead. It does not employ a web to capture food |
| the majority stay local and heal within 3 weeks | The majority of brown recluse spider bites remain localized, healing within 3 weeks without serious complication or medical intervention. |
| The species is native to the south central and Midwestern states, and spiders found outside that range are rare | found throughout the south central and Midwestern United States. ... Recluse spiders are rare outside their native range. |
| A few may ride along in boxes or furnishings, but infestations seldom become established there | Occasionally, one or a few spiders may be transported to a non-native area in boxes or furnishings, but infestations seldom become established. |
| The brown recluse is a small spider with one striking mark | For laypersons, the most distinguishing feature of a brown recluse is a dark violin-shaped mark on its back (note: size in the next sentences: 7 to 12 mm body length (uf-recluse)) |
| A night hunter with no web trap | The brown recluse hunts at night seeking insect prey, either alive or dead. It does not employ a web to capture food (note: heading) |
| The brown recluse hides in a dark retreat by day, hunts at night | During daylight hours, brown recluse spiders typically retreat to dark, secluded areas. They often line their daytime retreats with irregular webbing (note: vibe.reason) |
| is well adapted to living indoors | The spider is also well adapted to living indoors with humans. (note: vibe.reason) |

## Loxosceles reclusa. Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan.

https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Loxosceles_reclusa/

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| Not Evaluated | IUCN Red List [Link] Not Evaluated (note: stats.conservationStatus. Checked 2026-09-29: GBIF and Crossref show no Red List assessment for Loxosceles reclusa; the ADW page lists it as Not Evaluated.) |

## Vetter & Barger (2002). An Infestation of 2,055 Brown Recluse Spiders (Araneae: Sicariidae) and No Envenomations in a Kansas Home: Implications for Bite Diagnoses in Nonendemic Areas. Journal of Medical Entomology.

https://doi.org/10.1603/0022-2585-39.6.948

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| In one occupied Kansas home, 2,055 brown recluses were collected over 6 months, and no envenomations of the inhabitants occurred | During a 6-mo period, 2,055 brown recluse spiders, Loxosceles reclusa Gertsch and Mulaik, were collected in a 19th-century-built, currently occupied home in Lenexa, KS. ... Despite these infestations, no envenomations of the inhabitants of these three homes occurred. |

## Vetter, Edwards & James (2004). Reports of Envenomation by Brown Recluse Spiders (Araneae: Sicariidae) Outnumber Verifications of Loxosceles Spiders in Florida. Journal of Medical Entomology.

https://doi.org/10.1603/0022-2585-41.4.593

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| In Florida, medical personnel diagnosed 124 brown recluse bites in 6 years, across 31 of the state's 67 counties | Medical personnel diagnosed 124 brown recluse spider bites from 31 of Florida's 67 counties in 6 yr. |
| In 100 years, only 11 finds of about 70 Loxosceles spiders had been made in 10 counties | only 11 finds of approximately 70 Loxosceles spiders have been made in 10 Florida counties in 100 yr |
| Blamed for wounds it did not make | Florida does not have sufficient widespread populations of Loxosceles spiders to warrant consideration of brown recluse spider envenomation as a probable etiology of dermonecrosis (note: heading) |