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The
following is an excerpt from: Brown Recluse Spider:
Loxosceles reclusa by Barbara Ogg, PhD, Extension
Educator
Brown
Recluse Spiders:
All
brown recluse spiders have a fiddle-shaped mark on their
back, although it may be faded or missing in juvenile
spiders. Their legs are long and thin compared with
many spiders.
The
key feature that distinguishes them from all other spiders
is that they have six eyes, arranged in pairs (photo
right). A microscope or magnifying glass is needed to
see this level of detail.
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Brown
recluse spiders are nocturnal hunters of insects and
other spiders. They naturally live in outdoor situations,
living in piles of debris, wood piles, under bark, logs,
stones. Inside, it is found most commonly in undisturbed
areas like closets, attics, crawlspaces, basements,
cellars. They inhabit clothing, boxes, papers and like
"layered" situations, like stacks of papers
or clothes.
Some
people get bitten when they dress and inadvertently
"trap" the spider between the article of clothing
and their skin. They may also get bitten if the spider
is trapped in bed clothes or when people are cleaning
infested areas. These spiders are very shy and do not
bite unless trapped or threatened.
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