Brown Recluse Spider
Scientific Name: Loxosceles reclusa
Order & Family: Araneae: Sicariidae
Size: Typically 6 to 20 millimeters (0.24 to 0.79 inches) in body length; including legs, they are about the size of a quarter.
Natural Habitat
Often found in warm, dry, dark environments such as basements, attics, woodpiles, and behind clutter; naturally found under rocks and logs in the wild.
Diet & Feeding
Carnivorous, primarily feeding on soft-bodied insects like silverfish, flies, and cockroaches.
Behavior Patterns
Nocturnal and reclusive, they prefer to run from threats rather than attack. They build irregular, asymmetrical webs used for shelter rather than trapping prey.
Risks & Benefits
Possesses medically significant necrotic venom that can cause severe skin lesions (loxoscelism) in humans, though bites are rare and usually defensive. Benefit the ecosystem by controlling indoor pests like cockroaches.
Identified on: 3/25/2026