Bug Identifier
Brown Recluse Spider
Community identification

Brown Recluse Spider

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.
See this bug in the Encyclopedia

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.