Brown Recluse Spider

Natural Habitat

Dark, undisturbed areas such as attics, basements, closets, woodpiles, and behind furniture.

Diet & Feeding

Strictly carnivorous, feeding primarily on soft-bodied insects like silverfish, flies, and crickets; they are also scavengers that eat dead insects.

Behavior Patterns

Nocturnal hunters that do not build webs to catch prey; they are reclusive and shy, typically only biting when pressed against skin (e.g., inside clothing or bedding).

Risks & Benefits

Possesses a potent necrotic venom that can cause skin lesions and tissue death (loxoscelism) in humans. They benefit the ecosystem by controlling populations of nuisance indoor pests.

Identified on: 6/17/2026