A
poisonous spider (
Loxosceles reclusa) native to parts of the
American Midwest, though they have been reported on both the East and West Coasts. About a quarter- to three-quarters of an inch long, this tan or
brown colored spider is sometimes called the
fiddleback, due to the small, dark,
violin-shaped mark on its head and back. They are not
hairy spiders, so they can be easily
distinguished from the
wolf spiders, which have a similar appearance.
Egg cases are
off-white in color and
silken. They are about a third of an inch in diameter and are found in
sheltered, dark areas. They
hatch in about 24-36 days, but the
baby spiders develop slowly -- they reach
maturity in about ten to twelve months and can survive for a long time without food or water.
The brown recluse's
poison has a
necrotizing effect -- it causes
skin around the bite to begin to
rot away and
slough off. After someone is bitten, they will often show a
reaction in about 24-36 hours. They will often be
restless and will feel
fever,
chills,
nausea,
joint pain, and
weakness. In some severe cases, the bite
wound may last for months, and a
scar will often develop. Some people, however, are not harmed by the bite at all. In any case, the poison is rarely
fatal -- small
children and the
elderly would be in the most
danger if bitten.
The brown recluse likes to hang out in
dark, unused areas, so be careful rummaging in that
attic or
toolshed -- or that old
shoebox. Luckily, they're rarely
aggressive, but if you
threaten them -- say, by sticking your hand into dark places in your
garage -- they may
attack. If you're bitten by a brown recluse, see a
doctor right away. Kill the spider, if possible, and take it to the doctor with you. If you have shoes on, they're easy to
squish, or you can spray 'em with
bug spray.
Research from http://www.ext.vt.edu/departments/entomology/factsheets/brownrec.html