Recluse spider
Encyclopedia
The recluse spiders or brown spiders (genus Loxosceles), also known as fiddle-back, violin spiders or reapers, are a venomous genus of spiders known for their necrotic
bite, which sometimes produces a characteristic set of symptoms known as Loxoscelism
. Recluse spiders are now identified as members of the family Sicariidae
, having formerly been placed in their own family, "Loxoscelidae."
marking on the cephalothorax
. However, the "violin marking" cannot be used as a reliable way to identify the spider as literally thousands of species of spider have the same markings. Spiders come with many markings varying greatly within the same species. Most Loxosceles can live for one and a half to two years. Members of both genera can live for very long times without food or water.
They are about 7–12 mm long.
The recluse spider family includes about 13 species in the United States
, the brown recluse spider
(Loxosceles reclusa) being the best known of these. It is found in a large area of the Midwest, west to Colorado and the New Mexico state line and east to Northern Georgia. Sporadic records from other locations only represent incidental introductions, not established populations.
Other notable members of this genus include the Chilean recluse
(L. laeta) and the Mediterranean recluse (Loxosceles rufescens).
Recently, concerns have been raised regarding recluses spreading faster due to warmer air carrying them farther as a result of global warming. On the contrary, newly hatched recluses do not travel via ballooning
and thus the populations are confined to very tight spaces with dense populations.
, have potent tissue-destroying venoms containing the dermonecrotic agent, sphingomyelinase
D, which is otherwise found only in a few pathogenic bacteria. Recent research has indicated the venom is composed largely of sulfate
d nucleoside
s, though these compounds are relatively new discoveries, so little is known about them. This venom is highly necrotic in effect, capable of causing lesion
s (open sores) as large as a bottle cap. The wounds take a long time to heal and may require skin grafts. If these open wounds become infected there are often serious consequences. Rarely, the venom is carried by the blood
stream to internal organs causing systemic effects.
The constituency of recluse venom is identical in both male and female spiders, although females have a particularly potent venom, containing up to twice the concentration of toxins. For unknown reasons, the toxicity of the venom to mammalian species varies—recluse bites will cause necrosis in humans, rabbits, and guinea pigs, but not in mice or rats.
The Chilean recluse
(Loxosceles laeta) supposedly has a more potent venom, which results in systemic involvement more often. This spider was accidentally introduced to the Los Angeles
area (Alhambra
, Sierra Madre
, and Monterey Park
). This spider, however, seems to be confined to a very limited area, even though it has lived there for over 30 years. Other members of the genus that have been tested have venoms similar to the brown recluse and all members of this genus are best avoided. However, the brown recluse and its relatives are not very aggressive and huge populations have been found in houses where the human inhabitants remained unbitten after years of cohabitation.
A possible problem with diagnosing a recluse spider bite is that the bite of these spiders is probably both underreported in some areas and over reported generally. Unfortunately several diseases can mimic the lesions of a recluse spider bite, including Lyme disease
, various fungal
and bacteria
l infections and the first sore of syphilis
. Therefore it is extremely important to associate the spider directly with the bite, if at all possible, and consider alternative diagnoses if no spider was seen.
Recluse spiders are usually found in the center of space webs made of fungus-like silk, which often contains the remains of their recent meals. The most abundant food items for the Arizona recluse (Loxosceles arizonica) are night-active ants such as carpenter ants. The brown recluse feeds on whatever small prey is available. This is also true of all sicariids. Loxosceles reclusa have been shown in laboratory experiments to prefer scavenging than actively hunting.
Bites most often occur when the spider is engaging in defense while trapped against the skin, such as when the person is putting on clothes the recluse is inside of, or when the person while sleeping rolls over against the recluse. However, bug spray and other chemicals intended to repel or kill arthropods that do not kill the recluse will cause its nervous system to break down partially, inducing undesirable aggressive behavior.
The bite of a recluse spider can generally be categorized into one of the following groups:
Necrosis
Necrosis is the premature death of cells in living tissue. Necrosis is caused by factors external to the cell or tissue, such as infection, toxins, or trauma. This is in contrast to apoptosis, which is a naturally occurring cause of cellular death...
bite, which sometimes produces a characteristic set of symptoms known as Loxoscelism
Loxoscelism
thumb|Scars left over from a healed recluse biteLoxoscelism is a condition produced by the bite of the recluse spiders . It is the only proven cause of arachnogenic necrosis in humans. While there is no known therapy effective for loxoscelism, there has been research on potential antivenoms and...
. Recluse spiders are now identified as members of the family Sicariidae
Sicariidae
Sicariidae is a family of six-eyed venomous spiders known for their necrotic bites. The members of this family are haplogyne by definition . The family consists of two genera, Loxosceles and Sicarius, and contains about 120 species...
, having formerly been placed in their own family, "Loxoscelidae."
Habitat and appearance
Loxosceles is distributed nearly worldwide in warmer areas, and are often known as violin spiders, fiddlebacks or reapers. All have six eyes arranged in three groups of two (dyads) and some are brownish with a darker brown characteristic violinViolin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
marking on the cephalothorax
Cephalothorax
The cephalothorax is a tagma of various arthropods, comprising the head and the thorax fused together, as distinct from the abdomen behind. The word cephalothorax is derived from the Greek words for head and thorax...
. However, the "violin marking" cannot be used as a reliable way to identify the spider as literally thousands of species of spider have the same markings. Spiders come with many markings varying greatly within the same species. Most Loxosceles can live for one and a half to two years. Members of both genera can live for very long times without food or water.
They are about 7–12 mm long.
The recluse spider family includes about 13 species in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, the brown recluse spider
Brown recluse spider
The brown recluse spider or violin spider, Loxosceles reclusa, is a member of the family Sicariidae . The spider has a venomous bite....
(Loxosceles reclusa) being the best known of these. It is found in a large area of the Midwest, west to Colorado and the New Mexico state line and east to Northern Georgia. Sporadic records from other locations only represent incidental introductions, not established populations.
Other notable members of this genus include the Chilean recluse
Chilean recluse
The Chilean recluse spider is a venomous spider, Loxosceles laeta, of the family Sicariidae . In Spanish, it is known as , or "corner spider"; in Portuguese, as or "brown spider"...
(L. laeta) and the Mediterranean recluse (Loxosceles rufescens).
Recently, concerns have been raised regarding recluses spreading faster due to warmer air carrying them farther as a result of global warming. On the contrary, newly hatched recluses do not travel via ballooning
Ballooning (spider)
Ballooning is a term used for the mechanical kiting that many spiders, especially small species, as well as certain mites and some caterpillars use to disperse through the air. Many small spiders use gossamer or especially fine silk to lift themselves off a surface or use the silk as an anchor in...
and thus the populations are confined to very tight spaces with dense populations.
Venom components and effects
Loxosceles spiders, like their cousins in SicariusSicarius (spider)
Sicarius is a genus of venomous spiders, the best known being the six-eyed sand spider of southern Africa. It is also commonly known as assassin spiders for the relatively quick catching and killing of their prey.-Habitat and appearance:...
, have potent tissue-destroying venoms containing the dermonecrotic agent, sphingomyelinase
Sphingomyelin phosphodiesterase
Sphingomyelin phosphodiesterase or simply Sphingomyelinase is a hydrolase enzyme that is involved in sphingolipid metabolism reactions. SMase is a member of the DNase I superfamily of enzymes and is responsible for breaking sphingomyelin down into phosphocholine and ceramide...
D, which is otherwise found only in a few pathogenic bacteria. Recent research has indicated the venom is composed largely of sulfate
Sulfate
In inorganic chemistry, a sulfate is a salt of sulfuric acid.-Chemical properties:...
d nucleoside
Nucleoside
Nucleosides are glycosylamines consisting of a nucleobase bound to a ribose or deoxyribose sugar via a beta-glycosidic linkage...
s, though these compounds are relatively new discoveries, so little is known about them. This venom is highly necrotic in effect, capable of causing lesion
Lesion
A lesion is any abnormality in the tissue of an organism , usually caused by disease or trauma. Lesion is derived from the Latin word laesio which means injury.- Types :...
s (open sores) as large as a bottle cap. The wounds take a long time to heal and may require skin grafts. If these open wounds become infected there are often serious consequences. Rarely, the venom is carried by the blood
Blood
Blood is a specialized bodily fluid in animals that delivers necessary substances such as nutrients and oxygen to the cells and transports metabolic waste products away from those same cells....
stream to internal organs causing systemic effects.
The constituency of recluse venom is identical in both male and female spiders, although females have a particularly potent venom, containing up to twice the concentration of toxins. For unknown reasons, the toxicity of the venom to mammalian species varies—recluse bites will cause necrosis in humans, rabbits, and guinea pigs, but not in mice or rats.
The Chilean recluse
Chilean recluse
The Chilean recluse spider is a venomous spider, Loxosceles laeta, of the family Sicariidae . In Spanish, it is known as , or "corner spider"; in Portuguese, as or "brown spider"...
(Loxosceles laeta) supposedly has a more potent venom, which results in systemic involvement more often. This spider was accidentally introduced to the Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
area (Alhambra
Alhambra, California
Alhambra is a city located in the western San Gabriel Valley region of Los Angeles County, California, United States, which is approximately eight miles from the Downtown Los Angeles civic center. As of the 2010 census, the population was 83,089, down from 85,804 at the 2000 census. The city's...
, Sierra Madre
Sierra Madre, California
The city of Sierra Madre is a municipality in Los Angeles County, California whose population was 10,917 at the 2010 census, up from 10,580 at the time of the 2000 census. The city is located in the Foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains below the southern edge of the Angeles National Forest. ...
, and Monterey Park
Monterey Park, California
Monterey Park is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, east of downtown Los Angeles. The city's motto is "Pride in the past, Faith in the future"...
). This spider, however, seems to be confined to a very limited area, even though it has lived there for over 30 years. Other members of the genus that have been tested have venoms similar to the brown recluse and all members of this genus are best avoided. However, the brown recluse and its relatives are not very aggressive and huge populations have been found in houses where the human inhabitants remained unbitten after years of cohabitation.
A possible problem with diagnosing a recluse spider bite is that the bite of these spiders is probably both underreported in some areas and over reported generally. Unfortunately several diseases can mimic the lesions of a recluse spider bite, including Lyme disease
Lyme disease
Lyme disease, or Lyme borreliosis, is an emerging infectious disease caused by at least three species of bacteria belonging to the genus Borrelia. Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto is the main cause of Lyme disease in the United States, whereas Borrelia afzelii and Borrelia garinii cause most...
, various fungal
Fungus
A fungus is a member of a large group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds , as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as a kingdom, Fungi, which is separate from plants, animals, and bacteria...
and bacteria
Bacteria
Bacteria are a large domain of prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria have a wide range of shapes, ranging from spheres to rods and spirals...
l infections and the first sore of syphilis
Syphilis
Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the spirochete bacterium Treponema pallidum subspecies pallidum. The primary route of transmission is through sexual contact; however, it may also be transmitted from mother to fetus during pregnancy or at birth, resulting in congenital syphilis...
. Therefore it is extremely important to associate the spider directly with the bite, if at all possible, and consider alternative diagnoses if no spider was seen.
Recluse spiders are usually found in the center of space webs made of fungus-like silk, which often contains the remains of their recent meals. The most abundant food items for the Arizona recluse (Loxosceles arizonica) are night-active ants such as carpenter ants. The brown recluse feeds on whatever small prey is available. This is also true of all sicariids. Loxosceles reclusa have been shown in laboratory experiments to prefer scavenging than actively hunting.
Bites most often occur when the spider is engaging in defense while trapped against the skin, such as when the person is putting on clothes the recluse is inside of, or when the person while sleeping rolls over against the recluse. However, bug spray and other chemicals intended to repel or kill arthropods that do not kill the recluse will cause its nervous system to break down partially, inducing undesirable aggressive behavior.
The bite of a recluse spider can generally be categorized into one of the following groups:
- Unremarkable - self-healing minute damage
- Mild reaction - self-healing damage that displays itchiness, redness, and mild lesion. Most bites fall into the unremarkable or mild reaction categories.
- Dermonectrotic - (uncommon) necrotic skin lesion (the "classic" recluse bite). Approximately 66% of necrotic lesions caused by this type of bite heal with no complications. In extreme cases, the lesion may expand to as many as 40 cm in width, last for several months, and cause a permanent scar.
- Systemic or viscerocutaneous - (extremely rare) a fatal blood system condition. The occurrence of this type of bite is directly related to obesityObesityObesity is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health, leading to reduced life expectancy and/or increased health problems...
of the victim (as the venom destroys adipose tissueAdipose tissueIn histology, adipose tissue or body fat or fat depot or just fat is loose connective tissue composed of adipocytes. It is technically composed of roughly only 80% fat; fat in its solitary state exists in the liver and muscles. Adipose tissue is derived from lipoblasts...
), and it is life-threatening, particularly to children.
Species
- Loxosceles accepta Chamberlin, 1920 — PeruPeruPeru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
- Loxosceles adelaida Gertsch, 1967 — BrazilBrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
- Loxosceles alamosa Gertsch & Ennik, 1983 — MexicoMexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
- Loxosceles alicea Gertsch, 1967 — Peru
- Loxosceles amazonica Gertsch, 1967 — Brazil
- Loxosceles anomala (Mello-LeitãoCândido Firmino de Mello-LeitãoCândido Firmino de Mello-Leitão, , was a Brazilian zoologist who is considered the founder of Arachnology in South America, publishing 198 papers on the taxonomy of Arachnida...
, 1917) — Brazil - Loxosceles apachea Gertsch & Ennik, 1983 — USA, Mexico
- Loxosceles aphrasta Wang, 1994 — ChinaChinaChinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
- Loxosceles aranea Gertsch, 1973 — Mexico
- Loxosceles arizonica Gertsch & Mulaik, 1940 — USA
- Loxosceles aurea Gertsch, 1973 — Mexico
- Loxosceles baja Gertsch & Ennik, 1983 — Mexico
- Loxosceles barbara Gertsch & Ennik, 1983 — Mexico
- Loxosceles belli Gertsch, 1973 — Mexico
- Loxosceles bettyae Gertsch, 1967 — Peru
- Loxosceles blancasi Gertsch, 1967 — Peru
- Loxosceles blanda Gertsch & Ennik, 1983 — USA
- Loxosceles boneti Gertsch, 1958 — Mexico, El SalvadorEl SalvadorEl Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
- Loxosceles candela Gertsch & Ennik, 1983 — Mexico
- Loxosceles caribbaea Gertsch, 1958 — Greater AntillesGreater AntillesThe Greater Antilles are one of three island groups in the Caribbean. Comprising Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola , and Puerto Rico, the Greater Antilles constitute almost 90% of the land mass of the entire West Indies.-Greater Antilles in context :The islands of the Caribbean Sea, collectively known as...
- Loxosceles carmena Gertsch & Ennik, 1983 — Mexico
- Loxosceles chinateca Gertsch & Ennik, 1983 — Mexico
- Loxosceles colima Gertsch, 1958 — Mexico
- Loxosceles conococha Gertsch, 1967 — Peru
- Loxosceles coquimbo Gertsch, 1967 — Chile
- Loxosceles coyote Gertsch & Ennik, 1983 — Mexico
- Loxosceles cubana Gertsch, 1958 — CubaCubaThe Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, Bahama Islands - Loxosceles desertaLoxosceles desertaLoxosceles deserta, commonly known as the desert recluse, is a brown spider of the Sicariidae family.The desert recluse is commonly misidentified as L. unicolor or as L...
Gertsch, 1973 — USA, Mexico - Loxosceles devia Gertsch & Mulaik, 1940 — USA, Mexico
- Loxosceles fontainei Millot, 1941 — GuineaGuineaGuinea , officially the Republic of Guinea , is a country in West Africa. Formerly known as French Guinea , it is today sometimes called Guinea-Conakry to distinguish it from its neighbour Guinea-Bissau. Guinea is divided into eight administrative regions and subdivided into thirty-three prefectures...
- Loxosceles foutadjalloni Millot, 1941 — Guinea
- Loxosceles francisca Gertsch & Ennik, 1983 — Mexico
- Loxosceles frizzelli Gertsch, 1967 — Peru
- Loxosceles gaucho Gertsch, 1967 — Brazil, TunisiaTunisiaTunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
- Loxosceles gloria Gertsch, 1967 — EcuadorEcuadorEcuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
, Peru - Loxosceles guatemala Gertsch, 1973 — GuatemalaGuatemalaGuatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
- Loxosceles harrietae Gertsch, 1967 — Peru
- Loxosceles herreri Gertsch, 1967 — Peru
- Loxosceles hirsuta Mello-Leitão, 1931 — Brazil, ParaguayParaguayParaguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...
, ArgentinaArgentinaArgentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires... - Loxosceles huasteca Gertsch & Ennik, 1983 — Mexico
- Loxosceles immodesta (Mello-Leitão, 1917) — Brazil
- Loxosceles inca Gertsch, 1967 — Peru
- Loxosceles insula Gertsch & Ennik, 1983 — Mexico
- Loxosceles intermedia Mello-Leitão, 1934 — Brazil, Argentina
- Loxosceles jaca Gertsch & Ennik, 1983 — Mexico
- Loxosceles jamaica Gertsch & Ennik, 1983 — JamaicaJamaicaJamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
- Loxosceles jarmila Gertsch & Ennik, 1983 — Jamaica
- Loxosceles julia Gertsch, 1967 — Peru
- Loxosceles kaiba Gertsch & Ennik, 1983 — USA
- Loxosceles lacroixi Millot, 1941 — Ivory Coast
- Loxosceles lacta Wang, 1994 — China
- Loxosceles laeta (Nicolet, 1849) — South AmericaSouth AmericaSouth America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, introduced to North AmericaNorth AmericaNorth America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, FinlandFinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
and AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area... - Loxosceles lawrencei Caporiacco, 1955 — VenezuelaVenezuelaVenezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
, TrinidadTrinidadTrinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in...
, CuraçaoCuraçaoCuraçao is an island in the southern Caribbean Sea, off the Venezuelan coast. The Country of Curaçao , which includes the main island plus the small, uninhabited island of Klein Curaçao , is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands... - Loxosceles lutea Keyserling, 1877 — ColombiaColombiaColombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, Ecuador - Loxosceles luteola Gertsch, 1973 — Mexico
- Loxosceles manuela Gertsch & Ennik, 1983 — Mexico
- Loxosceles martha Gertsch & Ennik, 1983 — USA
- Loxosceles meruensis Tullgren, 1910 — TanzaniaTanzaniaThe United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
- Loxosceles misteca Gertsch, 1958 — Mexico
- Loxosceles mulege Gertsch & Ennik, 1983 — Mexico
- Loxosceles nahuana Gertsch, 1958 — Mexico
- Loxosceles neuvillei Simon, 1909 — SomaliaSomaliaSomalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
, East AfricaEast AfricaEast Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:... - Loxosceles olmea Gertsch, 1967 — Peru
- Loxosceles pallidecolorata (Strand, 1906) — EthiopiaEthiopiaEthiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
- Loxosceles palma Gertsch & Ennik, 1983 — USA, Mexico
- Loxosceles panama Gertsch, 1958 — PanamaPanamaPanama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
- Loxosceles parrami Newlands, 1981 — South AfricaSouth AfricaThe Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
- Loxosceles piura Gertsch, 1967 — Peru
- Loxosceles pucara Gertsch, 1967 — Peru
- Loxosceles puortoi Martins, Knysak & Bertani, 2002 — Brazil
- Loxosceles reclusa Gertsch & Mulaik, 1940 — North AmericaNorth AmericaNorth America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
- Loxosceles rica Gertsch & Ennik, 1983 — Costa RicaCosta RicaCosta Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
- Loxosceles rosana Gertsch, 1967 — Peru
- Loxosceles rothi Gertsch & Ennik, 1983 — Mexico
- Loxosceles rufescens (Dufour, 1820) — CosmopolitanCosmopolitan distributionIn biogeography, a taxon is said to have a cosmopolitan distribution if its range extends across all or most of the world in appropriate habitats. For instance, the killer whale has a cosmopolitan distribution, extending over most of the world's oceans. Other examples include humans, the lichen...
- Loxosceles rufipes (Lucas, 1834) — Guatemala, Panama, ColombiaColombiaColombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
- Loxosceles russelli Gertsch & Ennik, 1983 — USA
- Loxosceles sabina Gertsch & Ennik, 1983 — USA
- Loxosceles seri Gertsch & Ennik, 1983 — Mexico
- Loxosceles similis Moenkhaus, 1898 — Brazil
- Loxosceles smithi Simon, 1897 — Ethiopia
- Loxosceles sonora Gertsch & Ennik, 1983 — Mexico
- Loxosceles spadicea Simon, 1907 — Peru, Bolivia, Argentina
- Loxosceles speluncarum Simon, 1893 — South Africa
- Loxosceles spinulosa Purcell, 1904 — Southern Africa
- Loxosceles surca Gertsch, 1967 — Peru
- Loxosceles taeniopalpis Simon, 1907 — Ecuador
- Loxosceles taino Gertsch & Ennik, 1983 — Bahama Islands, Jamaica, HispaniolaHispaniolaHispaniola is a major island in the Caribbean, containing the two sovereign states of the Dominican Republic and Haiti. The island is located between the islands of Cuba to the west and Puerto Rico to the east, within the hurricane belt...
- Loxosceles tehuana Gertsch, 1958 — Mexico
- Loxosceles tenango Gertsch, 1973 — Mexico
- Loxosceles teresa Gertsch & Ennik, 1983 — Mexico
- Loxosceles tlacolula Gertsch & Ennik, 1983 — Mexico
- Loxosceles unicolor Keyserling, 1887 — South America
- Loxosceles valdosa Gertsch, 1973 — Mexico
- Loxosceles valida Lawrence, 1964 — South Africa
- Loxosceles variegata Simon, 1897 — Paraguay
- Loxosceles virgo Gertsch & Ennik, 1983 — Virgin IslandsVirgin IslandsThe Virgin Islands are the western island group of the Leeward Islands, which are the northern part of the Lesser Antilles, which form the border between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean...
- Loxosceles vonwredei Newlands, 1980 — NamibiaNamibiaNamibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March...
- Loxosceles weyrauchi Gertsch, 1967 — Peru
- Loxosceles yucatana Chamberlin & Ivie, 1938 — Mexico, BelizeBelizeBelize is a constitutional monarchy and the northernmost country in Central America. Belize has a diverse society, comprising many cultures and languages. Even though Kriol and Spanish are spoken among the population, Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official...
, Guatemala - Loxosceles zapoteca Gertsch, 1958 — Mexico
External links
- Arachnology Home Pages: Loxosceles: Recluse spiders
- Biodiversity Explorer: Family Sicariidae (Beautiful photos of Sicarius and Loxosceles!)
- Platnick, N.I. 2003. World Spider Catalog.
- Vetter, R. 2003. Causes of Necrotic Wounds other than Brown Recluse Spider Bites.
- Vetter, R. 2003. Myth of the Brown Recluse Fact, Fear, and Loathing.
- Pictures of the Brown Recluse Spider
- Pictures of Brown Recluse Spider bites
- Pictures of L. reclusa and wound (free for noncommercial use)