The Brown Recluse Spider (Loxosceles reclusa) belongs to the genus Loxosceles. They are also known as fiddle-back or violin spiders. Recluse spiders are a venomous genus of spider known for their venomous necrotic (death of cells and living tissue) bite. There are over 100 species of the Recluse spider, the Brown Recluse spider being the best known of the species. Find out more!

Adult Brown Recluse Spiders have a leg span of about 24 millimetres. Their body is around 3 – 8 millimetres long and about 3 – 16 millimetres wide. Males are slightly smaller in body length than females, however, males have proportionally longer legs.

Both male and female brown recluse spiders are venomous. The juvenile stages closely resemble the adults except for their size and they are a slightly lighter colour. Whereas most spiders have eight eyes, recluse spiders have only six eyes that are arranged in pairs in a semicircle on the forepart of the cephalothorax, with one median pair and two lateral pairs.

The Brown Recluse Spiders habitat is usually a dark, undisturbed site which sometimes can be either indoors or outdoors. In their favoured habitats, their populations are usually dense. Brown Recluse Spiders thrive in human-altered environments.

Indoors, they may be found in attics, basements, crawl spaces, cellars, cupboards and closets. Brown Recluse Spiders may seek shelter in storage boxes, shoes, clothing, folded linens, hanging picture frames and behind furniture. They also may be found in outbuildings such as barns, sheds, greenhouses and garages.

Like most spiders, Brown Recluse spiders eat insects.