Brown recluse spiders

A community portal about Brown recluse spiders with blogs, videos, and photos. According to Wikipedia.org: The brown recluse spider is a venomous spider, Loxosceles reclusa, of the family Sicariidae. It is usually between ¼ and ¾ inch but may grow larger. It is brown and usually has markings on the dorsal side of its cephalothorax, with a black line coming from it that looks like a violin with the neck of the violin pointing to the rear of the spider resulting in the nickname "fiddleback spider" or "violin spider". Coloring varies from light tan to brown and the violin marking may not be visible. Since the "violin pattern" is not diagnostic, and other spiders may have similar marking and pirate spiders ), for purposes of identification it is far more important to examine the eyes. Differing from most spiders, which have 8 eyes, recluse spiders have 6 eyes arranged in pairs with one median pair and 2 lateral pairs. Only a few other spiders have 3 pairs of eyes arranged this way, and recluses can be distinguished from these as recluse abdomens have no coloration pattern nor do their legs, which also lack spines. Recluse spiders build irregular webs that frequently include a shelter consisting of disorderly threads. These spiders frequently build their webs in woodpiles and sheds, closets, garages, and other places that are dry and generally undisturbed. Unlike most web weavers, they leave these webs at night to hunt.

Write an Article

RSS

Brown Widow Spider Check

Written by hernesheir on

From: theclogalmanac.blogspot.com

Every year about this time of year I frequently check for brown widow spiders nesting in specific outdoor items that I usually grasp blindly with my fingers with some regularity. There are 3 places I usually check, and all three are on the undersides of a molded plastic object:

beneath the rolled rim of the trash receptacle
beneath the rolled rim of the recycling bin
beneath the rolled rim of the large slop bucket that I catch rainwater in

This past weekend I found an even half-dozen brown widows in a series of molded cells on the underside of a plastic wheelbarrow. There were 6 spiders in all, and all were protecting one or more egg sacs. One of the six was protecting nine egg sacs. When I reach underneath the wheelbarrow to upend and to shake it out, my fingers find their way into one of the cells. The photo (from Mark Jaquith's Flickr site) shows the yellowish sacs that look like bumpy little spheres about the size of a peanut M&M.

I'm usually a buddhist when it comes to killing creepy critters. I draw the line at these venomous creatures who crave the sheltered undersides of common yard implements that I manipulate frequently.

You might want to inspect similar items and places for venomous spiders at your home or business.

widow spiders, brown widow, spiders, Florida

posted by CALL at 10:25 PM

Previous Article Next Article