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Desert Recluse (Loxosceles deserta)

The desert recluse is a brown colored spider belonging to the Sicariidae family. Found in certain parts of the United States, it is often confused with the brown recluse, though both are different from the other in many aspects and the latter does not dwell within the closest vicinity of the former.

Desert Recluse

Scientific Classification

Physical Description and Identification

Adults

Size: Both the males and females are of the same size being about ½ inch in length, having a leg span between 1.5 inches and 2 inches.

Color: Tan, yellowish-tan, with their abdomen being light brown in color.

Other Characteristic Features: Their body has a fiddle-shaped marking and like most recluse spiders they possess six eyes instead of eight, arranged in pairs of three.

Desert Recluse Size

Eggs

The eggs are small and round in size.

Desert Recluse Egg

Spiderlings

The spiderlings of the desert recluse like most others detach from their mother in a span of few days from hatching.

The Web

Their webs are irregular in shape and spun in areas which remain undisturbed. Moreover, these spiders of hunting origin do not weave webs in order to obtain their food.

Are Desert Recluse Spider Poisonous and Do they Bite

The bite of the desert recluse may be toxic, since it has a necrotic nature, damaging the skin as well as surrounding tissues severely, resulting in lesions which might take a considerable period of time for healing. Some people have also reported symptoms like nausea, fever, abdominal cramps, joint stiffness, headache, and fever. If someone has encountered the bite of this spider, then the first step of the treatment would be to care for the wound at the earliest and control the symptoms (if any) from increasing.

Desert Recluse Spider

Quick Facts

Lifespan 1 to 3 years on an average
Distribution Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, California and parts of Mexico
Habitat Mostly found outdoors amidst dense vegetation as well as dens of packrats, they hardly thrive indoors
Diet Small live insects and sometimes even the dead ones.
Desert Recluse Spider Picture

Did You Know

  • Though the brown recluse and desert recluse are identical to each other in many ways, there are certain differences between the two, one of them being the area of habitation. The brown recluse also have a violin marking on its body that is absent in the desert recluse.

Image Credits: Utahpests.usu.edu, Blueskypest.com, Images.terro.com, Bioweb.uwlax.edu

The desert recluse is a brown colored spider belonging to the Sicariidae family. Found in certain parts of the United States, it is often confused with the brown recluse, though both are different from the other in many aspects and the latter does not dwell within the closest vicinity of the former.

Desert Recluse

Physical Description and Identification

Adults

Size: Both the males and females are of the same size being about ½ inch in length, having a leg span between 1.5 inches and 2 inches.

Color: Tan, yellowish-tan, with their abdomen being light brown in color.

Other Characteristic Features: Their body has a fiddle-shaped marking and like most recluse spiders they possess six eyes instead of eight, arranged in pairs of three.

Desert Recluse Size

Eggs

The eggs are small and round in size.

Desert Recluse Egg

Spiderlings

The spiderlings of the desert recluse like most others detach from their mother in a span of few days from hatching.

The Web

Their webs are irregular in shape and spun in areas which remain undisturbed. Moreover, these spiders of hunting origin do not weave webs in order to obtain their food.

Are Desert Recluse Spider Poisonous and Do they Bite

The bite of the desert recluse may be toxic, since it has a necrotic nature, damaging the skin as well as surrounding tissues severely, resulting in lesions which might take a considerable period of time for healing. Some people have also reported symptoms like nausea, fever, abdominal cramps, joint stiffness, headache, and fever. If someone has encountered the bite of this spider, then the first step of the treatment would be to care for the wound at the earliest and control the symptoms (if any) from increasing.

Desert Recluse Spider

Quick Facts

Lifespan 1 to 3 years on an average
Distribution Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, California and parts of Mexico
Habitat Mostly found outdoors amidst dense vegetation as well as dens of packrats, they hardly thrive indoors
Diet Small live insects and sometimes even the dead ones.
Desert Recluse Spider Picture

Did You Know

  • Though the brown recluse and desert recluse are identical to each other in many ways, there are certain differences between the two, one of them being the area of habitation. The brown recluse also have a violin marking on its body that is absent in the desert recluse.

Image Credits: Utahpests.usu.edu, Blueskypest.com, Images.terro.com, Bioweb.uwlax.edu

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