Are brown spiders as poisonous as black widow spiders?
Brown recluse spider Brown Recluse Spider What does a brown recluse spider look like? Named for its habit of hiding in dark corners, the brown recluse spider (Loxosceles reclusa) is also known as the violin spider or fiddleback spider because of a violin-shaped marking. The brown recluse spider is about a half-inch long (including legs) and is a solid light brown color. The violin marking is configured with the base of the violin beginning at the eyes and the neck of the violin pointing toward the “waist.” The violin marking is difficult to see clearly. Two other features can help identify the brown recluse: it has six eyes rather than the typical eight and the tail-end segment has no markings. If you see a brown spider with markings on the tail end, it cannot be a brown recluse spider. Any markings, patterns or spots on the tail end of a spider immediately eliminates the possibility that it is a brown recluse spider. It is, instead, one of dozens of brown spiders that live in houses a
Widow spiders (Genus Latrodectus) are the best known and largest of the Cobweb Weavers (Family Therididae). All widows are venomous, though not all can cause injury to humans. Black Widows comprise about six species and inhabit most of the warmer regions of the world to a latitude of about 45 degrees N. The female black widow spider, though it is the most venomous spider in North America, seldom causes death as it injects a very small amount of poison when it bites. Reports indicate human mortality at well less than 1% from black widow spider bites. Anyone bitten by a black widow spider should seek medical care; an attempt should be made to catch the spider for identification. The species L. hesperus is common in the western US and is the Black Widow found in the North American deserts. L. mactans is the Black Widow common in the eastern and central US. The Brown Widow Spider, L. geometricus, is also found in the US. * L. mactans is found in most warm areas of the world * L. geometricu
