It’s that time of year again when spiders are invading our homes. And, as always, the brown recluse is one of the most feared spiders around. But what if I told you that several other spiders look a lot like the brown recluse.
In this blog post, we will take a look at 8 of these spiders and learn more about them!
What Are Brown Recluse Spiders?
Brown recluse spiders are a type of spider that is commonly found in the United States. These spiders are brown and have a dark marking on their back that resembles a violin.
Brown recluse spiders are not aggressive and will only bite humans if they feel threatened.
What Do Brown Recluse Spiders Look Like?
Brown recluse spiders are small spiders that range in size from ¼ to ½ an inch. They have a dark brown body with a lighter-colored abdomen. The most distinguishing feature of these spiders is the dark brown marking on their back that resembles a violin.
Where Do Brown Recluse Spiders Live?
Brown recluse spiders are found in the Midwestern and Southern United States. These spiders prefer to live in dark, undisturbed areas such as closets, attics, and basements.
What Do Brown Recluse Spiders Eat?
Brown recluse spiders are carnivores that hunt their prey at night. These spiders typically eat insects such as cockroaches, crickets, and beetles.
What Are the Brown Recluse Spider’s Predators?
The brown recluse spider’s main predators are birds, bats, and lizards. These animals typically eat spiders that are small enough to fit into their mouths.
Does the Brown Recluse Spin a Web?
When it comes to a brown recluse’s web, there are two questions you should ask yourself to help you determine whether it is a brown recluse web.
Are there any insects caught on the web?
The brown recluse will conceal its web. It is a hunting spider so if you see a web with insects trapped in it then it does not belong to a brown recluse.
Is the web in a crevice?
The brown recluse is more likely to create its web in a hidden spot. Remember that they only produce webs as a refuge and to lay eggs. They’re especially fond of laying their eggs in dark, dry spots like basements or storage boxes.
They’ve also been known to build webs in old clothing and shoes that you haven’t worn for some time.
8 Spiders That Look Like Brown Recluse
Giant House Spider
Scientific name: Eratigena duellica
The giant house spider is a type of spider that is found in the United States.
The dark brown spider with lighter markings on the sternum is known as the giant house spider. There are three light regions on each side, which make an arrow shape pointing towards the spider’s head. They can be brown, yellow, or red and have hairy legs, abdomen, and pedipalps.
Barn Funnel Weaver
Scientific name: Tegenaria domestica.
The barn funnel weaver is a type of spider that is found in the United States and Europe.
The brown or gray spider with darker markings on its legs and abdomen is known as the barn funnel weaver. These spiders build webs that look like a funnel, which they use to trap their prey. They are typically found in barns, sheds, and other buildings.
These spiders range in color from dark orange to brown with striped legs and two black stripes on the cephalothorax. The abdomen has a chevron pattern.
Hobo Spider
Scientific name: Eratigena agrestis.
The hobo spider is a kind of spider that can be found in the United States. They have no leg bands. The abdomen has a chevron design, with the chevrons pointing towards the head. They also have a faint line that runs down the sternum, as well as a diffused pattern on their cephalothorax.
Cellar Spider
Scientific name: Pholcus manueli.
The cellar spider is a type of spider that is found in the United States. They are light brown or gray and have long, thin legs. These spiders build webs in dark, damp places such as cellars and basements.
The body length is 8mm, with a 25mm leg span. These are said to be the most hazardous spiders because of their venom, which has been proven to be the most toxic; nevertheless, their mouths and fangs are too tiny to bite a human.
Schizocosa Mccooki
Scientific name: Schizocosa Mccooki
Schizocosa mccooki is a species of wolf spider in the family Lycosidae.
This is a hefty brown spider with a dark diamond shape over the cardiac region. Mature females can reach a body length of 22mm, whereas males are just 15.5mm long.
Commonly found in California and the Western United States.
Lance Wolf Spider
Scientific name: Schizocosa avida.
The lance wolf spider can be found throughout the United States, although they are more common in the Eastern regions. They hide during the day in backyards, meadows, fields, and pastures.
They are spiders with a leg span of up to two inches. Their legs are gray, brown, or yellow and lack any banding. The light brown body has a blond stripe down the carapace that fades to two stripes surrounding a dark lance-like marking where it meets the abdomen.
Rabid Wolf Spider
Scientific name: Rabidosa rabida.
The crimson wolf spider is distinguished by two distinct black stripes on the cephalothorax and one similar color on the belly. Females are larger than males and have a yellow base color. They have eight eyes in two rows of four, with females being larger than males.
Arizona Black Hole Spider
Scientific name: Kukulcania arizonica.
The Arizona black hole spider is a black spider with a velvet texture that can be found in Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, and California. The females are longer than the males at 113mm in length. brown recluse males These spiders create webs in nooks and crannies of buildings.
They build their webs in areas that are undisturbed and have few vibrations.
Southern House Spider
Scientific name: Kukulcania hibernalis
The body length of a female southern house spider may reach 0.74 inches (19mm), while males are somewhat smaller at 0.39 inches (10mm). Males are brown or amber, with females ranging from charcoal to black to brown.
Both have gray velvet-like hair on their bellies. It’s easy to mix up a male southern house spider with a brown recluse.