Belonging to a small-sized arachnid species, the brown recluse spider is the one to be found in shady corners both indoors and outdoors. Unlike most other spiders that grow in our homes, the brown recluse spider does not weave a web, but creates an apparently disordered thread shelter. This species likes to live undisturbed in quiet places like the cellar, the garage, sheds and other locations that are neither too humid nor too bright.
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| Brown recluse as compared to a U.S.A. penny (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
In the open air, the brown recluse spider is to be found in rotten tree bark which they inhabit naturally without being disturbed. There is one thing that definitely sets the brown recluse spider apart from other fellow-spiders: the way it hunts. The whole purpose of weaving a web or creating a maze of threads is to make the perfect trap for catching prey; yet, the brown recluse spider does not consider that enough. The males are likely to leave their nest and go hunt somewhere else, while the females will not go far from the web. Their favorite hunting moment is the night, when there are less chances of being disturbed, threatened or exposed to the dangers of the outside world.
How can one actually recognize a brown recluse spider? When you see a brown recluse spider for the first time it is impossible not to notice how much it resembles a violin; it is actually known as the “fiddle-back” spider or the “violin spider” for the color pattern it has on the back and bottom areas. Though the color specific to the species is brown, there are yellow and black varieties too, nevertheless, these color patterns are not a general characteristic of the brown recluse spider. The color variety may be absent, just as the violin marking can be hardly visible.
Nevertheless, there is one other element that clearly makes the recognition of the brown recluse spider possible. One identification method used by scientists consists in checking how many pairs of eyes the species has; the brown recluse spider has only three pairs of eyes, unlike most other spiders that have four. Two eyes are located in a median position while the other four are placed on the sides of the body. Moreover, another feature that makes the brown recluse spider stand apart is the absence of any coloration on the abdomen or the legs, which is pretty unique in the arachnid world. As their very name suggests, you should expect no threat from these creatures as they are neither aggressive nor dangerous.
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