They’re far more robust than most spiders, being able to handle temperatures ranging from 40 to 110 degrees, they’re a spider that will stay active during winter inside a home. They can be found in almost every state due to accidental hitchhiking in cars, trucks, or moving vans. These tiny critters are very shy and prefer warmer climates, so there’s a chance you may never encounter one (although, let’s face it – if you’re here then you likely have one reading over your shoulder).
Related: How to Get Rid of Spider Eggs Where Are Brown Recluse Spiders Found? Credit The silken sacks are webbed in a safe place and eggs generally hatch in three to four weeks for the process to start over.
lay a second egg sac soon after the first if something has happened to it.Įach clutch may contain as many as 50 eggs, with the average female being able to lay as many as 300 eggs during their lifetime. Adult females have the ability to double clutch, i.e. These critters prefer to mate in the summer when food is most plentiful. Surprisingly, brown recluse spiders prefer their food to already be dead, and may live for up to six months in an airtight container without food or water, and it’s believed that figure may be as long as 10 months in the wild. Upon reaching adulthood, they will usually live one to two years, although ideal conditions may allow them to live for as long as three years. Brown Recluse Life Cycleīrown recluse spiderlings take 10 to 12 months to mature and are easily mistaken for young black widows. While it’s not pleasant to get too close, if your spider has abdominal markings, spiny leg hairs, multiple colors on its body, or more than six eyes, it’s just another Elvis recluse impersonator. It has only three pairs of eyes, arranged in a single curved row.Its legs have very fine hairs instead of spines.Coloration is a solid color, ranging from yellow-tan to dark brown, with a dark brown violin shape on its prosoma (AKA the cephalothorax or head/thorax bit), with the neck of the violin pointing towards its abdomen.Their legs give them an overall span of up to an inch.
They have a small body, measuring only 1/3 to 1/2 inches long with an oval abdomen.What Does a Brown Recluse Spider Look Like?Īs with famous human killers, there are always copycats out there trying to emulate the brown recluse, but there are some rather distinctive features which will help you discover if it’s the real deal. While not safe around small children, their docile manner makes them easy to care for. Brown recluse spiders are actually kept as pets in some parts of the world and are especially popular in Australia among experienced arachnid enthusiasts.