Orkin Exterminator & Termite Control

Brown Recluse Spider California Desert

Brown recluse spiders are endemic to the American South and Midwest. They are found from Missouri to Ohio and southward to Texas and Georgia. Contrary to popular belief, brown recluse spiders are not native to California. There are other recluse spiders in California. A specimen collected from the California desert is most likely a desert recluse spider, or Loxosceles deserta.

Due to their aesthetic likenesses, desert recluse spiders are often mistakenly identified as brown recluse spiders. Desert recluse spiders also have only six eyes, as opposed to the eight eyes present on most other spider species. Like the brown recluse, these eyes are arranged in three pairs known as dyads.

Desert recluses are generally sandy or tan in color, with light brown abdomens. Their legs are longer than those of the brown recluse. The characteristic fiddle-shape of the brown recluse is faint, if not absent, on the body of the desert recluse.

The most common of Californian recluse spiders, the desert recluse is found in the Sonoran and Mojave deserts. The desert recluse is also indigenous to Arizona, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico and Texas. As with brown recluses, desert recluses are known to have a necrotic bite, resulting in large, open sores.

Brown Recluse Spider Range

Where Do Brown Recluse Spiders Live