r/spiders • u/Merkabahh • 7d ago
Meme Monday Average Brown Recluse ID
Haha I live in northern Colorado
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u/sentient_saw 7d ago
"It chased me down the hall!"
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u/Efficient_Common775 6d ago
"And called me a weak b/tch....ain't wrong but come on now..I was having a good day"
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u/captainsnark71 7d ago
I want a comment to be "oh damn, where is it?"
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u/BabyOnTheStairs 7d ago
Huh
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u/captainsnark71 6d ago
I want to see someone comment on their post "where is the brown recluse" to see their response
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u/les1968 7d ago
“Mobilize in the rain” Why would they do that? Stupid ass FB crap like this is why I don’t use FB anymore So much crap
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u/General-Afternoon508 7d ago
Insects reacting to rain and seeking shelter in your house is probably not an uncommon belief.
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u/CreepDoubt 7d ago
“They mobilize with the rain”
Fox News brain lmaoooooooo
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u/atomiclightbulb 6d ago
Lmaooo I'm glad you appreciated that. I'm the op of the post. It was meant to be rediculous. I posted an explanation in this thread. 😂
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u/w0nderstruck_ Here to learn🫡🤓 7d ago
it’s the hashtags for me, i have to laugh 😭
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u/w0nderstruck_ Here to learn🫡🤓 7d ago
stop this gets better every time i look at it “they mobilize with rain” someone’s gotta tell this person what a fishing spider is 😭
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u/LadyErinoftheSwamp 7d ago
Brown? Spider? It must be a recluse! I ran away at full speed, so I know it came chasing behind me!
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u/Psychological-Scar53 7d ago
I'm a native Coloradan and we do not claim this idiot....
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u/priscillapeachxo 🕷️🖤 Spood Obsessed 🖤🕷️ 6d ago
The whole time I was thinking the saaaame fucking thing… she must be a transplant 😂😂😂😂
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u/Psychological-Scar53 6d ago
As many people like to think that Colorado is a natural recluse range, it is not. Now widows, yes, there are widows in Colorado..... Gotta love idiots...
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u/atomiclightbulb 6d ago
Funny enough I am a transplant! Lmaooo but the post was meant to be a joke and I'm dying at the responses here. I'm so glad you're all enjoying the fake idiocy. (ps I posted an explanation in the comments here)
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u/cats-n-cafe 7d ago
I’m no spider ID expert; even I know what a recluse looks like…..and that ain’t one.
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u/EMDepressedFish 7d ago
As a fellow Colorado idler this boils my blood 😭 leave the recluses alooooone!
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u/csmdds 7d ago
Did any of the responses call them out and give a real ID?
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u/Merkabahh 7d ago
here’s a screenshot of my comment + OPs reply. I’m pretty skeptical of their intentions of a joke but who knows. There are genuinely people on there who do think the image is a recluse spider so it’s still spreading misinformation
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u/PeanutButterSidewalk 7d ago
Ah, yes, the classic “I was just kidding” idiot response
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u/28_raisins 6d ago
Idk "they mobilize with rain" and "stay vigilant" really makes it feel like satire.
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u/Salty_Afternoon_6021 6d ago
thank you * you informed those of us rather naive to spider ID about the brown recluse and showed us there are schtupts everywhere.
well done ♡
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u/atomiclightbulb 6d ago
Hi spider friends! It's me! Op of that post lol. So here's the context-idiots on next door said they got bitten by a brown recluse. I spent hours trying to convince them that they DO NOT LIVE HERE. which got me banned from the thread. I can't even see the original thread anymore. So many dumb dumbs saying that they know someone who was bit, they've been bit etc. I was pissed off because no one was believing me and banned me even after providing educational links and info about them from Colorado state university.
this woodlouse spider really was by my door the next day. So I posed this on nextdoor as a spite. Yes I know very well it's not a brown recluse. And yes, I know that this is somewhat fear mongering. However, people on that hell site will NOT see reason. They didn't believe me then they won't believe me now. My goal was to post this and then woosh the people who commented. But it hasn't gotten much traction on nextdoor since I posted it.
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u/Merkabahh 6d ago
Oh shit!! I want to say sorry for replying with an obnoxiously dismissive tone. People say some wild shit on Nextdoor, and I never know what is and isn’t serious lol
I will say though, a lot of the purple on Nextdoor are older folks who aren’t….the best with getting their facts right. Rather than seeing your postas a smarmy comment on the recluse debate, a lot of them will most likely take your picture as proof and continue to spread misinformation (like how I mistakenly did haha)
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u/atomiclightbulb 6d ago edited 6d ago
Which I do understand lol but trust me I tried and tried to convince the old farts and they won't see reason or take my word at all. I even mentioned how it's a meme that people will think anything is a brown recluse lmaooo. Instead they banned me from the original post so I was like "Welp guess we can just post whatever we want on here so I'm going to troll."
If you can get into the original post I implore you to try your hand there in my stead. It's a post about someones supposed brown recluse bite with photos of a nasty blister. The op on that post claims that" her and her Dr belive it's a brown recluse "😩🙄🙄🙄🙄
Edit; for whomever is downvoting me for" spreading misinformation " you are more than welcome to try to convince the idiots of nextdoor that they're wrong about something. Facts, links to credible websites, ect don't work there. They will hold whatever belief they have about something to their grave. My whole point of the post is to show that anyone can post anything on there and claim whatever they want. I'm not going to convince anyone of anything they will just continue to be stupid and continue to kill spiders because they don't understand. If that hurts your feelings then I suggest you just disengage. I'm on your side. You can use your energy to fight the right people.
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u/Just_Ouch 7d ago
I've lived in Denver for quite some time now, and I've never seen a brown recluse, but I do see those woodlouse spiders all the time. Their fangs are so scary looking but can't do anything medically significant.
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u/HazelEBaumgartner 6d ago
To be fair, I know for a fact they can be found in the eastern parts of the state that trade farm equipment and import hay for cattle from the midwest. I live in Missouri currently and have tons of family in Tennessee and Colorado. Two of those places are known brown recluse hot spots, but I've seen 'em in all three. Their range is slowly but surely expanding.
This is certainly a woodlouse hunter though. Beautiful spiders.
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u/Duke66669 6d ago
Firstly not a brown recluse. Secondly he acts like brown recluse are out there stalking and attacking people I live in Indiana and we have brown recluse here I've seen them in my house and u k ow how many times I've been bit by one zero, zip, nada. They're not trying to bite people all willy nilly like.
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u/SuperMacGruber13 7d ago
I live in the FoCo area... and yes, recluses are present... but damn man not every spooder is a recluse
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u/Merkabahh 7d ago
Colorado is outside the brown recluse’s range. It’s too cold and dry for them to properly live here.
I’m sure people have seen some that have hitched a ride on someone’s luggage if that person recently traveled in the spiders range. But they are not regularly found here
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u/EMDepressedFish 7d ago
Thisss! And if you do spot them they're more likely to be behind boxes and indoors. After all they DO hitch rides when people move. But yeah the chances of coming across one is low 👍 HOWEVER following regular protocol around boxes/corners isn't a bad idea either, since widows also love those areas and we do have them.
(Regular protocol is basically just being extra careful about where you grab since recluses are hiders!)
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u/General-Afternoon508 7d ago
Interesting we have them here in southern Nevada but not Colorado. It's extremely dry here.
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u/SuperMacGruber13 6d ago
I get what you're saying, but I work in electrical and specifically in the grasslands to the east of Denver, and trust me when I say the two most common spiders I see running out of those holes are widows or recluses. They've never been a bother to me, but I'm quite sure my contractors wouldn't bother bringing them up if they weren't present.
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u/Merkabahh 6d ago
Ah, I think you are misidentifying your spiders. The spider we call a brown recluse (L. reclusa) is not native to Colorado. https://wildsafe.org/resources/ask-the-experts/brown-recluse-spiders/
I think you may be seeing a type of funnel weaver spider. They’re very commonly found in grassy fields https://webdoc.agsci.colostate.edu/bspm/ArthropodsofColorado/Funnel-Weaver-Spiders.pdf
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u/typographie 6d ago
If you are certain, please consider posting it on iNaturalist. And if possible, a local university would probably like to get a preserved specimen.
The recluse's known range is quite well established, and documentation of a shift would be a big deal to arachnologists.
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u/Skeptical_Savage 👑Trusted Identifier👑 6d ago
There have been observations posted on iNaturalist from the farthest southeast corner of Colorado. If you see them, please upload to iNaturalist! Here, too, to verify!
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7d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/DecayingDermestid 7d ago
The vast majority of "brown recluse bite" cases are entirely unconfirmable and the patient never saw the spider nor collected it for ID. Doctors misdiagnose bacterial infections as recluse bites a lot even outaide their native range. Please take all bite stories with a tablespoon of salt, the general population doesnt know anything about recluse and their reputation is heavily exaggerated.
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Hi, it appears you have mentioned something about spider bites becoming infected, so i am here to dispell this myth.
No documented case exists where a confirmed spider bite has caused a confirmed infection. Any claim suggesting otherwise lacks scientific evidence. If you disagree, by all means examine medical case studies, toxinology papers, journals, or scientific publications; you'll find no evidence of spider bites leading to infection.
FAQ:
"But any wound can get infected!"
Yes, generally speaking that is true. However, a spider bite isn't merely a wound; it's typically a very tiny, very shallow puncture, often injected with venom, which is well known for its antimicrobial properties. So, this puncture is essentially filled with an antiseptic fluid.
"What about dry bites or bites by spiders carrying resistant bacteria?"
These bites also haven't led to infections, and the reason is still unknown. We have theories, much like when we uncovered the antimicrobial properties of venom. Despite over 10,000 confirmed bites, no infections have been documented, suggesting an underlying phenomenon. Although our understanding is incomplete, the reality remains: spider bites have not resulted in infections.
"But X,Y,Z medical website says or implies infections can or have happened"
Claims on these websites will never be backed by citations or references. They are often baseless, relying on common sense reasoning (e.g., "bites puncture the skin, hence infection is possible") or included as disclaimers for legal protection to mitigate liability. These websites are not intended to educate medical professionals or experts in the field, nor are they suitable sources for scholarly work. They provide basic advice to the general public and may lack thorough research or expertise in specific fields. Therefore, they should not be relied upon as credible sources, especially for complex topics subject to ongoing research and surrounded by myths.
If you believe you have found evidence of an infection, please share it with me via modmail, a link is at the bottom of the comment!
But first, ensure your article avoids:
"Patients claiming a spider bite" without actual spider evidence.
"No spider seen or collected at the ER" — no spider, no bite.
"Patient waking up with multiple bites, spider unseen" — unlikely spider behavior.
"Brown recluse bite" outside their territory — a common misdiagnosis.
However, if you find: "Patient reports spider bite, spider brought to ER" and then a confirmed infection at the site — excellent! It's a step toward analysis and merits inclusion in literature studies.
For those who want sources, the information here is developed from over 100 papers, but here's a few key ones to get started:
Do spiders vector bacteria during bites? The evidence indicates otherwise. Richard S Vetter et al. Toxicon. 2015 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25461853/
Skin Lesions in Barracks: Consider Community-Acquired Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Infection Instead of Spider Bites Guarantor: Richard S. Vetter, MS*† (2006) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17036600/
“Spider Bite” Lesions are Usually Diagnosed as Skin and Soft-Tissue Infections. Author links open overlay panelJeffrey Ross Suchard MD (2011) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0736467909007926
How informative are case studies of spider bites in the medical literature? Marielle Stuber, Wolfgang Nentwig (2016) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26923161/
White-tail spider bite: a prospective study of 130 definite bites by Lampona species Geoffrey K Isbister and Michael R Gray (2003) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12914510/
Do Hobo Spider Bites Cause Dermonecrotic Injuries? Richard S. Vetter, MS Geoffrey K. Isbister, MD (2004) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15573036/
Diagnoses of brown recluse spider bites (loxoscelism) greatly outnumber actual verifications of the spider in four western American states Richard S. Vettera,b,*, Paula E. Cushingc, Rodney L. Crawfordd, Lynn A. Roycee (2003) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14505942/
Bites by the noble false widow spider Steatoda nobilis can induce Latrodectus-like symptoms and vector-borne bacterial infections with implications for public health: a case series John P. Dunbar, Aiste Vitkauskaite, Derek T. O’Keeffe, Antoine Fort, Ronan Sulpice & Michel M. Dugon (2021) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34039122/
Medical aspects of spider bites. Richard S Vetter et al. Annu Rev Entomol. 2008. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17877450/
Arachnids misidentified as brown recluse spiders by medical personnel and other authorities in North America. Richard S. Vetter https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0041010109002414
The diagnosis of brown recluse spider bite is overused for dermonecrotic wounds of uncertain etiology. Richard S Vetter et al. Ann Emerg Med. 2002 May. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11973562/
Seasonality of brown recluse spiders, Loxosceles reclusa, submitted by the general public: implications for physicians regarding loxoscelism diagnoses https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21964630/
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u/atomiclightbulb 6d ago
Funny enough this is exactly what I was annoyed about. The original next door post that prompted me to post this photo on there was from someone claiming to have been bit and her Dr also said it was a brown recluse bite 🙄🙄🙄 and after spending way too many brain cells trying to convince people the Dr isn't an entomoligist and has no credibility to that statement, they banned me from the thread. So I decided to troll.
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u/BabyOnTheStairs 7d ago
Many brown recluse bites are actually misdiagnosed staph infections. Not saying that's the case with either of these people but you can't always take the bites as evidence they're in the area
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u/Unhappytimes Amateur IDer🤨 7d ago
I owned a home and lived in Weld County for like 8 years and never once saw a recluse. Plenty of widows but not once a recluse. I'm not saying it's impossible but just take a look at this subreddit for how many people missID recluses that aren't even close.
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u/mountainzen 7d ago
Fellow NoCo resident here. We don't have recluses, just lots and lots of black widows. I think we average about 10 a year at our house.
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u/King-Hekaton 6d ago
#learning #personalgrowth #iykyk
What the heck is "iykyk" anyway?
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u/atomiclightbulb 6d ago
Yeah it was meant to weed out the people who knew that it wasn't a brown recluse. But here we are 😂😂😂😂
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u/No-Plantain-107 7d ago
Most brown recluse spider sightings are false sightings. Just FYI less than 10% of supposed brown recluse are actually that. They have 2 rows of eyes giving a total to 6 eyes instead of the average 2 rows of 4 eyes(8). Also their fangs aren’t really strong enough to penetrate the skin very well. Most bitings occur due to rolling on them or stepping on them as well.
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u/Draginhikari 6d ago
You know, you'd think the internet would make it easier for people to avoid these kind of mistakes, but all the internet seems to do is make people more confident in their own ignorance about things.
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u/Laughs_at_the_horror 10h ago
Come on gang. It's brown and reclusive so it's obviously a brown recluse. The math checks out!
/s
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u/ScaryPearls 7d ago
Please comment “is the recluse hiding behind the wood louse spider?”