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For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada
Photo#246057
What kind of spider?? - Loxosceles

What kind of spider?? - Loxosceles
3 miles from Blanchester, Clinton County, Ohio, USA
October 5, 2008
I found this spider in the garage.

Images of this individual: tag all
What kind of spider?? - Loxosceles What kind of spider?? - Loxosceles

Loxosceles
What a great find. I'm quite jealous as these are fairly rare here in Ohio.

Hard to tell from markings alone, but I'm leaning towards L. rufescens.

Unless the identifications by Gertsch(1) are in question, both rufescens and reclusa have been found in the Cincinnati area; reclusa from Loveland, and rufescens from Cincinnati and Columbus.

Hopefully you aren't alarmed by this. I can't stress enough that the reports of human envenomation are greatly exaggerated. In some states, the number of recluse envenomations reported is far greater than the total number of actual specimens that have ever been collected(2)(3)(4).

If you are at all nervous, I highly recommend reading this article, titled An Infestation of 2,055 Brown Recluse Spiders and No Envenomations in a Kansas Home. Click the "Free PDF" link to view the entire article.

Can you be more specific
about where in Ohio? Our range map just shows them in the Cincinnati area.

 
The part of Ohio I am in.....
I am in the South West part of Ohio. The closest town (3 miles) is BLanchester. I live close to the woods. I found this spider on a coat that was in my garage.

Not positive
but check out images of the Brown Recluse here in the guide and see what you think. One of our experts will know for sure.

 
Loxosceles sp.
According to my friend Dr. Greta Binford, an expert on venomous spiders, only the "Mediterranean brown spider," Loxosceles rufescens, has been recorded from the Cincinnati area. I know we had them at the zoo when I worked there (not in cages, unfortunately! LOL!). This specimen is definitely in the genus Loxosceles at any rate.