Range of the Brown Recluse - Loxosceles reclusa

Could just be an estimate

Its always impossible to have a definite range for anything. Plus often times a recluse bite does not mean brown recluse. Other recluses can cause crater-like bites as well. My boyfriend got bit by something that left a crater, but it wasn't a brown recluse.

… Natalie Hernandez, 1 June, 2009 - 3:44pm

map estimate

From my studies and observations, the map would be fairly accurate,
also noting that outside the shaded area the loxosceles reclusa
is just simply not going to be found.
I lived in the Dallas Texas area for 3 years, and was not able
to find 'one' specimen of the brown recluse. Well within the
boundary shown on the map.

… Daniel Grafflin, 2 August, 2009 - 5:28am

I'm not disagreeing with the map.

I believe it is fairly accurate, but I also think that a single brown recluse could make its way somewhere on accident. I was just trying to illustrate the point that while a map may not be absolutely 100% accurate I sincerely doubt recieving a crater like bite in Maine means the brown recluse is present there. Many doctors say "its a recluse bite" as a generalization, they often don't know what type of recluse, or really if it is a recluse at all.

… Natalie Hernandez, 2 August, 2009 - 12:22pm

This map seems wrong...

I live in Massachusetts, and I know we have brown recluse spiders, I found one in my bathroom the other day, after my boyfriend complained of a bug bite, which turned into a crater wound. My friend Morgan who lives in Pennsylvania has also suffered multiple bites, all diagnosed by a doctor to be recluse bites.

… Demixius, 9 May, 2009 - 11:29am

Doubtful

The only way to diagnose a recluse bite is by catching the spider after witnessing the bite, and having the spider identified by someone with training in arachnology.

Doctors are notorious for diagnosing recluse bites in the absence of- and even in direct contradiction to- actual direct evidence as to what caused the bite. There are all kinds of bites, stings, infections, and medical conditions that are very frequently misidentified as recluse bites by even very good doctors.

There are also dozens of species that get misidentified as recluses even by people like entomologists who should know better.

Feel free to post an image of your recluse, though. There's always a faint chance you might be right.

… Chuck Entz, 20 June, 2009 - 10:09pm

this range seems a little sketchy

I'm not sure about the accuracy of this range map, I live in the Big Bend area of west Texas and I know for a fact the we have Brown Recluses. I was even bitten once when I was little and had the crater wound and everything.

… jdmorlock, 28 April, 2009 - 9:53pm

This map is for Loxosceles reclusa

If you follow the link to the map used as a source, you'll see that there's another species that lives in the Bug Bend area: Loxosceles blanda

… Chuck Entz, 20 June, 2009 - 9:49pm

As far as the range goes

I know for sure that they are not just located in the south eastern United States. I live in western British Columbia Canada(in the top left corner of this map), and my mom was bitten by a recluse in our house. we had the spider for ID. Mom showed me the spider she killed when she got bitten and it took her 3 weeks to go to the doctor, even though I told her over and over and over that it was a recluse and had necrotizing venom. By the time she went, she had a crater of a wound. So I can say without a doubt that the map above is not entirely correct.

… Crystal Slaght, 23 October, 2008 - 1:43am

Forgive me for being skeptical

Feel free to post an image of any recluse you find: if that's really what it is, it'll be quite a discovery. Unless you're trained in spider identification, though, the odds are pretty good that you're wrong.

There are many, many things that can cause necrotic wounds, including spiders that do live in your area.

… Chuck Entz, 20 June, 2009 - 10:20pm

Maps

I appreciate the consideration, but you guys don't need to credit MapServer or me on these maps. :)

You'd think the copyright on such map "interpretation" has come up before with all the field guides out there. But I couldn't find anything relevant doing a web search. I would think it was safe to make the map and then link to the source.

On a side note, BugGuide's JPEG compression sort of ruins maps uploaded this way.

… Mike Boone, 2 October, 2005 - 8:37pm

Maps

Thanks for your help!

… Chris Wirth, 2 October, 2005 - 9:26pm