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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Arachnids (Arachnida) » Spiders (Araneae) » True Spiders (Araneomorphae) » Haplogynes » Recluse Spiders (Sicariidae) » Recluse Spiders (Loxosceles) » Mediterranean Recluse (Loxosceles rufescens)
Photo#347645
Loxosceles rufescens - female
Copyright © 2005 wolfpacksved

Loxosceles rufescens - Female
Vigo County, Indiana, USA
March 20, 2005
Size: legspan=50 cent piece
Loxosceles rufescens, the Mediterranean recluse spider, originated in the Mediterranean region. It has, however, been introduced to the United States. This specimen was submitted to a university in Illinois and an examination of the reproductive organs confirmed this to be rufescens, not reclusa. When I captured this spider, I thought it was a brown recluse. ID can only be confirmed via an examination of the reproductive organs.Habitat a dry storage room full of boxes; numerous specimens found.
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Contributed by wolfpacksved on 30 October, 2009 - 1:19pm
Last updated 30 October, 2009 - 9:57pm

Moved
Thanks for posting this. It seems that the habitat described as 'dry' may appear odd for the species as they are supposed to like 'cooler, more humid places' than the brown recluse.
… Lynette Schimming, 30 October, 2009 - 9:57pm login or register to post comments

very interesting
Is the date correct, '05? You say the specimen was submitted to U. in Illinois. Was the spider found in Vigo County? City?
… Andrew Williams, 30 October, 2009 - 1:50pm login or register to post comments

 
date, locality correct
found March of 05' in Vigo County, Indiana. Was browsing old pics and decided to post because I sent this specimen to the folks @ http://department.monm.edu/biology/recluse-project/index.htm. The intention was to simply donate some voucher animals to their collection of what I thought was reclusa. I sent specimens from 2 different localities within Vigo County. One locality yielded only reclusa and one locality yielded only rufescens.
… wolfpacksved, 30 October, 2009 - 2:07pm login or register to post comments

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