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Species Loxosceles rufescens - Mediterranean Recluse

Loxosceles from west bank of Mississippi, metro New Orleans - Loxosceles rufescens - female Loxosceles from west bank of Mississippi, metro New Orleans - Loxosceles rufescens - female Florida Loxosceles - Loxosceles rufescens - female Mediterranean Recluse - Loxosceles rufescens - female Mediterranean Recluse - Loxosceles rufescens - male Loxosceles rufescens - female Loxosceles rufescens - male - female Loxosceles rufescens - male - female
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Chelicerata (Chelicerates)
Class Arachnida (Arachnids)
Order Araneae (Spiders)
Infraorder Araneomorphae (True Spiders)
No Taxon (Synspermiata)
Family Sicariidae
Genus Loxosceles (Brown Spiders)
Species rufescens (Mediterranean Recluse)
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Explanation of Names
Author of the name: Dufour. Year first published: 1820.
Range
Northeastern United States (1)
Remarks
An introduced species. The bites of these spiders do not produce the severe reactions typically associated with the brown recluse spider. (1)

"Loxosceles rufescens apparently has not been associated with cases of human loxoscelism, but in experiments done on mice and rabbits, the venom of L. rufescens has been found to have effects similar to those of Loxosceles reclusa (Smith and Micks, 1968; Shulov et al., 1962)" (2)
Internet References
(1) http://ento.psu.edu - Fact sheet on recluse spiders.
(2) bk.osu.edu - LOXOSCELES RUFESCENS FOUND IN COLUMBUS, OHIO.

~ www.marion.ohio-state.edu - Comparison image.