Brown Recluse?

Cychedelia

Active Member
Aug 26, 2014
2,134
12
38
Cedar Rapids
Doesn't look like one to me:
BrownRecluse.jpg
 

enisthemenace

Well-Known Member
Dec 5, 2009
13,961
10,155
113
Runnells, IA
Yeah...your's is alive and a professional photo. Mine has been hit with about a whole can of raid, and only after it was dead did I use a stick to spread it legs out.
 

Cychedelia

Active Member
Aug 26, 2014
2,134
12
38
Cedar Rapids
Yeah...your's is alive and a professional photo. Mine has been hit with about a whole can of raid, and only after it was dead did I use a stick to spread it legs out.

I'm not looking at the color, I'm looking at the shape of its legs and body. Your spider looks to have thicker legs and Cephalothroax.
 

enisthemenace

Well-Known Member
Dec 5, 2009
13,961
10,155
113
Runnells, IA
Might be a wolf spider. I couldn't get myself to look close enough to see if it had 3 or 4 sets of eyes. Damn thing was definitely looking at me though. Pretty sure it winked right before I drew first.
 

Gunnerclone

Well-Known Member
Jul 16, 2010
75,682
80,070
113
DSM
In my two run ins with BR's I seem to remember them being "shiny" for lack of a better term, almost the look of a nice hardwood floor.
 

GTO

Well-Known Member
Mar 25, 2014
29,326
39,914
113
North DFW, TX
Yeah, definitely wolf spider. I used to get a ton of them at my house, though much less lately. They're mostly small to medium size, but can sometimes get pretty big. I killed one in my garage once that was probably about 4-5 inches long and pretty thick. At first sight, I thought it was something worse, but after half a can of raid, I took a closer look and it was just a huge wolf spider.
 

cowgirl836

Well-Known Member
Sep 3, 2009
51,464
43,340
113
we used to get those (the wolf kind) in the basement at the farm (probably cause it was basically a dirt floor).


There was one in my farm boots one time. I discovered that by trying to put the boot on. :(

Kept my boots upside down and shook them heavily before putting them on after that.
 

CyStalker

Well-Known Member
Jul 16, 2012
1,764
142
63
Ankeny
Not that a brown recluse can't be out, but they like to hide and be out of sight. They tend to bite when you hand reaches into an area they are hiding, or will bite when hiding in a shoe and you don the shoe. My point is they don't usually bite unless they feel cornered.
 

GrindingAway

Well-Known Member
SuperFanatic
SuperFanatic T2
Nov 27, 2006
5,461
3,462
113
Don't BR's have a cello or violin shaped marking on their backs?

Yes I've always wondered how helpful that is in practice.

Hey is that a Brown recluse?

Let me look closer.

Hey that looks like a violin.

Ahhh it bit me in the eye.
 

GTO

Well-Known Member
Mar 25, 2014
29,326
39,914
113
North DFW, TX
Yes I've always wondered how helpful that is in practice.

Hey is that a Brown recluse?

Let me look closer.

Hey that looks like a violin.

Ahhh it bit me in the eye.


LOL!!! I do think it helps a bit depending on the spider. I had a black widow in my garage and was able to identify it by the red hourglass right away. Never seen a brown recluse, though, so not sure how clear of a marking it is. If in doubt, kill first, call the spider's family later to identify the remains (then kill them too).