Gage County
1115 West Scott St.,
Beatrice NE 68310
Phone: (402) 223-1384
FAX: (402) 223-1370

Brown Recluse Spider

© Department of Entomology University of Nebraska-Lincoln image taken by: Jim Kalisch, UNL Entomology

Brown recluse spiders are medium-sized, tannish brown to dark brown in color. Of the 13 species of "brown" spiders in the United States, the Loxosceles reclusa is the most widspread, with Nebraska on the northern-most edge of it's range. Brown recluse spiders have a fiddle-shaped mark on their back, with the base of the fiddle at the top of the head and the fiddle neck pointing toward the abdomen. The fiddle marking may be faded or missing in juvenile spiders. The key distinguishing characteristic is the six eyes arranged in pairs in the base of the fiddle. Most spiders have 8 eyes (4 pairs). You will need a magnifying glass to see this level of detail. For more information contact your local Extension office.

On-line sites offering additional information are:

Ohio State University Fact Sheet

Brown Recluse and other spider identification

to Contact our Staff

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