Loxosceles reclusa (brown recluse spider, hobo spider, violin spider)

Introduction

Six eyes, including legs, diameter twice the diameter of a penny

Image:

Epidemiology

• indigenous to south central United States.
  • Texas to Tennessee, southern Illinois to the Florida panhandle
  • secluded, dry sheltered areas
  • bites may occur if spider has concealed itself in clothing or upholstery

Pathology

• brown recluse venom is cytotoxic & hemolytic
• bites in fatty regions such as thigh result in localized necrotic skin lesion, generally solitary.
• systemic symptoms (loxoscelism) include morbilliform rash, fever/chills, nausea/vomiting, arthralgias, hemolysis, disseminated intravascular coagulation, renal failure, seizures & coma
• osteomyelitis may be a complication

More general terms

• spider

Additional terms

• spider bite