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Myth of the Brown Recluse

spiders.ucr.edu

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Re: Myth of the Brown Recluse

#11

Post by Mtinie »

As a native-born Californian, I’m glad to hear it.

As a long-term, transplanted resident of Virginia, however, I’m keenly aware of the statistically small, but non-zero chance of running afoul with a (suspected) brown recluse. In 2014 I spent six days in the hospital after being being bitten on the ankle.

Extensive courses of I.V. antibiotics were used to combat the necrotizing aspects of the venom. Along with a number of different topical anti-bactrials.

Unfortunately, because I did not capture the spider which bit me, it was impossible to definitively point to Loxosceles as the culprit, thus complicating treatment.

Recluse spider bites can be (relatively) painless, initially, and it could have happened while I was out hiking in the woods and stopped for a rest, or earlier, while at my home.

Re: Myth of the Brown Recluse

#12

Post by pvaldes »

> wood louse spiders (Dysdera crocota)

Small typo. Is Dysdera crocata, not crocota. I used to play with those things annoying it with a little stick in a mix of fear and admiration. Children love predators so It was like finding a lion under a rock. A terrific brick-red and cream animal with impressive extra big fangs. Very "pokemonesque".

Re: Myth of the Brown Recluse

#13

Post by kryogen1c »

ppseafield wrote: post #8
Multicomp wrote: post #4

In GA, I am wary for the black widow and the brown recluse, the former when indoors and the latter outdoors. I've not spotted either in months honestly, but I never stop being wary. As far as CA natives being super freaked out about it...meh? I don't blame you. Fiddler spiders are scary looking and after seeing some of the wounds online, it's quite the eye opener. I have never personally met someone in either GA or A…

Both the widow and the recluse are quite timid. Widow bites are generally not dangerous unless you're elderly, very young, or immunocompromised. They'll swell and be red for a while, but it's not life-threatening. Get near a widow, poke it, and it cowers in fear. The recluse's bite isn't itself dangerous - it's the necrotic bacteria that they carry that can get into your bite, which IIRC happens in about 20-25% of bi…

How interesting! Ive known several people with brown recluse bites and I always assumed the (rather unpalatable) necrosis was from the venom, not some cofactor like bacteria.

Upon reflection, it makes total sense. The presentations they had would be identical to serious infection, ie visible red marks on the skin tracing blood vessels and following the blood flow.

Re: Myth of the Brown Recluse

#15

Post by pvaldes »

ppseafield wrote: post #8
Multicomp wrote: post #4

In GA, I am wary for the black widow and the brown recluse, the former when indoors and the latter outdoors. I've not spotted either in months honestly, but I never stop being wary. As far as CA natives being super freaked out about it...meh? I don't blame you. Fiddler spiders are scary looking and after seeing some of the wounds online, it's quite the eye opener. I have never personally met someone in either GA or A…

Both the widow and the recluse are quite timid. Widow bites are generally not dangerous unless you're elderly, very young, or immunocompromised. They'll swell and be red for a while, but it's not life-threatening. Get near a widow, poke it, and it cowers in fear. The recluse's bite isn't itself dangerous - it's the necrotic bacteria that they carry that can get into your bite, which IIRC happens in about 20-25% of bi…

A solitary male spider will run and take cover, but a mother will stand their position and will not hesitate to bite to defend its eggsac or spiderlings.

Re: Myth of the Brown Recluse

#16

Post by macintux »

fastball wrote: post #3
3rdAccount wrote: post #2

As someone living right in recluse territory, I'm constantly terrified when going into a closet to get clothes...etc, even though I see black widows all the time. Any time you're at the gas pump or in your garage, look around and you can probably find one.

Yeah, I was hoping that this article would talk about how Brown Recluse aren't actually dangerous (as I live in Texas), but instead it talked about California, and it appears Brown Recluse are still quite dangerous. I see them a lot. Could we change the title to "Myth of the Brown Recluse in California" or something?

> I was hoping that this article would talk about how Brown Recluse aren't actually dangerous

It does to some degree, with anecdotes of interactions with no ill effects.

Clearly it can cause severe health issues, but the vast majority if the time it doesn't.

Re: Myth of the Brown Recluse

#17

Post by howard941 »

What happens when you mix a brown recluse and a black widow? You get a brown widow. (Not really).

These http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/URBAN/SPIDERS/brown_wido... things are all over SW Florida insofar as I can tell from the egg sacs littering my lanai. There's more to say about them - but not now, I feel bad about passive/aggressive threadjacking. I'll just leave that link here for my fellow Floriduhuns.

Re: Myth of the Brown Recluse

#19

Post by Chazprime »

On the flip side, increased awareness of the little buggers is probably better for bite victims.

The mother of one of my childhood friends in chilly New Hampshire went to the hospital with a rash a few years back and several visits emerged missing a chunk of her back about the size of a tennis ball. Having never seen one, the doctors never even considered she might have a dangerous spider bite.

Re: Myth of the Brown Recluse

#20

Post by josephpmay »

comesee wrote: post #18

[flagged]

I think it’s less suggesting a conspiracy and more suggesting media hysteria and lack of fact checking. It relates to the Gell-Mann: a lot of the media, and especially local TV news, is really terrible and careless about their coverage of technical subjects
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