Pest Library

Characteristics

The Arizona brown spider is a species of the brown recluse. Male and female have similar size and are 1/4 to 1/2 inches in length. They have long, thin legs, yellow to light brown color, and have a darker colored violin shape at the top of their cephalothorax. They only have six eyes compared to other spiders that have eight.

Habitat

The Arizona brown spider is also known as the Arizona recluse spider. They are mostly distributed in Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas. These spiders create disorderly threads of webs to create their shelter. They create their homes in woodpiles, sheds, loose bark, under rocks, tires and inner tubes, and in dry places. When they are found indoors, they may reside in garages, cellars, basements, smokehouses, barns, cardboard boxes, shoes, inside the dressers, behind baseboards and pictures, in toilets, and so on. Places that are not commonly used are their preferred spots.

Behavior

The Arizona brown spider creates irregular webs for shelter. These spiders will mostly avoid being seen since they are shy and sedentary. When they do go out from their webs, they will do this at night. Males usually leave their webs during the night so that they can hunt their prey. Females on the other hand, prefer to stay near their web or just remain there waiting for a prey to come by.

Food

This spider is like just any spiders, they can eat a variety of insects, even the big ones, as long as they can subdue them. They can also eat other spiders if they are given the chance.

Life Cycle

These spiders can be found all the year round as long as they are given proper food, water, protection, and dryness. They will commonly reproduce during June and July. After that, the females will be able to produce an average of 50 eggs that she will place in an egg sac. During her lifetime, the female Arizona brown spider can produce one to 5 egg sacs. After 27 days, the eggs will hatch and the spiderlings will emerge. These spiderlings will require five to eight molts before they become adults. In their natural habitat, the Arizona brown spider can live for about 1 1/2 years.

Other Information and Tips

Although these spiders do not attack people and are not aggressive, they can still bite unsuspected victims once their areas of harborage are disturbed. For instance, if a person wears a shoe with an Arizona brown spider inside. The spider will have no way out and no choice, but to bite.

The bite of this spider commonly happens on the arms or legs of an unsuspected victim. The number of spiders that are inhabiting a certain area will also depend on the availability of insects and the cleanliness of the area.

The bite of an Arizona brown spider is considered dangerous because it often leads to a huge black lesion that takes at least nine months to heal. The venom of this spider reacts differently to people and can eat the flesh of its unsuspected victim, which will cause ulceration and permanent scarring.

It is necessary to avoid this spider. In most cases, the severity of the infestation will depend on the cleanliness of the area. If there are a lot of bugs that these spiders can feed on, these spiders will stay and inhabit the area. To get rid of these pests make sure to:

• Get rid of old piles that are not used
• Discard old tires and cardboard boxes
• Regularly clean parts of the house that is not commonly used
• Vacuum regularly
• Call a pest control professional to eliminate a possible infestation of this spider