Hite, Maxine

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UARK (University of Arkansas )

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science Volume 18 Article 5 1964 Notes on the Natural Habitat of the Brown Recluse Spider, Loxoseles reclusa Gertsch and Mulaik Maxine Hite University of Arkansas, Fayetteville Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.uark.edu/jaas  Part of the Entomology Commons, and the Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology Commons Recommended Citation Hite, Maxine (1964) "Notes on the Natural Habitat of the Brown Recluse Spider, Loxoseles reclusa Gertsch and Mulaik," Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science: Vol. 18 , Article 5. Available at: https://scholarworks.uark.edu/jaas/vol18/iss1/5 This article is available for use under the Creative Commons license: Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-ND 4.0). Users are able to read, download, copy, print, distribute, search, link to the full texts of these articles, or use them for any other lawful purpose, without asking prior permission from the publisher or the author. This Article is brought to you for free and open access by ScholarWorks@UARK. It has been accepted for inclusion in Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science by an authorized editor of ScholarWorks@UARK. For more information, please contact scholar@uark.edu. 10Arkansas Academy of Science Proceedings, Vol. 18, 1964NOTES ON THE NATURAL HABITATOF THEBROWN RECLUSE SPIDER*Loxosccles rcclusa Gertsch and MulaikMaxine HiteUniversity of ArkansasSThroughout history spiders have been regarded generallys creatures to fear and avoid. Folklore credits all spiders aseing quite poisonous. While almost all spiders do have poisonlands, only a few are known to be poisonous to man or otherlammals. One which is poisonous is the brown recluse (Fig. 1).[During recent years this spider has attracted much attentionn this part of the United States because it has been found thatts bite is poisonous to man, causing a sloughing of the affectedirea (Atkins, et al., 1958; Wingo, 1960).Several proved cases of necrosis resulting from the bite werereported in northwest Arkansas in 1961.In 1962, a study of its habits, habitat, and life historywas initiated.According to Gertsch (1958), the genus Loxosceles iswidely distributed in the temperate and tropical zones of theworld. He reports that Loxosceles reclusa is found in the south-eastern and central United States from Tennessee and Alabamawestward to Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas.Wingo (1960) obtained records to show that it was com-mon in Missouri, south of the Missouri River. In 1959, Baergstated (p. 33) that "a reasonable conclusion is that the speciesoccurs more or less frequently throughout Arkansas."Ifirst collected the brown recluse in northwest Arkansasduring 1956 and 1957 when collecting spiders for Dr. H. W.Later when Dr. Gertsch was making his study of Loxos-celes, he obtained this material, and, in his paper on this genus(1958, p. 10), noted that Ihad taken "many mature males andemales during most of the months of the year."Speaking of the genus in general, Gertsch states, "Theyare quite active nocturnal types that live under cover, beneathstones, boards, or other ground objects, in holes in the ground,inder the bark of trees, or in crevices in the walls of build-ngs" (p. 1).Both Baerg (1959) and Wingo (1960) reported that thebrown recluse was most often found about the house and as-iPartially supported by N. I. H. A-l 04950-02.10Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science, Vol. 18 [1964], Art. 5Published by Arkansas Academy of Science, 196411Natural Habitat of the Brown RecluseIdated buildings. Because it has been so frequently found inch places, it is commonly regarded as a "house" spider.IFor the first five months after we began collecting theseiders in 1962, all were taken in and about houses: in attics.>sets, sinks, bathtubs, boxes of papers, dresser drawers, boxestoys, front porches, schoolrooms, garages, utility rooms,>thing that had been hanging for some time undisturbed, andbedrooms beneath beds. However, we believe that their nat-al habitat is out-of-doors. The specimens collected in 1956d 1957 for Dr. Levi were found in oak-hickory woods be-ath rocks, logs, and loose bark of dead trees. This past winterd early spring, we have found them in large numbers in what:consider could be their primary habitat. This is under dryidstone bluffs, beneath the flat rocks that have fallen fromSUMMARYThe brown recluse spider, poisonous to man, is usually en-countered in houses and associated buildings. However, its nat-ural habitat appears tobe under dry bluffs, beneath the flat rocksthat have fallen from above.LITERATURE CITEDIAtkins, A., C. W. Wingo, W. A. Sodeman, and J. E.Flynn. 1958. Necrotic arachnidism. Amer. Jour. Trop.Med. and Hygiene 7 (3) :165-184.IBaerg, W. J. 1959. The black widow and five other veno-mous spiders in the United States. Ark. Agr. Expt. Sta.Bui. 608.IGertsch, W. J. 1958. The spider genus Loxosceles inNorthAmerica, Central America, and the West Indies. Am.Museum of Nat. Hist. No. 1907.IWingo, C. W. 1960. Poisonous spiders. Univ. of Mo. Agr.Expt. Sta. Bull. 738.11Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science, Vol. 18 [1964], Art. 5https://scholarworks.uark.edu/jaas/vol18/iss1/512Arkansas Academy of Science ProceedingsFigure 1. Mature female of the brown recluse spider,Loxosceles reclusa.12Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science, Vol. 18 [1964], Art. 5Published by Arkansas Academy of Science, 1964

Notes on the Natural Habitat of the Brown Recluse Spider, Loxoseles reclusa Gertsch and Mulaik

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Journal of the Arkansas Academy of ScienceVolume 18 Article 51964Notes on the Natural Habitat of the Brown RecluseSpider, Loxoseles reclusa Gertsch and MulaikMaxine HiteUniversity of Arkansas, FayettevilleFollow this and additional works at: http://scholarworks.uark.edu/jaasPart of the Entomology Commons, and the Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology CommonsThis article is available for use under the Creative Commons license: Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-ND 4.0). Users are able toread, download, copy, print, distribute, search, link to the full texts of these articles, or use them for any other lawful purpose, without asking priorpermission from the publisher or the author.This Article is brought to you for free and open access by ScholarWorks@UARK. It has been accepted for inclusion in Journal of the Arkansas Academyof Science by an authorized editor of ScholarWorks@UARK. For more information, please contact scholar@uark.edu, ccmiddle@uark.edu.Recommended CitationHite, Maxine (1964) "Notes on the Natural Habitat of the Brown Recluse Spider, Loxoseles reclusa Gertsch and Mulaik," Journal of theArkansas Academy of Science: Vol. 18 , Article 5.Available at: http://scholarworks.uark.edu/jaas/vol18/iss1/510Arkansas Academy of Science Proceedings, Vol. 18, 1964NOTES ON THE NATURAL HABITATOF THEBROWN RECLUSE SPIDER*Loxosccles rcclusa Gertsch and MulaikMaxine HiteUniversity of ArkansasS Throughout history spiders have been regarded generallys creatures to fear and avoid. Folklore credits all spiders aseing quite poisonous. While almost all spiders do have poisonlands, only a few are known to be poisonous to man or otherlammals. One which is poisonous is the brown recluse (Fig. 1).[During recent years this spider has attracted much attentionn this part of the United States because it has been found thatts bite is poisonous to man, causing a sloughing of the affectedirea (Atkins, et al., 1958; Wingo, 1960).Several proved cases of necrosis resulting from the bite werereported in northwest Arkansas in 1961.In 1962, a study of its habits, habitat, and life historywas initiated.According to Gertsch (1958), the genus Loxosceles iswidely distributed in the temperate and tropical zones of theworld. He reports that Loxosceles reclusa is found in the south-eastern and central United States from Tennessee and Alabamawestward to Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas.Wingo (1960) obtained records to show that it was com-mon in Missouri, south of the Missouri River. In 1959, Baergstated (p. 33) that "a reasonable conclusion is that the speciesoccurs more or less frequently throughout Arkansas."Ifirst collected the brown recluse in northwest Arkansasduring 1956 and 1957 when collecting spiders for Dr. H. W.Later when Dr. Gertsch was making his study of Loxos-celes, he obtained this material, and, in his paper on this genus(1958, p. 10), noted that Ihad taken "many mature males andemales during most of the months of the year."Speaking of the genus in general, Gertsch states, "Theyare quite active nocturnal types that live under cover, beneathstones, boards, or other ground objects, in holes in the ground,inder the bark of trees, or in crevices in the walls of build-ngs" (p. 1).Both Baerg (1959) and Wingo (1960) reported that thebrown recluse was most often found about the house and as-iPartially supported by N. I. H. A-l 04950-02.10Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science, Vol. 18 [1964], Art. 5Published by Arkansas Academy of Science, 196411Natural Habitat of the Brown RecluseIdated buildings. Because it has been so frequently found inch places, it is commonly regarded as a "house" spider.IForthe first five months after we began collecting theseiders in 1962, all were taken in and about houses: in attics.>sets, sinks, bathtubs, boxes of papers, dresser drawers, boxestoys, front porches, schoolrooms, garages, utility rooms,>thing that had been hanging for some time undisturbed, andbedrooms beneath beds. However, we believe that their nat-al habitat is out-of-doors. The specimens collected in 1956d 1957 for Dr. Levi were found in oak-hickory woods be-ath rocks, logs, and loose bark of dead trees. This past winterd early spring, we have found them in large numbers in what:consider could be their primary habitat. This is under dryidstone bluffs, beneath the flat rocks that have fallen fromSUMMARYThe brown recluse spider, poisonous to man, is usually en-countered in houses and associated buildings. However, its nat-ural habitat appears tobe under dry bluffs, beneath the flat rocksthat have fallen from above.LITERATURE CITEDIAtkins, A., C. W. Wingo, W. A. Sodeman, and J. E.Flynn. 1958. Necrotic arachnidism. Amer. Jour. Trop.Med. and Hygiene 7 (3) :165-184.IBaerg, W. J. 1959. The black widow and five other veno-mous spiders in the United States. Ark. Agr. Expt. Sta.Bui. 608.IGertsch, W. J. 1958. The spider genus Loxosceles inNorthAmerica, Central America, and the West Indies. Am.Museum of Nat. Hist. No. 1907.IWingo, C. W. 1960. Poisonous spiders. Univ. of Mo. Agr.Expt. Sta. Bull. 738.11Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science, Vol. 18 [1964], Art. 5http://scholarworks.uark.edu/jaas/vol18/iss1/512Arkansas Academy of Science ProceedingsFigure 1. Mature female of the brown recluse spider,Loxosceles reclusa.12Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science, Vol. 18 [1964], Art. 5Published by Arkansas Academy of Science, 1964

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Notes on the Natural Habitat of the Brown Recluse Spider, Loxoseles reclusa Gertsch and Mulaik

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