Loxosceles devia (Texas Recluse Spider)

Summary

The "Texas Recluse Spider," Loxosceles devia, a relative of the famed Brown Recluse, is found only in the southern third of Texas and adjacent Mexico. This spider lives under stones, in abandoned rodent burrows, and other natural refuges; it will also live about buildings, outside and inside, behind or inside boxes, furniture, and other objects where it likely will not be disturbed. Treat belongings in storage with care: don’t put your hands where you cannot see. The web is tangled, non-sticky. Recluse spiders are tolerant of others of their kind, and a large population may occupy a small area. They are also long-lived. Captive individuals have persisted up to four years. This is a potentially dangerous species. Reactions to bites vary from no reaction to redness and itching; to a necrotic skin lesion that requires medical treatment. Rarely, systemic reactions affecting the vascular system occur, and those are potentially fatal. Further, a great many other conditions produce necrotic skin injuries too often misdiagnosed as Loxosceles spider bites.