Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Alot of people have different opinions on this but do brown recluses live in florida? or found in southwest florida?

There are few brown recluses in Florida. HOWEVER, there is a species called the Chilean recluse ( species Loxosceles laeta ) that has been introduced in the state. It is thought to be even MORE dangerous than our native brown recluse ( Loxosceles reclusa ). This website should help:

http://www.doacs.state.fl.us/pi/enpp/ento/loxoscel.html

bite information and photos:
http://www-cme.erep.uab.edu/onlineCourses/Gorgas03/Case8_03/CaseDiag8(03).htm

not the most up to date, since there ARE L.laeta in FL, but this site has lots of info on L.reclusa, and a cross reference to Kukulcania hibernalis:

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/IN389

More information and slide show:
http://www.med.umich.edu/em/em/brown/sld003.htm

This site has a good recluse page, as well as a map of L.reclusa and some other recluse species:
http://www.hobospider.org/

Info and identification help:
http://dermatology.cdlib.org/DOJvol5num2/special/recluse.html

If you have any more questions, or you want to post another pic of that spider you had earlier, please go right ahead.

The only reason I ask is cause my mother inlaw claim to have been bite from a brown recluse in florida. I was under the impression that they didn't exsist in southwest florida. If you get bit on her big toe by a brown recluse do you need anti-venom? she said that the bite got all red and blistered and the doctor told her it was from a brown recluse but only gave her a cream to rub on and released her 1 hour later. For a poisenous spider like the recluse that seems to be not right. I saw pictures of a recluse bite and it was nothing like hers. Do you know symtoms from a recluse bite?

The brown recluse is not the only spider in the USA capable of causing a blister or sore on a human. The yellow sac spider can cause just such a bite as you describe, only it's not as severe as a brown recluse bite. The site www.hobospider.org has more information on this spider also. The yellow sac spider is VERY widespread in the USA, from Massachusetts to California, so it's probably in your state as well. There is antivenom for the brown recluse bite, but I've read it only works if given BEFORE the developement of the sore, so the cream couldn't stop a recluse bite. It might have been an antihistamine or analgesic, to reduce swelling, pain, and/ or the risk of an allergic reaction. Bites from the yellow sac spider can, and from what I've read, probably are frequently, misidentified as brown recluse bites. In fact, this was the case in Massacusetts, when supposed "recluse bites" were reported, and the culprit was later found to be the yellow sac spider ( species Cheiracanthium inclusum ).

Have a look at this:

http://www.acvcsd.org/insect_identification/yellowsacspider.PDF

http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/naturalresources/DD6962.html

I live in Orlando Fl. and my house has an infestation of em.

Do you mean sac spiders or recluses?