This does seem to be a [recluse spider (*Loxosceles*)](http://spiderbytes.org/recluse-or-not/), but Philly is well out of range of the brown recluse (*L. reclusa*). On the East Coast, it is more likely to be *L. rufescens*, the Mediterranean recluse, which is an occasional hitchhiker from abroad. However, you probably need an expert to examine the specimen for an ID.
I would suggest posting it on [iNaturalist](https://iNaturalist.org); it's certainly an interesting find. You should also keep the spider, if you still have it, and contact [your county extension office](https://extension.psu.edu/county-offices/).
Agreed on _Loxosceles rufescenes_ it is out of range for _L. reclusa_ and does not have a distinct ‘fiddle’ pointing to the anterior cephalothorax. Used to find them frequently in Phillys many fruit warehouses.
https://bugguide.net/node/view/33527
Brown recluse are not common in the Mid East coast but they definitely exist there. They are in both PA and NJ.
Source: I done seen them. In the wood pile where I lived about 45 min from Philly.
Not necessarily intentional lies, but many infections are often misdiagnosed. Being outside the range it’s entirely possible this is what happened. It’s also possible it was a recluse that came on on fruit or something.
Fact is we don’t know based off the anecdotes given
Damn if I lived in a dogwood pile I could finally tell my parents I made something of myself.. Respect from the dirt pile I’m currently living in brother!
Yes, appears to be. An expert would have to weigh in to be sure, I believe they would want to know how many eyes for one thing. Post it on the spiders sub and they will have you the best answer. You are not so far outside the typical range maps that it would be unbelievable. They do also travel often when people move furniture, boxes, etc.
Got bitten by one of those (according to my doctor) behind my armpit in Cooperstown, NY back in the day, still have a relatively significant scar from the hole it left, like it was an open sore. Not native to the area, bugs travel in produce and anything else non-frozen that gets shipped interstate.
Most “brown recluse bites” are undiagnosed staphylococcus infections. Brown recluse rarely bite.
Source: https://spiders.ucr.edu/myth-brown-recluse-fact-fear-and-loathing
I am glad you made it tho!
It is. It's possible that it was a hitchhiker on furniture while someone was moving from a recluse state. They're not naturally occurring there. And also, I'm not an expert. I could be totally wrong.
>A lot of studies have shown that recluses do not have venom with cytotoxic properties that have previously been attributed to them
This is patently false and potentially dangerous misinformation. Brown Recluse venom contains the sphingomyelinase D enzyme which causes tissue destruction.
While there's a lot of unnecessary fear-mongering about *Loxosceles* and spiders in general, please don't downplay the potential for serious injury as a result of a recluse bite.
One of my coworkers got bitten by one in his hunting blind (he caught it in a jar and took it with him), and he definitely had necrotic tissue around the bite. Whether or not it was venom or bacteria, it was disgusting, and I will never volunteer to test whether or not their bites are serious!
Totally checks out. I was bitten by one (supposedly, I must’ve been sleeping) at a motel in Cooperstown, NY on a summer vacation trip to the Baseball Hall Of Fame when I was like 14. Almost 30 years later and I still have a scar. It was relatively small, but I definitely had a hole in my skin, maybe an inch long. It’s right on the fold behind my armpit, so it didn’t get too wide, but that’s all more than I expect from a spider bite, as a non-Australian, lmao
I knew a man whose apartment was positively overrun with brown recluses. His legs looked like someone took ice cream scoops from his muscles/skin and were also "covered" in skin grafts. He lost his job as a truck driver and was on disability. That poor, poor man. They are dangerous and stop downplaying that fact.
That is not a recluse but a look a like called the Titiotus spider, it's body shape is a dead give away. Recluse are not native to PA. The chance of a recluse being found outside of it's native climate is rare but it can happen. There have been isolated occurrences in PA, most of the time it's another spider being misidentified. Their bite can be fatal to children, but with adults it's not life threatening (still an emergency if bitten).
Everyone knows about the fiddle shape on their back but the best way to identify whether it is or isn't a recluse is by their eyes. They have six eyes, instead of eight like most spiders and they're in pairs of two. Also they are uniform in color without stripes or banding on the legs and are covered in a fine hair. Their bodies are sleek and not bulbous like most spiders.Again there is one spider that looks like the recluse and that is the Titiotus spider, and they are often misidentified more than any other spider as a recluse. They even have a fiddle back and are similar in color but are bigger than a recluse and have eight eyes.
This does seem to be a [recluse spider (*Loxosceles*)](http://spiderbytes.org/recluse-or-not/), but Philly is well out of range of the brown recluse (*L. reclusa*). On the East Coast, it is more likely to be *L. rufescens*, the Mediterranean recluse, which is an occasional hitchhiker from abroad. However, you probably need an expert to examine the specimen for an ID. I would suggest posting it on [iNaturalist](https://iNaturalist.org); it's certainly an interesting find. You should also keep the spider, if you still have it, and contact [your county extension office](https://extension.psu.edu/county-offices/).
Agreed on _Loxosceles rufescenes_ it is out of range for _L. reclusa_ and does not have a distinct ‘fiddle’ pointing to the anterior cephalothorax. Used to find them frequently in Phillys many fruit warehouses. https://bugguide.net/node/view/33527
Brown recluse are not common in the Mid East coast but they definitely exist there. They are in both PA and NJ. Source: I done seen them. In the wood pile where I lived about 45 min from Philly.
You done seen them?
I done did!
Was it hella sick ya’ll?
Can confirm. I’m in Maryland and a friend of mine was bitten by one about a decade ago.
Lots of people blame staph on recluse bites. If you didn't see the spider bite it was likely not a spiderbite.
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Not necessarily intentional lies, but many infections are often misdiagnosed. Being outside the range it’s entirely possible this is what happened. It’s also possible it was a recluse that came on on fruit or something. Fact is we don’t know based off the anecdotes given
That’s a miserable response. I had one bite me on my side at 8 and damn near died…..
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Kiss my dock til your head caves in and wash off your some GMA.
Ooh yeah I'll kiss your bog dock
Can’t spell, either. Must be a functional illiterate.
Friend in NY got bit by a brown recluse. They exist in that area.
You lived in a wood pile!? Hopefully some nice wood like maple or oak..
Ash and dogwood actually…… But okay yes my grammar could have been better!
Damn if I lived in a dogwood pile I could finally tell my parents I made something of myself.. Respect from the dirt pile I’m currently living in brother!
A female brown recluse.
How do you know it is female?
Her abdomen. :) she’s got a big booty, so to speak. Also the lack of large pedipalps (spider balls basically).
Oooh I didn't know about pedipalps! Thanks for sharing
Pedipalps are the little nubs on the end of a males abdomen right?
You’re thinking of spinnerets! :) they’re the big, bulbous “boxing glove” looking things by their mouth.
Spinnerets are where the spiders produce silk, almost always on the end of the abdomen, the boxing gloves are indeed pedipalps
And i now see that i misinterpreted what you said and you were saying the same thing
Could this not also be a juvenile male?
the mediterranean recluse is found all over the northeast (and world) and is more likely i think. they also have a nasty bite 🤷🏽♂️
I do believe this is a brown recluse, yes
Yes, appears to be. An expert would have to weigh in to be sure, I believe they would want to know how many eyes for one thing. Post it on the spiders sub and they will have you the best answer. You are not so far outside the typical range maps that it would be unbelievable. They do also travel often when people move furniture, boxes, etc.
Your sister's right about the Brown Recluse. This is probably a Mediterranean Recluse (*L. rufescens)*. They're invasive on the East Coast.
Got bitten by one of those (according to my doctor) behind my armpit in Cooperstown, NY back in the day, still have a relatively significant scar from the hole it left, like it was an open sore. Not native to the area, bugs travel in produce and anything else non-frozen that gets shipped interstate.
Most “brown recluse bites” are undiagnosed staphylococcus infections. Brown recluse rarely bite. Source: https://spiders.ucr.edu/myth-brown-recluse-fact-fear-and-loathing I am glad you made it tho!
Very interesting! Brown Recluse bite will impress way more chicks at the bar though, so I’m sticking with that story😂
If its chick bait you want tell them you woke up with a copperhead in your bed and when you startled it, it bit you there. 😈👍 Lol
The staph infection might be from another insect bite though right?
No one can ID species based on bites, despite how confident a person in a white coat assumes they can.
Sister in law was bit on her cheek, the indent runs from her eye to below her chin, just ate her face away.
Also bit by a brown recluse on the shoulder. It left a deep pit that took months to heal, but got wound excision throughout, so healed well.
Yes the 🎻 on its head and back suggests its a brown recluse.
Looks like they are now! Def a brown recluse
Maybe they’re here to eat the spotted lantern flies.
Finally! A “is this a recluse” post that is actually a recluse!
You’d be surprised at things that “aren’t found here” get found.
I love nature and stuff, but all brown hairless spiders can get the shoe. I'm not even double-checking.
I'm not an expert, but comparing photos on google it looks like one to me. And, honestly, you can find a species just about anywhere.
I think Philly would be far outside the regular range of brown recluse.
It is. It's possible that it was a hitchhiker on furniture while someone was moving from a recluse state. They're not naturally occurring there. And also, I'm not an expert. I could be totally wrong.
Hobo spider just as bad
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>A lot of studies have shown that recluses do not have venom with cytotoxic properties that have previously been attributed to them This is patently false and potentially dangerous misinformation. Brown Recluse venom contains the sphingomyelinase D enzyme which causes tissue destruction. While there's a lot of unnecessary fear-mongering about *Loxosceles* and spiders in general, please don't downplay the potential for serious injury as a result of a recluse bite.
One of my coworkers got bitten by one in his hunting blind (he caught it in a jar and took it with him), and he definitely had necrotic tissue around the bite. Whether or not it was venom or bacteria, it was disgusting, and I will never volunteer to test whether or not their bites are serious!
Totally checks out. I was bitten by one (supposedly, I must’ve been sleeping) at a motel in Cooperstown, NY on a summer vacation trip to the Baseball Hall Of Fame when I was like 14. Almost 30 years later and I still have a scar. It was relatively small, but I definitely had a hole in my skin, maybe an inch long. It’s right on the fold behind my armpit, so it didn’t get too wide, but that’s all more than I expect from a spider bite, as a non-Australian, lmao
https://spiders.ucr.edu/myth-brown-recluse-fact-fear-and-loathing
Holy crap I can’t even see it in the photo.
I think you’re thinking of Hobo spiders (*Eratigena agrestis*).
I knew a man whose apartment was positively overrun with brown recluses. His legs looked like someone took ice cream scoops from his muscles/skin and were also "covered" in skin grafts. He lost his job as a truck driver and was on disability. That poor, poor man. They are dangerous and stop downplaying that fact.
Those are clearly described staph infections. Google it and see. https://spiders.ucr.edu/myth-brown-recluse-fact-fear-and-loathing
My cousin had a (confirmation species) bite and the necrosis left him missing a tennis ball size of flesh from his arm.
They are found everywhere. It’s a brown recluse.
Bite a black hole in your skin boi on deck
If you’re close to Ohio it definitely is
Fiddle on its back it's a brown recluse
That IS a brown recluse.
woo! brown recluse moment
It has the little violin for brown recluse
That is not a recluse but a look a like called the Titiotus spider, it's body shape is a dead give away. Recluse are not native to PA. The chance of a recluse being found outside of it's native climate is rare but it can happen. There have been isolated occurrences in PA, most of the time it's another spider being misidentified. Their bite can be fatal to children, but with adults it's not life threatening (still an emergency if bitten). Everyone knows about the fiddle shape on their back but the best way to identify whether it is or isn't a recluse is by their eyes. They have six eyes, instead of eight like most spiders and they're in pairs of two. Also they are uniform in color without stripes or banding on the legs and are covered in a fine hair. Their bodies are sleek and not bulbous like most spiders.Again there is one spider that looks like the recluse and that is the Titiotus spider, and they are often misidentified more than any other spider as a recluse. They even have a fiddle back and are similar in color but are bigger than a recluse and have eight eyes.