Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsSigns It’s Something ElseSimilar ConditionsComplicationsWhen to Seek CareTreatmentIDing a Recluse
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Symptoms
Signs It’s Something Else
Similar Conditions
Complications
When to Seek Care
Treatment
IDing a Recluse
Verywell
Signs and Symptoms
Brown recluse spider bites often cause mild symptoms or go unnoticed. However, in some cases, a brown recluse bite can lead to more severe reactions, including infection orloxoscelism.
Mild symptoms of a brown recluse bite may include:
Signs of infectionmay include:
Local (limited to the bite site) symptoms of loxoscelism include:
Severe and systemic symptoms of loxoscelism, which indicate a medical emergency, may include:
Approximately 70% of loxoscelism cases remain localized and do not lead to serious complications.
If you notice signs of infection or symptoms of loxoscelism, it’s important to seek prompt medical attention to prevent serious complications.
Signs It’s Not a Brown Recluse Bite
Several key signs indicate that a bug bite is unlikely to be from a brown recluse spider. These can be remembered using the acronym “NOT RECLUSE,” with each letter representing a sign or symptom that does not align with a brown recluse bite:
N - numerous:These spiders don’t munch on humans the way mosquitos orbed bugsdo. They usually bite when threatened or squished between the skin and another surface. Thus, if you have more than one bite, it’s probably not a recluse spider.
T - timing:Most brown recluse spider bites occur between April and September in the northern hemisphere, particularly the central and southern United States. Bites from October to March are less likely, as the spiders are less active during this time.
R - red center:Brown recluse spider bites usually don’t have a red center unless the venom is very mild. This is because the venom damages tiny blood vessels, stopping red blood cells from reaching the area. More severe bites often have a white, blue, or purple center instead.
E - elevated:Brown recluse bites are usually flat or slightly sunken. If the bite area is raised more than .4 inches (1 centimeter) above the normal skin, it’s unlikely to be from a brown recluse spider. There are exceptions to this, however. If the bite gets infected, the area may swell and become raised as the body responds to the infection.
L - large:Most brown recluse bites do not grow to be larger than 2.5 inches (10 centimeters). Again, the exception to this is a bite that gets infected, caused more widespread redness or swelling around the bite site.
S - swelling:Brown recluse bites below the neck or above the ankles usually cause little swelling and are often flat or slightly sunken. However, bites above the neck can lead to severe swelling, potentially restricting breathing.
E - exudative:An exudative bite is one that oozes pus, blood, or serum, typically due to infection, tissue damage, or the body’s immune response. While brown recluse bites may form a small, fluid-filled blister, most are dry. If a lesion oozes fluid, it’s more likely another bacterial infection. However, an infected brown recluse bite may also ooze.
This information is meant to help you identify whether a bite might be from a brown recluse spider and to communicate your symptoms to a healthcare provider. It is not meant for self-diagnosis. If you suspect a brown recluse bite or notice signs of infection or loxoscelism, get medical attention immediately.
What Can It Be Mistaken For?
Untreated brown recluse spider bites can lead to severe and potentially life-threatening complications.
Localized infections, such ascellulitis, can spread to deeper layers of the skin. Left untreated, the infection can lead tosepsis, triggering widespread inflammation, septic shock, and organ failure.
In rare cases of systemic loxoscelism, complications may include:
Systemic loxoscelism is a medical emergency. It’s rare, but if it is not treated, it can lead to death. Fortunately, very few deaths due to loxoscelism have been reported.
When to See a Healthcare Provider
It’s normal for a bug bite to cause mild redness, swelling, pain, and itching around the bite site. If these are your only symptoms and they don’t worsen, you likely don’t need to see a healthcare provider. Nonetheless, you should still monitor the wound closely in the hours and days after the bite to ensure it doesn’t change.
Contact a healthcare provider if the bite worsens or if you notice any of the following:
If a sore or ulcer forms, your provider may take a sample to test for bacterial infection and confirm whether it’s a spider bite.
Systemic symptoms following a brown recluse bite are a medical emergency, as they may indicate a progressing infection or loxoscelism. Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room if you develop symptoms such as:
Keep in mind that what seems like a spider bite could be a more serious skin condition that requires immediate medical attention.
There are no specific antidotes for brown recluse spider venom. If you happen to know what bit you, let your healthcare provider know. Informing your provider will keep them more alert for specific loxoscelism symptoms, and help them to prepare treatment options in case symptoms develop.
New Bites
Cleaning:Always clean new bug bites with soap and water. If available, apply a topical antibiotic ointment, such as bacitracin or neomycin, to prevent infection.
Pain relief:If you are experiencing mild pain, you can take an over-the-counter pain reliever, such as Advil (ibuprofen) or Aleve (naproxen) to help reduce pain and swelling. If the pain is severe, contact a healthcare provider to have it evaluated.
Bandage care:Any time you place a bandage over a wound, make sure to remove it at least once per day to check for signs of developing infection. After removing the bandage, clean the wound with soap and water again, pat it dry, then re-dress it.
Infection
Do not continue to self-treat the spider bite wound if it becomes infected or if a boil or ulcer develops. If you develop these, or other signs of infection like oozing or fever, get medication attention right away.
Antibiotics:You may be given a course of oral antibiotics if you have a mild infection. If it’s severe, you will be given intravenous (IV) antibiotics in the hospital.
Sepsis:Should the infection progress to sepsis, you will need to be treated aggressively. You will needantibioticsright away and IV fluids to prevent dehydration. You will also be given supportive care based on your symptoms.
If your blood pressure drops, you will be given a vasopressor medication, which constricts your blood vessels to raise blood pressure. If your kidneys are affected, it could includedialysis. In some cases, surgery may be needed to removedead tissuesor amputate a limb. This is a last resort (and an extremely rare one at that), but it will ensure the entire infection is eliminated.
Loxoscelism
If you are diagnosed with loxoscelism, expect to undergo the following:
Wound care:Treatment for local loxoscelism involveswound care and pain management. The healthcare provider will clean the wound and recommend that you use the RICE technique.
Pain relief:You may be given anonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication(NSAID) such as ibuprofen or naproxen. Very severe pain may be treated with an opioid, such as morphine.
Hospitalization:You will be admitted to the hospital if you have signs of systemic loxoscelism. You will likely be given antibiotics and pain relievers.
Supportive care:Once hospitalized, you will be given supportive care based on your symptoms. For example, if your breathing is affected, you will be givenoxygen therapy. If you develop hemolytic anemia, you may be given ablood transfusion.
Surgery:Severe cases of necrosis may require surgery. A surgeon might remove the damaged tissue early, usually within the first week, and later cover the area with a skin graft or stitches. For more serious cases, like when the infection spreads deep into the muscles, they may do special surgeries to release pressure and remove dead tissue.
The risk of life-threatening complications due to a brown recluse spider bite is very small, as are your chances of needing life-saving treatments for it. Nonetheless, you should monitor your spider bite closely to ensure that dangerous symptoms don’t have a chance to develop.
Identifying a Brown Recluse
If you are able to catch the spider that bit you, seal it shut in a clear container so that it can be inspected safely. The following characteristics can help you determine if the spider is a brown recluse:
Native areas:Brown recluse spiders are primarily found in the central and southern United States, from Texas to Kansas and as far east as Ohio. Bites rarely occur outside these areas, though they can happen if a spider is transported from its native region, such as in a shipment.
Hiding places:Brown recluses like dark, dry places where they can hide under things. They are known to build their nests in attics, storage rooms, inside furniture and closets, and in other dry, dark, and warm spaces in homes and buildings. You may also find them under a woodpile outside.
Active times:These spiders are nocturnal, so they are awake at night, and are more likely to run from you than strike. They will only bite out of self-defense. For example, if the spider hides in a shoe overnight, it will bite when you try to put the shoe on.
Appearance:Brown recluse spiders have long, angular, smooth brown legs without any stripes or patterns. Their body is roughly the size of a quarter, with a lightly fuzzy abdomen. While some have a violin-shaped marking on their back, this feature is not unique to them and is found in other spider species as well. Unlike most spiders, they have six eyes arranged in three pairs.
Summary
If you’re in the south-central United States where brown recluse spiders live, you should be aware of what the spiders look like and where they prefer to nest.
If you get bitten and are able to trap the spider, bring it with you to see your healthcare provider. Clean the bite area with soap and water and watch it closely for changes. See a doctor if a boil or ulcers develop or if the wound gets hot, hard, or looks worse.
In rare instances, you may be at risk for loxoscelism, in which the skin around the bite begins to die away. Getting a diagnosis as soon as possible can ensure you have the right treatment to stop a potentially life-threatening issue.
15 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Spider bites.Columbia University Irving Medical Center.Brown recluse spider bite.Nguyen N, Pandey M.Loxoscelism: cutaneous and hematologic manifestations.Adv Hematol. 2019 Mar;2019(1):4091278. doi:10.1155/2019/4091278Mass General Brigham.How to care for bug and insect bites.Gremski L, da Justa H, Polli N, et al.Systemic loxoscelism, less frequent but more deadly: The involvement of phospholipases D in the pathophysiology of envenomation.Toxins. 2022 Dec;15(1):17. doi:10.3390/toxins15010017UC Riverside Spider Research.What is not a recluse bite.Seattle Children’s.Wound infection.Robinson JR, Kennedy VE, Doss Y, Bastarache L, Denny J, Warner JL.Defining the complex phenotype of severe systemic loxoscelism using a large electronic health record cohort.PLoS One. 2017;12(4):e0174941. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0174941American Osteopathic College of Dermatology.Spider bites.University of Michigan Health.Brown recluse spider bite.Guarino M, Perna B, Cesaro A, et al.2023 update on sepsis and septic shock in adult patients: management in the emergency department.J Clin Med. 2023 Apr;12(9):3188. doi:10.3390/jcm12093188Olan I, Manzo H, Corona E, et al.Surgical management versus medical treatment of cutaneous loxoscelism: a sistematic review and update. 2023;45(3).University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment.Brown recluse spider.Illinois Department of Public Health.Brown recluse and black widow spiders.Abdelazeem B, Eurick-Bering K, Ayad S, Malik B, Kalynych Z.A case report of brown recluse spider bite.Cureus. 2021 Jul;13(7):e16663. doi:10.7759/cureus.16663
15 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Spider bites.Columbia University Irving Medical Center.Brown recluse spider bite.Nguyen N, Pandey M.Loxoscelism: cutaneous and hematologic manifestations.Adv Hematol. 2019 Mar;2019(1):4091278. doi:10.1155/2019/4091278Mass General Brigham.How to care for bug and insect bites.Gremski L, da Justa H, Polli N, et al.Systemic loxoscelism, less frequent but more deadly: The involvement of phospholipases D in the pathophysiology of envenomation.Toxins. 2022 Dec;15(1):17. doi:10.3390/toxins15010017UC Riverside Spider Research.What is not a recluse bite.Seattle Children’s.Wound infection.Robinson JR, Kennedy VE, Doss Y, Bastarache L, Denny J, Warner JL.Defining the complex phenotype of severe systemic loxoscelism using a large electronic health record cohort.PLoS One. 2017;12(4):e0174941. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0174941American Osteopathic College of Dermatology.Spider bites.University of Michigan Health.Brown recluse spider bite.Guarino M, Perna B, Cesaro A, et al.2023 update on sepsis and septic shock in adult patients: management in the emergency department.J Clin Med. 2023 Apr;12(9):3188. doi:10.3390/jcm12093188Olan I, Manzo H, Corona E, et al.Surgical management versus medical treatment of cutaneous loxoscelism: a sistematic review and update. 2023;45(3).University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment.Brown recluse spider.Illinois Department of Public Health.Brown recluse and black widow spiders.Abdelazeem B, Eurick-Bering K, Ayad S, Malik B, Kalynych Z.A case report of brown recluse spider bite.Cureus. 2021 Jul;13(7):e16663. doi:10.7759/cureus.16663
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Spider bites.Columbia University Irving Medical Center.Brown recluse spider bite.Nguyen N, Pandey M.Loxoscelism: cutaneous and hematologic manifestations.Adv Hematol. 2019 Mar;2019(1):4091278. doi:10.1155/2019/4091278Mass General Brigham.How to care for bug and insect bites.Gremski L, da Justa H, Polli N, et al.Systemic loxoscelism, less frequent but more deadly: The involvement of phospholipases D in the pathophysiology of envenomation.Toxins. 2022 Dec;15(1):17. doi:10.3390/toxins15010017UC Riverside Spider Research.What is not a recluse bite.Seattle Children’s.Wound infection.Robinson JR, Kennedy VE, Doss Y, Bastarache L, Denny J, Warner JL.Defining the complex phenotype of severe systemic loxoscelism using a large electronic health record cohort.PLoS One. 2017;12(4):e0174941. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0174941American Osteopathic College of Dermatology.Spider bites.University of Michigan Health.Brown recluse spider bite.Guarino M, Perna B, Cesaro A, et al.2023 update on sepsis and septic shock in adult patients: management in the emergency department.J Clin Med. 2023 Apr;12(9):3188. doi:10.3390/jcm12093188Olan I, Manzo H, Corona E, et al.Surgical management versus medical treatment of cutaneous loxoscelism: a sistematic review and update. 2023;45(3).University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment.Brown recluse spider.Illinois Department of Public Health.Brown recluse and black widow spiders.Abdelazeem B, Eurick-Bering K, Ayad S, Malik B, Kalynych Z.A case report of brown recluse spider bite.Cureus. 2021 Jul;13(7):e16663. doi:10.7759/cureus.16663
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Spider bites.
Columbia University Irving Medical Center.Brown recluse spider bite.
Nguyen N, Pandey M.Loxoscelism: cutaneous and hematologic manifestations.Adv Hematol. 2019 Mar;2019(1):4091278. doi:10.1155/2019/4091278
Mass General Brigham.How to care for bug and insect bites.
Gremski L, da Justa H, Polli N, et al.Systemic loxoscelism, less frequent but more deadly: The involvement of phospholipases D in the pathophysiology of envenomation.Toxins. 2022 Dec;15(1):17. doi:10.3390/toxins15010017
UC Riverside Spider Research.What is not a recluse bite.
Seattle Children’s.Wound infection.
Robinson JR, Kennedy VE, Doss Y, Bastarache L, Denny J, Warner JL.Defining the complex phenotype of severe systemic loxoscelism using a large electronic health record cohort.PLoS One. 2017;12(4):e0174941. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0174941
American Osteopathic College of Dermatology.Spider bites.
University of Michigan Health.Brown recluse spider bite.
Guarino M, Perna B, Cesaro A, et al.2023 update on sepsis and septic shock in adult patients: management in the emergency department.J Clin Med. 2023 Apr;12(9):3188. doi:10.3390/jcm12093188
Olan I, Manzo H, Corona E, et al.Surgical management versus medical treatment of cutaneous loxoscelism: a sistematic review and update. 2023;45(3).
University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment.Brown recluse spider.
Illinois Department of Public Health.Brown recluse and black widow spiders.
Abdelazeem B, Eurick-Bering K, Ayad S, Malik B, Kalynych Z.A case report of brown recluse spider bite.Cureus. 2021 Jul;13(7):e16663. doi:10.7759/cureus.16663
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