The brown recluse spider (scientific name Loxosceles rufescens) is a spider belonging to the Sicaridae family. It is a rather small spider, with a body length of no more than 9 mm and a maximum of 4-5 cm with its legs.
It is generally a very fearful spider that does not attack humans, except when it takes refuge in shoes, boxes and clothes. Usually its bite does not cause major consequences, but once in three times, when it injects its cytotoxin, then it is painful.
This venom causes, in some cases, often in weak or debilitated persons, a state of necrosis and gangrene of the tissues that can be resolved by plastic surgery. It lives in urban areas, hence its danger and fame.
The brown recluse spider (scientific name Loxosceles rufescens) is a spider belonging to the family Sicaridae. It is a rather small spider, with a body length of no more than 9 mm and a maximum of 4-5 cm with its legs. Speaking of Europe, its presence is documented in the Iberian Peninsula, France, Italy, Croatia, Greece and Turkey (so-called Southern Europe).
It is generally a very fearful spider that does not attack humans, except when it takes refuge in shoes, boxes and clothes. Usually its bite does not cause any major consequences, and a cleaning with soap and water is enough to be safe, but in a third of the cases it injects its cytotoxin, a powerful venom, rarely fatal but certainly capable of causing a lot of trouble.
This poison causes, in some cases, often in weak or debilitated persons, a state of necrosis and gangrene of the tissues that can be resolved by resorting to plastic surgery. It lives in urban areas, hence its danger and fame. The scientific name for what the bite of this spider causes is loxoscelism, i.e. the formation first of an oedema and then of a more or less extensive necrotic ulcer that can last up to several months before healing.
In case of a bite, the guidelines of the Niguarda Hospital in Milan, Italy, recommend washing thoroughly with soap and water. If you become aware of the presence of the spider in any way, it is a good idea to try to capture the animal and, even if it is killed, to preserve it. Symptoms appear within the first 48-72 hours.
However, it should be emphasised that its actual danger is much less than other species found, for example, in the Americas. However, since its bite is painless, and it is often difficult to spot it on the spot, it is also difficult for health professionals to draw a complete clinical picture of cases of loxoscelism caused by the brown recluse spider.