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Actually, I can hardly believe I am voluntarily moving to a state that has black widows (although I hear it's the brown recluses that you really have to worry about)! I don't have a phobia about spiders, but they still give me the creeps.
Yes, NM has alot of black widows (Latrodectus hesperus), but it also has rattlesnakes, tarantulas, scorpions, giant centipedes, etc, too.
I read that brown recluses are actually not common in WA? Am i getting it wrong?
If you're referring to Washington state, then yes you got it somewhat wrong. Brown recluses are non-existent in Washington; however, Washington, along with most of the PacNW has hobo spiders -- though I have only seen one in Portland, ever. I have however seen many in Montana. The hobo spider is often mistaken for the brown recluse, and their bites are very similar, though the hobo is not fatal (I believe). Anyway, I know the OP has a serious phobia of spiders, but here is an image of both the spider, and it's bite:
These are the areas where hobo spiders and brown recluses are found:
This is what a brown recluse looks like:
A mild (they get much more graphic) brown recluse bite (2 years later):
Now, on a side not, Oregon, California, and Washington all have Black Widow spiders. It seems that Southern Oregon, and California have the most in my experience.
Actually, I can hardly believe I am voluntarily moving to a state that has black widows (although I hear it's the brown recluses that you really have to worry about)! I don't have a phobia about spiders, but they still give me the creeps.
We've been in Albuq almost 2 yrs now, and the black widows have not been too big a problem. I've only found them in the garage, so I fog it about twice a year. None found in the house.
I haven't seen any brown recluses, but I don't think I could identify one, even with the pic already supplied by Green OR. Anyway, the recluse is the one that really scares me.
It should be noted that recluse bites (Loxoceles reclusa) will not affect most people. Only those that are very allergic to the cytotoxic venom will experience anything like the gruesome pictures displayed. I spend alot of time in heavily-infested areas of KS and MO, and recluse spiders are not monsters!!! In fact, theyre HUGE cowards, running at the first sign of confrontation. Bites occur when people roll over on them in their sleep, or put on a shirt that has one hiding in there, things like that. All you need to do is check your bed, towels, clothes, etc, before use.
Recluse spiders are easily identified by their "violin" shaped pattern on their carapace (head, if you will). Thus the nickname "violin spider" or "fiddler spider" or "fiddleback spider". Here is a Missouri specimen I photographed last summer. Note the violin-shaped pattern?
Here is a Kansas specimen, also photographed last summer:
Man...if the OP with the arachnophobia is still checking this thread, she might have a panic attack looking at some of the posted pics. I don't mind spiders, but it still freaks me out seeing the pictures and wounds that have just been posted.
It should be noted that recluse bites (Loxoceles reclusa) will not affect most people. Only those that are very allergic to the cytotoxic venom will experience anything like the gruesome pictures displayed. I spend alot of time in heavily-infested areas of KS and MO, and recluse spiders are not monsters!!! In fact, theyre HUGE cowards, running at the first sign of confrontation. Bites occur when people roll over on them in their sleep, or put on a shirt that has one hiding in there, things like that. All you need to do is check your bed, towels, clothes, etc, before use.
Recluse spiders are easily identified by their "violin" shaped pattern on their carapace (head, if you will). Thus the nickname "violin spider" or "fiddler spider" or "fiddleback spider". Here is a Missouri specimen I photographed last summer. Note the violin-shaped pattern?
Here is a Kansas specimen, also photographed last summer:
This may sound strange, but those are some really beautiful/well-shot photos Steve-o. Thanks for sharing! I personally love arachnids, and will very rarely kill them. They are great for keeping an area clean of more annoying insects, such as mosquitoes.
Thanks! I do alot of arachnid/insect photography in my spare time. And youre correct, spiders are instrumental in controlling the bug population. Leaving them alone is the best thing you can do. In fact, Ive let a little garden spider build a web in the corner of our living room (its tiny) because any mosquitos or moths that get in are immediately dispatched by the spider.
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