The Reclusive Brown Spider

Poking Around in Dark, Dank Places May Lead to a Painful and MEMORABLE Meeting With Arizona's Solitude-loving BROWN SPIDER

DON'T EXPECT IT TO PLAY YOU ANY SAD melodies with the violin on its back after it injects you with its necrotic venom. It tried to avoid you, but you went poking around in dark, dank places.

Bryan Roberts, then a curious child, discovered the pinprick of the brown spider, a cousin of the brown recluse spider, while he explored his aunt's shed. Startled by the bite, the boy smashed the half-inch-long spider and left its crushed body on the floor. Twenty-four hours later, after his arm started to swell and he felt feverish, dizzy and lethargic, Roberts decided to tell his aunt and grandparents. Worried that the boy's bite came from the dreaded brown spider - or “fiddleback,” as his grandfather referred to it they asked him to show them the corpse. He pointed out the remains of a brown spider, easily identified by the dark-brown shape of a violin on its back.

The bite swelled into a 3-inch by 5-inch oblong wound with a “blood clotty-looking sore with a depression eaten away in the middle,” Roberts recalled. His grandparents took him to the doctor for treatment. Roberts still has a scar 20 years later to show that he survived the battle with Mr. Fiddleback.

Some victims of a nip by the brown spider (Loxosceles rufescens) aren't as lucky as Roberts. They never see the creature that can cause such damage. According to Jude McNally, managing director of the Arizona Poison and Drug Information Center, it's the infection rather than the venom itself that causes problems for brown spider-bite victims. Although the original tiny pinprick might not even be felt, about 24 hours later, the pain, swelling and toxins start to corrode the skin, and the bite site forms a swollen black, red and white bull's-eye pattern. If not treated, the area can fester because the venom kills tissue and leaves the wound open to staph and other bacterial infections.

However, some people only experience minor pain and some swelling after a brown spider bite thanks to a high tolerance to the toxin, a reduced potency in a particular spider's venom or a minimal amount of venom left at the site.

Just as withdrawn as its eastern cousin, the brown recluse spider, Arizona's brown spider hides during the day under woodpiles, debris, clothes, blankets or in any dark, quiet spot. When someone disturbs its resting place, it scampers away. However, if it becomes trapped in an article of clothing often how humans come into contact with the spider it bites to save itself.

This strategy remains a last resort for the This strategy remains a last resort for the arachnids, explained Deborah Thirkhill, Phoenix Zoo's education animal keeper, as they prefer not to use their venom on something they know they can't eat. "They live on the edge of survival; they need that venom for their next meal." Their "next meal" consists of other spiders and insects. At night the brown spider leaves its messy web, which serves as a bedroom, in search of another spider, insect or anything else it can make into a tasty meal. Roaming far and wide, this creature always returns to its bed during daylight unless it finds another home that's better. Five of the 11 species of brown spiders in the U.S. live in Arizona: Apache brown, Arizona brown, desert brown, Grand Canyon brown and Tucson brown. Although many people believe that the spider is the brown recluse, the true brown recluse resides only in the eastern part of the United States. Sometimes it hitches a ride in luggage, but it doesn't stay long, as Arizona's climate doesn't suit its survival. Many similarities exist between Arizona's species and the brown recluse from the East: All have caustic venom, prefer a solitary existence, have the violin shape on their cephalothorax and actively hunt their prey rather than waiting in a web. Only the morphological characteristics, geographical distribution and potency of their venom distinguish the various species. Thirkhill recalled a time when a brown spider crossed the path of a volunteer at the zoo. It bit her on the hand before she even saw it. Knowing she needed medical attention, she collected the spider and went to the doctor. Despite the quick care, the venom still caused a gaping wound that festered for months. The volunteer experienced a long and arduous struggle with the bite, however, the little spider fared worse than its victim. It ended up much like the brown spider Bryan Roberts encountered smashed. All Growing up in Arizona, Sarah Kite of Boise, Idaho, was fortunate enough never to encounter a brown spider, although she's met many other venomous desert creatures face-to-face. Natural historian Kim Wismann learned long ago that the world of arthropods holds some of Earth's most spectacular beauty, but he admits that finding it in the shape of a brown spider may be a bit of a stretch.