Few spiders hold the dubious honor of name recognition among the general public. Most that do, like black widows, Australian funnel-web, the Goliath birdeater, are renowned not for their cute colors or weaving skills but for being fearsome, dangerous predators. The brown recluse is no exception. A bite from one of these arachnids can send someone to the hospital with a painful necrotizing wound and weeks of recovery. But do these spiders actually deserve all the hatred they get? In this week’s episode, we argue no. Breaking down not just the bite of the brown recluse but also its behaviors, its distribution, and its lore, we present a more complete picture of this vilified arachnid. Tune in for the low down on this shy spider.
| History | Biology |
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One thought on “Episode 219 The Brown Recluse: Fearsome foe or slandered spider?”
Thank you for debunking the myths around this misunderstood species!