Brown Recluse Spider email hoax

Search & Discover has been flooded with inquiries concerning a supposedly very dangerous spider, whose bite is alleged to cause severe necrosis of the flesh.

Brown Recluse Spider

Brown Recluse Spider
Richard S. Vetter © University of California Riverside

There are several versions of an email implicating the Brown Recluse Spider, Loxosceles reclusa, as a dangerous spider in Australia. These emails have been circulating the world for a long time now, with early versions referring to the species expanding across the USA. However at one point this hoax was modified to scare Australian email users.

A full version of the hoax email can be found at this website [warning: contains graphic images].

In brief, the email warns the reader to be aware of a new spider that resembles a Huntsman Spider (Family Sparassidae) which is supposedly spreading from the east coast towards the west, and allegedly causes horrific flesh-eating wounds over a period of a few days.

The email makes no effort to tell readers how distinguish between Huntsman Spiders and the suspect spider, nor does it offer any first aid advice.

The story is false and the following points should be noted:

  • The Brown Recluse Spider does not cause this type of wound.
  • This spider has already been in southern Australia for the last 20 years and has not extended its range.
  • Even in the United States, where it occurs naturally, it is restricted to the south east and has not expanded its range across populated areas.
  • Where this species is common in the USA, bites are rare and treatable.
  • No bites have been attributed to this species in Australia.
  • Similar wounds have also been blamed on the native White-tailed Spiders, Lampona spp.
  • There are no known spiders in Australia that have necrotic (tissue-destroying) venom.
  • The causes of these wounds are diverse and not related to spiders.

If you have received such an email, the best thing you can do is delete it. You can also warn the sender that this is a hoax. Please feel free to add a link to this web page for more information.

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Chris Hosking , Interpretive Officer
Last Updated:

Tags Brown Recluse Spider, Spider Bite, Myth, Hoax, Email,

5 comments

Sharksladie - 5.08 AM, 14 August 2011
I wanted to add in reply to "globalvillian", it is NOT rare for a brown recluse to cause necrosis-- being as I lived in their central habitat, I saw MANY cases of people who had suffered necrosis, and finally disfigurement from having to have tissue removed from the bite area. It may be RARE in areas where the recluse is not populated, but in area where they are, it IS common. I have seen the damage. As for them spreading anywhere I have no conclusive knowledge of this, however, they LOVE cardboard boxes and dark places- it would be ideal for them to be in imported boxes that are imported from other countries. This has happened with many species of insects (japanese beetle), fish (asian jumping fish) as well as plants and other mammals. Nothing is impossible. All a creature needs is a similar sustaining habitat to thrive. Good day! :)
Sharksladie - 5.08 AM, 14 August 2011
When I moved to Tennessee, which is the brown recluse's centrally located habitat, I researched everything about them. They can be found in other states as far as NC, FL GA, but in SMALL numbers. Their natural habitat is TN, KY, Western WV, the tips of the bottom coastal states such as LA, GA, MS, Nc, SC. Their central habitat location is TN, and KY. AND my house was FULL of them. The house had been empty over a year and when we moved in, I would find them in drawers of clothes, towels hanging by the shower, hundreds dead in baseboard cracks. I WAS FREAKED OUT! I treated my house once a month for 6 months to get rid of the infestation. I know EXACTLY what they look like, and now that I live in middle eastern NC, I haven't seen ONE anywhere. Not to say there aren't any, but minimal if I haven't seen any. IF you know what to look for, they are not hard to identify. Look for a black violin shape on the spider's top half (head),not the bottom. The bottom is plain brown and sometimes light in color. Beware, they cause a painful bite that can kill, but will cause disfigurement without immediate medical treatment!!! Good luck :)
globalvillain - 7.04 PM, 25 April 2011
I have just been reading about this 'warning' on hoax-slayer, and the saddest thing is that even though the hoax is explained in detail there are still comments where people express belief. Amy, yes the brown recluse bite can cause tissue damage, it is unusual. Very often necrosis is diagnoses as a spider bite when there is no evidence to support this. In fact, many spider bite diagnosis have been shown to be mistaken. There is no confirmed case of the brown recluse causing death so please add documentation including your friends name, the attending doctor, the hospital where this happened etc. Lets all be a little more serious and responsible.
Chris Hosking - 10.05 PM, 27 May 2010

Thank you Amy

What makes this a hoax is that this species is not spreading across Australia and is not a new species to Australia. Many of the emails claims are therefore false and intended to spread fear.

I cannot comment on any bites from the United States, however Rick Vetter from the UC Riverside (see Spider Research link above) has published research that suggests such wounds have other causes and are often misdiagnosed as spider bites by many people including doctors. Please see the links to this research.

 

AmyKay0629 - 2.05 PM, 27 May 2010
I am from the midwestern part of the United States and I can assure you that the Brown Recluse spider is a common problem in all areas, north and south. I have several friends who have been bitten by this spider, and my teacher lost her leg because of it. This spider's venom (if it is the same as the Brown Recluse in the United States)does eat away tissue. I have seen bites so bad that the persons bone was in full view because the tissue had been eaten away. Last summer a family friend died after just 2 days of being bit by a brown recluse while camping at a local park. It acts almost like an acid on human tissue. Please inform people how dangerous these spiders are, we are well aware here. The like damp dark places (hence the name recluse) and are not often seen during the day. To call this a hoax is absurd! These spiders are very dangerous and their capabilities should not be taken lightly!

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