brown recluse spider

brown recluse spider
a small, pale-brown, venomous North American spider, Loxosceles reclusa, distinguished by a violin-shaped marking near the head, found outdoors in rock niches or indoors in drawers or dark corners: its bite may cause deep skin ulcers that are occasionally fatal. Also called fiddleback spider, violin spider.
[1960-65]

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Venomous species (Loxosceles reclusa) of brown spider, most common in the western and southern U.S. The brown recluse is light-coloured, generally with a dark violin-shaped design on its back, for which it is sometimes called the violin spider.

About 0.25 in. (7 mm) long, it has a leg span of about 1 in. (2.5 cm). It has extended its range into parts of the northern U.S. and is often found under stones or in dark corners inside buildings. The venom of the brown recluse destroys the walls of blood vessels near the site of the bite, sometimes causing a slow-healing skin ulcer. Bites are occasionally fatal.

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • brown recluse spider — n a venomous spider of the genus Loxosceles (L. reclusa) introduced esp. into the southern and central U.S. that produces a dangerous cytotoxin which can cause necrotic lesions called also brown recluse * * * Loxosceles reclusa, the species whose …   Medical dictionary

  • brown recluse spider — n. a very poisonous, medium sized spider (Loxosceles reclusa), common in the U.S., having a violin shaped mark on its cephalothorax and only six eyes …   English World dictionary

  • Brown recluse spider — Taxobox | name = Brown recluse spider image width = 250px regnum = Animalia phylum = Arthropoda classis = Arachnida ordo = Araneae familia = Sicariidae genus = Loxosceles species = L. reclusa binomial = Loxosceles reclusa binomial authority =… …   Wikipedia

  • Brown recluse spider — Loxosceles reclusa Loxosceles reclusa …   Wikipédia en Français

  • brown recluse spider — noun also brown recluse Etymology: recluse probably from New Latin reclusa, specific epithet, from Late Latin, feminine of reclusus shut up; from its living chiefly in dark corners more at recluse : a venomous spider of the genus Loxosceles (L.… …   Useful english dictionary

  • brown recluse spider — brown′ rec′luse spi der n. ivt a pale brown, highly venomous North American spider, Loxosceles reclusa, distinguished by a dark violin shaped mark on the head region • Etymology: 1960–65 …   From formal English to slang

  • brown recluse spider — n. extremely venomous brown spider most common in the USA that has a dark mark that looks like a violin on the dorsal side of its body …   English contemporary dictionary

  • brown recluse spider — noun Date: 1964 a venomous spider (Loxosceles reclusa) especially of the southern and central United States that has a violin shaped mark on the cephalothorax and produces a dangerous cytotoxin which can cause necrotic lesions …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • brown recluse spider — noun A venomous American spider, Loxosceles reclusa, that has a mark on its back in the shape of a violin …   Wiktionary

  • Recluse spider — Taxobox name = Recluse spiders image width = 200px image caption = Loxosceles amazonica spider regnum = Animalia phylum = Arthropoda classis = Arachnida ordo = Araneae familia = Sicariidae genus = Loxosceles genus authority = Heineken Lowe, 1832… …   Wikipedia

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