Brown Recluse vs Cellar Spider

The quick tellA cellar spider has a tiny body on extremely long thin legs and shakes its web when touched. A recluse has a sturdier body with a violin mark and hides instead of hanging in a web.

Photo: Br-recluse-guy, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Brown recluse

Medically significant · Loxosceles reclusa

Dark violin shape on the back, neck of the violin points to the rear
Six eyes in three pairs (most spiders have eight)
Plain tan abdomen and legs with no bands or spines
Long thin legs; with legs spread it is about the size of a quarter

Size: 0.25–0.5 in. Habitat: Indoors in boxes, closets, attics and basements; outdoors under rocks and bark.

Most bites heal without trouble; a few cause a slow-healing wound. Many wounds blamed on recluses outside their range turn out to be other conditions.

Photo: Didier Descouens, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Cellar spider

Harmless · Pholcus phalangioides

Tiny body and extremely long thin legs
Vibrates fast in its web when disturbed
Loose, tangled webs in corners and basements

Size: 0.25–0.35 in. Habitat: Inside houses almost everywhere.

Harmless to people.

Where each one lives

Brown recluse only
Cellar spider only
Both
Neither

Brown recluse: 16 states. Cellar spider: 24 states. Both live in 10 states.

Side by side

	Brown recluse	Cellar spider
Danger	Medically significant	Harmless
Size	0.25–0.5 in	0.25–0.35 in
States	16	24
Habitat	Indoors in boxes, closets, attics and basements; outdoors under rocks and bark	Inside houses almost everywhere

Questions

How can you tell a brown recluse from a cellar spider?

A cellar spider has a tiny body on extremely long thin legs and shakes its web when touched. A recluse has a sturdier body with a violin mark and hides instead of hanging in a web.

Which one is dangerous?

The brown recluse: medically significant. The cellar spider: harmless. If you are not sure, keep your distance and do not handle it.

Where do both live?

Both live in 10 states: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee and Texas.