Brown Recluse Spider Distribution and Habitat

Distribution

The Brown Recluse Spider is native to the United States of America, Mexico and Canada. In the USA, their range extends from the southern Midwest down the the Gulf of Mexico. To get more specific, the Brown Recluse Spider has been seen from southeastern Nebraska through southern Iowa, Illinois, and Indiana to southwestern Ohio. Moving south, their range also extends from western Georgia to the central parts of Texas. They are rarely ever seen west of the Rockies, and if they are here, they have been transported.

In Mexico, the Brown Recluse Spider tends to hang around the border, and does not extend too far south into the country. As for Canada, this spider stays around southeast Ontario, and in the southern parts of Quebec.

Habitat

Unlike most spiders that build intricate, fairly symmetrical webs, the Brown Recluse Spider builds completely irregular webs. Most webs built by this spider include a sheltered area that is built from completely disorderly and random threads. Brown Recluse Spider webs are built in undisturbed and dry locations: cellars, garages, closets, sheds and woodpiles. When in human dwellings, they tend to like cardboard, but are also commonly found inside clothing, or other tight spaces. Most human contact comes when cleaning or moving items like bed sheets, shoes, dresser drawers or behind pictures, due to the fact that the Brown Recluse Spider feels threatened. These spiders also do not use their web to hunt, as they wander away in search of prey.