please identify this spider

[♣ McKraut ♣]

so...we've killed several (like ten+) of these guys over the last eight months or so, and i'm just wondering if this is a brown recluse or not.  bryna maintains that it is, but i just thought i would put it out there to some other people and see what you thought.

i saw this guy waiting for me early in the morning a couple days ago in the bath tub

[caffeinejunkee]

i saw this guy waiting for me early in the morning a couple days ago in the bath tub

How many eyes were looking at you?


" Identifying the Brown Recluse Spider

One can readily learn how to identify recluse spiders with less than a minute's training. Whereas most U.S. spiders have 8 eyes, typically arranged in 2 rows of 4, the recluse spiders have 6 eyes arranged in pairs (dyads) with one anterior dyad and 2 lateral dyads (Fig. 1). All 13 species of U.S. recluses (11 native, 2 non-native) share the same eye pattern. In many publications, the violin pattern on the cephalothorax (the first body part to which the legs attach) is mentioned as a diagnostic characteristic (Fig 2). Although it is quite consistent in adult brown recluses (although it can fade in preserved specimens), many western U.S. recluse species and some young brown recluses have virtually no contrasting pigmentation in the violin region (Fig. 3, 4). In addition, recluse spiders have abdomens that are devoid of coloration pattern and their legs are covered with fine hairs but lack thickened spines."

http://dermatology.cdlib.org/DOJvol5num2/special/recluse.html

[Jester]

Can yah get a better photo of the eyes?

[UnionJill]

Another indicator:

The Brown Recluse Spider, as its name indicates, has the ability of hiding inside homes, in the darkest and smallest places it can find.

The loxosceles reclusa, also known as brown recluse spider or violin spider, is a small-sized arachnid of approximately 7-12mm (1/4" - 1/2') long. The color of the brown recluse spider is generally brown. Its body shows a peculiar cephalothorax with a dark brown violin-shaped spot; the legs are light brown and the oval-shaped abdomen is dark brown, yellow, or greenish yellow. The most important characteristic is the presence of 3 pairs of eyes in the cephalothorax. Normally, all spiders have 4 pairs (8 altogether).   

Does it have the spot?
     

[WonderBoy]

According to the pics posted in that article that was linked, it's not a brown recluse...the thorax doesn't look "dramatic"-shaped enough.

[Ronr]

The brown recluse can be identified by its unmistakeable taste of chicken

[Raux]

let it bite your finger. if it falls off in a few days.. brown recluse.

[Cher]

The brown recluse can be identified by its unmistakeable taste of chicken

Awesome.  I just smack them all with a slipper and let god sort 'em out, athough I've changed my opinion about spiders recently ; three days ago we found a scorpion in the bathroom stuck in a spiders web under the sink. Spider munched on that thing for two more days. Om, num, num.

Good spider.  Here's a cookie.

[The Bearded Duc]

Spiders and scorpions, jesus. Do you have walls on that house of yours?   

I'd suggest having an exterminator come out and spray the house. Apparently spiders breed very quickly and it's quite possible you have a small infestation. Also, if you can try catching one of the spiders next time you see one. Maybe the exterminator can tell you what kind it is. The easiest way to catch them to cover them with a glass and when they start to crawl up the side remove the glass and cover the opening. It's best to have a taller glass, that way you have more time before they crawl out.

[♣ McKraut ♣]

Can yah get a better photo of the eyes?

[Mhanis]

^^^^

SHIT that is gross.

[♣ McKraut ♣]

no, this is gross

[caffeinejunkee]

Mhanis -> 0

♣ McKraut ♣  -> 1  

[rickmillertx]

Damn, that thing is growing fast!

[muskrat]

that's not from the spider bite is it?  looks like Dan knee