YOU DON’T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT TAKING ONE TO THE FACE

We have two venomous spiders in the Ozarks – the brown recluse and the black widow.  The brown recluse (Laxosceles reclusa) can be identified by the fiddle-shaped pattern on the back, uniform body color, and six eyes occurring in pairs.  It is a reclusive spider (hence the name) and is most active at night. 

The black widow (Latro dectus) can be black or brown in color with a notable hourglass shape on the abdomen.  The black widow has the reputation for sexual cannibalism.  Males reportedly do not approach females that are hungry. 

The webs of both spiders look like they have been haphazardly designed.  The brown recluse web is a retreat and place to lay eggs.  The brown recluse doesn’t use it to catch food.  The black widow does rely on the web to catch prey.  Webs of both species will occur at ground level.  So, when you are hiking through the woods and take a web to the face, you don’t have to freak out excessively.  Good to know.