[Part 2] Warning: Venomous Spider In Singapore

Ref: Post titled "Warning: Venomous Spider In Singapore" dated Friday, July 17 2009


I found it!!! I found out what it's called!!! Yeay! So excited... I've found out what the mysterious Brazilian Spider is called! Look at the pictures and tell me if the spiders look alike...


Above: Mysterious spider from my previous post


Above: The Brown Recluse Spider from the brownreclusespider.org


I have to thank Divemuster who commented on the post "What Spider". I googled Wolf Spider, and found Brown Recluse Spider. Googled that, and found www.brownreclusespider.org , which led me to the above picture...


It is native to the USA, generaly found around the central mid western states southwards to the Gulf of Mexico. Although sub-species can be found else where like South America.

These spiders can and does spread, traveling inside boxes,cargo, in your car boot/trunk etc.

Indoors: they can be found in dark spots, closets, vents, heating ducts, clothes, inside shoes, old books, store rooms, corners, cracks etc. If it's found in bath tubs or toilet bowls, it's because it has fallen in and can't get out.

Outdoors: they are found in storage places like garden sheds, under rocks or inside hollow trunks.

More on it's location here



It should be about 1 inch long and one of the ways of controlling its infestation, is by using sticky traps.






This spider build a web only to nest, not to trap insects. It usually eats dead insects, even those killed by insecticide, but will hunt live insects as well.
Left: Nesting web of a Brown Recluse Spider



Bite by this spider might feel like a pin prick, or sometimes, no feeling at all. However, after a few hours, the venom takes action and the wound swells up. Pain begins and intensifies gradually.


Although non-fatal, in severe cases (sensitive person, child or lots of venom injected) the patient may experience such symptoms: fever, shivering, nausea, vomiting, itching, restlessness... eventually leading to shock. Best bet is to be calm. You don't want blood + venom spreading all over your body.

So if bitten, remain calm, trap/kill the spider, bring both patient & spider to hospital, and get immediate treatment. You have a few hours before the symptoms show themselves. Show the spider to the doctor so that they can do research and know what they're dealing with. (Try not to squish it beyond recognition. It needs to be identified)

Most patient need plastic surgery, some who delay treatment suffer more problems like red urine, kidney problems etc.

There's no known antidote to this spider's venom.

More on first-aid & hospital treatment in the website.