Core range
Loxosceles reclusa is established across roughly 16 south-central and lower-midwestern states. Smaller native Loxosceles populations (L. deserta, L. arizonica, L. apachea) occupy parts of the desert Southwest with minimal medical impact.
Caveat for shipped specimens
Individual recluses occasionally arrive in shipments to non-endemic states. These finds are individual specimens, not established populations, and do not change the regional bite-risk picture.
References
- [1]The distribution of Loxosceles species in North America - Vetter RS - Journal of Medical Entomology. Accessed June 2026.
Related in Data
- Spider bite statistics (United States)Aggregated public-health data on verified spider bites in the United States, drawn from the American Association of Poison Control Centers National Poison Data System (NPDS)..
- Spider species richness by stateDocumented species counts per US state aggregate from state extension publications and museum records.
- Medically significant spiders in the USOnly two genera in the United States produce envenomation of significant clinical consequence: Latrodectus (widows) and Loxosceles (recluses)..
- Latrodectus species distribution (United States)Native Latrodectus species occupy distinct overlapping ranges across the United States: L.
- Seasonality of indoor spider encountersIndoor sightings of large synanthropic spiders peak in late summer and early autumn in most US regions, driven primarily by male search activity rather than population growth..
- Poison control call trends (United States)AAPCC NPDS data show a steady ~3,500–4,500 annual calls coded for spider exposure across the past decade, with the majority classified as minor and fatalities essentially absent in recent reporting years..