Is this a Recluse?
Found this in my bedroom this evening after getting home from work. It appears, to me, to be a Brown Recluse, but I have a friend in pest control who says no. I cannot find another spider that looks like this in the Missouri Conservation site.
St. Charles County Missouri
1 Response
There are many more spiders in Missouri than the Mo Dept of Conservation can put on their website. Here is a bit more information on Missouri Spiders, https://extension2.missouri.edu/g7386. this guide has more pictures and discussion on controls.
Yes, the general appearance is similar to the brown recluse. Getting a good identification of the spider requires a description of eye arrangement and mouth parts. The legs look a little too robust for brown recluse. But, there appears to be a fiddle marking on the back that seems to indicate that it may be a brown recluse. See, https://extension2.missouri.edu/G7386?p=3#Brown. Seldom do we see the brown recluse out in the open.
So, I am undecided. If you still have the spider, you may take it to the St Charles County office for a better ID. Justin Keay is our new Horticulture Specialist in that office and he can help you take a closer look.
https://extension2.missouri.edu/locations/mu-extension-in-st.-charles-county
