“A necrotic lesion (i.e., an area of dead skin tissue) may develop and require surgery” NC State Extension
Size
Body about 7 to 12 mm (about 3/8 inch); females average about 9 mm and males about 8 mm. UC IPM says a recluse body is not more than 3/8 inch long.
How to recognize it
Six equal-sized eyes in three pairs. UC IPM calls this the most definitive feature, since most spiders have eight eyes.
The violin mark alone is not a reliable way to identify it
UC IPM's five-point check: six eyes in pairs, evenly colored finely haired abdomen, no spines on the legs, evenly colored legs, body no more than 3/8 inch
What the sources say
Venom: “Venomous spiders found in the United States include the black widow and the brown recluse.” (CDC / NIOSH)
Habitat: Outdoors, they are most common under rocks, debris, wood piles, etc. (NC State Extension)
UF/IFAS says males are often mistaken for brown recluses. The brown recluse has six eyes in three separate pairs, while the southern house spider has eight eyes bunched together at the front.
Ohio DNR says it is sometimes confused with the recluse, perhaps because it also has six eyes; recluses are much smaller, dull brown and have tiny fangs. UC IPM says the woodlouse spider's six eyes are in two groups of three (a recluse has three pairs) and it has no body markings.
Alabama Extension says the Mediterranean and Chilean recluses closely resemble the brown recluse and are difficult to tell apart from it; it has the same six eyes in three pairs. UC IPM says telling recluse species apart needs a high-magnification microscope and a spider expert. It is not native; Alabama Extension says it has been found in only a few small, isolated locations, and Ohio DNR reports it from buildings in several Ohio cities.
When spiders are seen in North Carolina
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
6,629 records (GBIF, CC0 and CC BY).
If you see one in North Carolina
Keep your distance and do not try to catch or handle it. NC Wildlife Helpline (NCWRC), Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-5 p.m.: 866-318-2401; email [email protected]. Aquatic invasive species: NCWRC Aquatic Nuisance Species Reporting Tool (https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/710337fbf02140599fd788ebfdd72744). Rattlesnake sightings: [email protected] or HerpMapper. Wildlife violations / alligator emergencies: 800-662-7137. Yellow-legged hornet: www.ncagr.gov/YLH (NCDA&CS). N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission
Spiders in and Around Homes. NC State Extension (N.C. Cooperative Extension, NC State University). Publication date: Jan. 1, 2008; checked November 3, 2026.Quoted passages (3)
“Although brown recluse spiders can be found in North Carolina, they are simply not very common.”
“A necrotic lesion (i.e., an area of dead skin tissue) may develop and require surgery”
“The two best-known poisonous spiders found here are the black widow spider and the brown recluse.”
Venomous Spiders (Outdoor Workers). CDC / NIOSH. archived copy, captured September 29, 2026; checked November 3, 2026.Quoted passages (1)
“Venomous spiders found in the United States include the black widow and the brown recluse.”
Have a Wildlife Problem? N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission. undated page; checked November 3, 2026.Quoted passages (1)
“The Wildlife Helpline is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call: 866-318-2401”
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