Is this a Brown Recluse Spider that I found in my bedroom? If so, why is it in England?

Question

I found this giant bugger in my room yesterday (it was so big it was makinga noise on my window sill)!

-dont click if you hate spiders-
http://img485.imageshack.us/img485/8256/whatthehellsr3.png

So if it is a brown recluse spider - why is it in the UK as they are only found in America?

Answer 1

It looks more to me like a huntsman spider. They are pretty harmless, but to be safe, put it outside (see below).
I don't know much about UK spiders, but huntsman spiders are distributed prety well worldwide. They like hiding in narrow spaces like under picture frames, so could easily get transported from country to country

How to catch a huntsman: get a transparent container, like a chinese restauramt rice container, and place it over the spider when it's on a flat surface (such as a wall) Then slide the lid carefully underneath the container, making sure the spider runs into the container, and doesn't escape. Presto! spider in a cage. In nature, they live under the bark of trees, so when I see one, I release it on a tree outside.
Don't touch the spider. It is probably terrified, and might bite (they can give quite a nip, but are not very poisonous.) Also, some people are very sensitive to the hairs, which can cause dermatitis.

Answer 2

There is a lot of misinformation on this post. A little research goes a long way.

#1-recluse spiders are SMALL-body length 3/8"-1/2"
#2-there are NOT 'alot of recluse spiders in California'.
#3-hobo spider(tegenaria agrestis ) and recluse spider(loxosceles species) are NOT the same thing.

Answer 3

Hard to tell from the photo, there are a few spiders that look similar to them. Try doing a search for photos to compare it to-there's lots out there, but I'd say yours looks a bit bigger then one. The best way(and hardest) to tell for sure is to look and see if it has 6 eyes, most spiders have 8.

Being as you're in the UK, it's most likely not. But, it is common for critters to hitchhike on stuff that gets shipped around the world. There's always stories of black widow spiders ending up in the northern states. Killer bees moving up from South America, and the dreaded fire ants that came from South America or somewhere.

And that's not a giant spider lol. I remember one night at work, walking up to this car on the side of the road, and there was this field type spider that was bigger then my hand on the side of the car...ewwww lol :)

Answer 4

Brown recluses are found all over, I live in Central Illinois and we've got'em like crazy. But whatever you do, DO NOT SPRAY!!! They eat bugs (dead and alive) and spraying them does NOT kill them! It just makes the spiders come out more so they can find more food. If you want to know more, type in Brown Recluses into your search engine and research it. You can use mouse and rat glue traps to help catch them.

Answer 5

A bit too big for a brown recluse also legs are too thick. It`s probably a teganaria domesticata (House Spider) They look like that and live in England.

Answer 6

If it is a brown recluse spider it could have snuck into a banana crate and have been picked up in a supermarket. Or any kind of crate. Thats how we got some strange bugs in our house.

Answer 7

Brown Spider Uk

Answer 8

I couldn't tell what the spider was by the picture. Another name for a brown recluse is the hobo spider. It's know for hitching a ride.

Answer 9

Looks more like ;T.Atrica the horizontal cobweb spider that usually hides in dark corners of houses. They are dark brown in colour and the female is much larger than the male.

Answer 10

I think that is just a really big house spider, that is huge!! look up the species on the net and compare it, if you're still not sure take it to an arachnid expert.