My Sis-in-Law stuck her left foot in her shoe and whamo! The spider was apparently worse for wear despite the bites. And, as often happens, my sister-in-law was certain it was a ‘brown recluse‘. She hasn’t traveled to the South lately. It is unlikely she has handled any transported materials that could have transported a ‘brown recluse spider’ into her farm house near Newberg, Oregon. Regardless of what kind of spider, the bites caused considerable swelling and pain. The bad juju was just starting to subside. SwittersB

VENOMOUS AMERICAN ARACHNIDS

The United States has five groups of spiders that can cause serious injury. The black widow and yellow sac spider are found throughout the country, although the latter’s range has yet to be mapped precisely. The hobo spider has expanded its range in the Pacific Northwest, while the brown recluse is found in the South and lower Midwest. Other recluses are found in the Southwest. Are there Brown Recluses in the PacNW? People seem convinced. (Legend: Purple, black widow; yellow, yellow sac; red, hobo spider; green, brown recluse; blue, other recluses). Spiders in General…pics

Map by Greg Foley