Loxosceles deserta

Loxosceles deserta, commonly known as the desert recluse, is a recluse spider of the family Sicariidae.^[1] It is found in Mexico and the United States.

Loxosceles deserta
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Chelicerata
Class:	Arachnida
Order:	Araneae
Infraorder:	Araneomorphae
Family:	Sicariidae
Genus:	Loxosceles
Species:	L. deserta
Binomial name
Loxosceles deserta Gertsch, 1973
Range of L. deserta within the United States shown in yellow. Mexican range not available.

The desert recluse is commonly misidentified as L. unicolor (of South America)^[2] or as L. reclusa (the brown recluse of the southern and midwestern states), two spiders which do not live anywhere near the vicinity.^[2]

Distribution

This spider is found in the eastern half of southern California, the southern tip of Nevada, the western half of Arizona, throughout northern, central, eastern, and southwestern New Mexico, the southwestern corner of Utah^[3][4] and into northwestern Mexico.^[5]

It dwells in the wild, and its only domestic occurrence is that near native vegetation, avoiding urban areas in the desert and even green lawns.^[2] The spiders are particularly dense in packrat dens.^[6]

Venom

Further information: Recluse spider venom components and effects

Lesions of the skin can be caused by the venomous bite of the desert recluse.^[7] This occurs through the same mechanism responsible for the effects of the brown recluse bite.^{[citation needed]}