# What Do Brown Recluse Spiders Eat?

> What brown recluse spiders eat: Carnivore — insects and other small arthropods, foraging style, and seasonal shifts in Dark undisturbed spaces — attics, closets, sheds, and woodpiles.

- **Species:** Brown Recluse Spider (*Loxosceles reclusa*)
- **Conservation status:** Not Evaluated
- **Diet:** Carnivore — insects and other small arthropods
- **Habitat:** Dark undisturbed spaces — attics, closets, sheds, and woodpiles
- **Lifespan:** 2–4 years; slow-growing and long-lived for a spider
- **Top speed:** Quick short bursts when threatened; otherwise sedentary
- **Canonical HTML:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/brown-recluse-spider/what-do-brown-recluse-spider-eat/
- **Parent profile:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/brown-recluse-spider/
- **Last reviewed:** 2026-07-16

## Quick answer

The brown recluse is a small venomous spider named for a violin-shaped mark on its cephalothorax and its shy, reclusive habits. Found mainly in the central and southern United States, it bites rarely but can cause necrotic skin lesions. Adults are 6–20 mm long and listed Not Evaluated by IUCN.

## Who should skip this page

Skip this if you need a captive feeding plan from a veterinarian. This page is wild diet, not a pet-care sheet.

## Reclusive habits

Brown recluses avoid open spaces and daylight, spinning irregular webs in undisturbed corners rather than catching prey in orb webs. They hunt small insects at night and tolerate crowding — dozens may share a hidden void in infested buildings.

## Help protect the Brown Recluse Spider

Even familiar animals lose ground as wild habitat keeps shrinking worldwide.

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Source: Global Animal Guide (https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/brown-recluse-spider/what-do-brown-recluse-spider-eat/). Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0 — free for non-commercial reuse with attribution.