Is this a brown recluse spider???

Question

I just came into my room and I saw my cat playing with a spider, and it looked like he was about to eat it but then he jumped back when his face got close to the spider. I think it might have bit him but I can't tell.

My cat is sleeping right now, and it's been about 1 hour since it happened. He seems fine.

I sprayed the spider with air freshener and it died after a few minutes. I waited a while before picking it up and taking these pictures.

I hope it is not a recluse. I don't want my cat to die or anything. The shape, color, and size matches the recluse, but it doesn't have that violin shape on its back so I can't tell if it is one, or just a common house spider. Someone that KNOWS how to identify it please help!

I took a shot with my guitar pick to show the size comparison.

Btw, I live in Orlando, FL.

http://a744.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/123/l_53a1aeaa16d7e1c8fcb305ae79b1f5cf.jpg

http://a453.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/35/l_d8a47e34fa2320d5681b064f5299753c.jpg

Answer 1

it kind of looks like one so you should be careful

Answer 2

yes it is

i used to live in oklahoma, and theyre evrywhere there

Answer 3

definitely! be careful.

Answer 4

It certainly does not look like a brown recluse, it appears to be

a harmless wolf spider.Orlando is a possible place for a

brown recluse,but not a very likely one.  The people saying yes and definitely don't know what they are talking about.

Answer 5

Looks like a brown recluse to me.  I know black widows are the ones with the violin shapes on their backs. I don't thing brown recluses have that.

Answer 6

Doesn't look like one:

http://www.desertusa.com/desert-animals/...

http://apps.uwhealth.org/health/adam/gra...

Notice the skinnyer legs and larger size. Plus the recluse doesnt have the yellowish tint the spider u photographed does.

Answer 7

No!  What you've got there is a male Wolf Spider, and they are completely harmless.

Black Widow Spiders do NOT have a red hourglass on their "backs".  It's on the ventral surface (under side) of their abdomens, and hard to see unless you turn the spider over.

The cat jumped back because that's what cats do when they're playing.

Did you know that 99.9% of all spiders are harmless?  Spiders do a great deal of good in helping to keep our planet healthy and strong.  Spiders around your home, feed on flys, termites, gnats, crickets, cockroaches, aphids, and many other household and garden pests.  Which would you rather have, one little spider in  your home, or 100 cockroaches?  Think about that.

Answer 8

Creepy spider!I would take your cat to a vet if you notice any thing difference with him within the next 24 hours.

Answer 9

Black widows have a red hourglass on their belly. But brown recluses have the violin shape back. (Yes this is a brown recluse).

Answer 10

nope this is

http://a744.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/ima...

Answer 11

Check here as to which spider you saw -

http://www.spideridentification.org/

http://www.usq.edu.au/spider/index.htm

Answer 12

UUghh! It's Horrible.

I have no Idea what species it is.

I Live in the U.K

I Thought our house Spiders were Terrifying,

UUghh! I Cringe as I Type.

Answer 13

The abdomen seems a little too small.

Answer 14

I can't view these files at work, could you move them to flickr?

That or I'll answer when I get home, which will be in about 8 hours from now.

*for now..

Orlando FL is a bit out of the natural range of the Brown recluse, but I have heard of the spider getting moved in shipments.  Those cases are rare.

*added*

This is most definitely not a brown recluse, it is a grass spider.