Is It a Brown Recluse or a Look-Alike?
By the Clark Pest Entomology Team
Last updated: October 29, 2026
Quick answer: Check the legs and egg sac before you blame a brown recluse. UC IPM says recluses do not live in California. Banded tan legs and a spiky egg sac mean a brown widow. A shiny black spider with a red hourglass is a black widow. Very long, thin legs in a messy web mean a cellar spider.
Which Spider Did You Find?
Clark covers four spiders that people ask about in California and Northwestern Nevada. Tap the closest match.
Brown Widow Spider
Mottled tan, brown and gray with banded legs. The spiky egg sac gives it away. Look under plastic patio furniture and the rims of plastic pots.
Black Widow Spider
Mature females are about 1/2 inch long, shiny black, with a red hourglass on the underside. Look in woodpiles, garages and meter boxes.
Cellar Spider
A small body on very long, thin legs, hanging in a loose, messy web. It is one of the animals people call daddy long legs.
Brown Recluse Spider
Widely feared, but UC IPM says it does not live in California. Read this page before you decide that is what bit you.
Brown Widow, Black Widow, Cellar Spider or Recluse?
Legs, webs and egg sacs sort these spiders faster than color alone. A harvestman is in the table too because people mix it up with the cellar spider.
| Spider | Legs and body | Web or egg sac | Bite concern |
|---|
| Brown widow | Mottled tan, brown and gray. Females are about 3/8 inch. Clark's guide describes banded legs | Egg sac covered in silk spikes, like a large pollen grain | UC IPM says bites are much milder than black widow bites |
|---|
| Black widow | Shiny black female, about 1/2 inch, with a red hourglass underneath. UC IPM says the hourglass can be missing | Tangled, irregular web. Yellowish, teardrop-shaped egg sac | Can cause serious symptoms. Get medical advice promptly |
|---|
| Cellar spider | Small body on very long, thin legs. Two body segments | Loose, messy webs where it hangs upside down | UC IPM says the fangs are too short to pierce skin in most cases |
|---|
| Harvestman (not a spider) | One fused body segment. No fangs and no venom | Clark's guide says no silk and no webs | UC Riverside says it has no fangs and no venom glands |
|---|
| Brown recluse | Uniformly colored body and legs. Six eyes in three pairs. Body 3/8 inch or less | No web to catch prey. Silk retreat for daytime hiding | Not established in California, per UC IPM |
|---|
Spider With Striped Legs Near Your Patio
Look for the egg sac
Young black widows look much like brown widows. UC IPM says the egg sac is the surer clue. A brown widow sac is covered in silk spikes and looks like a large pollen grain.
Where they hide
UC IPM lists woodpiles, chain-link fences and spots under plastic patio furniture. It says brown widows are not common in garages. Clark's guide adds the curled lip of plastic flower pots and the recessed handles of trash bins.
Where they live
UC IPM reported in 2016 that brown widows were established from Santa Barbara to the San Bernardino area. It said they were not established in the Central Valley, the deserts or north of the Los Angeles Basin. Ranges can shift, so ask a Clark technician what is in your yard.
Clearing egg sacs
Clark's guide says to vacuum or squash every sac you find. UC IPM counts about 130 eggs in one sac and says a female can make 20 or more in her life. It also says water-based sprays had no significant effect on brown widow eggs in a 2016 study, because the silk repels water.
Black Widow in the Garage or Woodpile
UC IPM says black widows settle in dark, dry, sheltered and undisturbed places such as woodpiles and garages. Clark's guide adds meter boxes, crawl spaces and the spot under decking. Webs are tangled and irregular, and the spider hangs upside down in them.
Gloves matter here. UC IPM says to wear them when you clean out garages and storage areas and when you handle firewood. The CDC says black widow bites can happen when someone touches a web. It also says to shake out or inspect clothing, shoes and towels before use.
According to UC IPM, most medically important bites come from adult females. Males have fangs too small to break human skin. According to UC IPM, only adult females and larger immature females can bite through skin and inject enough venom to cause a painful reaction.
Daddy Long Legs in the Basement
Spider or harvestman?
The name covers more than one animal. UC Riverside entomologists say cellar spiders have two distinct body segments and harvestmen have one. Harvestmen have no fangs and no venom glands, so venom is not a concern with them. Clark's quick test works well. If the animal sits in a web, it is a cellar spider.
Do cellar spiders bite?
Their fangs are too short to pierce skin in most cases and cobwebs are the main problem.
Clearing the webs
Utah State University Extension says to cut down the other insects in the building, seal cracks and clear clutter. UC IPM says to sweep, mop, hose or vacuum webs off buildings regularly and to point outdoor lights away from doors and windows.
Bitten and Not Sure by What
If a widow may have bitten you
UC IPM says to stay calm and promptly seek medical advice. It also says to contact a physician, hospital or poison control center if a spider bite causes an unusual or severe reaction. The CDC says to wash the bite with soap and water and lay a cold, damp cloth on it. It adds that you should not try to remove venom. According to UC IPM, widow bite symptoms can include belly muscle rigidity, sweating, pain, numbness and fever.
If you think it was a recluse
UC IPM says there are no brown recluse populations in California. Across several decades, fewer than 20 confirmed specimens have turned up anywhere in the state. In one national study of nearly 600 California submissions, only one was a brown recluse. UC IPM also says the violin marking is not a reliable clue, and that a recluse has six eyes in three pairs.
Why a doctor still matters
UC IPM says 29 percent of patients who came in with a "spider bite" at 11 university medical facilities had MRSA infections. A CDC poster gives the same warning: when in doubt, check it out. See a doctor for any wound that worsens, and for any bite that worries you.
Clark's Expert Insight
Take a clear photo before you do anything else. Shoot the top of the spider, the legs and any egg sac nearby, and keep your hands away from the web. A photo lets a technician name the spider and plan the visit. Clark technicians sweep down accessible webs as part of the service and can advise on other steps to keep spiders out.
Spider Questions Homeowners Ask
What kind of spider has striped legs?
A tan to brown spider with banded legs can be a brown widow. Clark's guide lists banded legs as a clue. UC IPM says the egg sac is the surer sign, because it is covered in silk spikes.
Are daddy long legs spiders?
Some are. UC Riverside entomologists say the name covers cellar spiders, which are true spiders, and harvestmen, which are not. A cellar spider makes a web. A harvestman does not.
Do cellar spiders bite?
Their fangs are too short to pierce skin in most cases. Clark's guide says they can puncture skin if pressed against it and rarely try.
Is a brown widow dangerous?
According to UC IPM, brown widow bites are much milder than black widow bites. According to UC IPM, brown widows play dead when disturbed, so bites are unlikely. Anyone bitten by a spider they cannot name should still get medical advice.
Are there brown recluse spiders in California?
UC IPM says no. It reports no established populations and fewer than 20 verified specimens collected over several decades. It also says more than 99 percent of the spiders Californians find are not recluses. It does say a native desert recluse lives in the southeastern deserts, and the Chilean recluse is confined to a small part of Los Angeles County.
How do I tell a brown widow from a black widow?
Start with color. UC IPM describes brown widows as mottled tan, brown and gray. It describes adult female black widows as shiny black with a red hourglass underneath. Newly hatched black widows have tan legs and a mostly white abdomen, so check the egg sac too.
How do I get spiders out of my house?
UC IPM says pesticides are generally not needed. It lists sealing foundation cracks, checking that screens seal well, vacuuming corners and storage areas, taping boxes shut off the floor and clearing webs. To move one spider, trap it under a jar and slide paper beneath it.