They are one of the most feared spiders in North America.
And now the brown recluse - or Loxosceles reclusa - spider population is growing, and predicted to expand into the northern states as a result of climate change.
Currently the spider, the bite of which in rare cases can kill a child under seven and those with a weakened immune system, is mostly found in the Midwest and southern U.S.
But researchers are predicting the population will expand to parts of Nebraska, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, South Dakota, Ohio and Pennsylvania by 2080.
The spiders tend to build their webs in woodpiles and sheds, cupboards and other places that are dry and generally undisturbed.
If they get inside the house they often favour cardboard but have also been found in shoes, bed sheets of infrequently used beds, in clothes stacked or left lying on the floor, inside work gloves, behind baseboards and pictures, and near sources of warmth.
When provoked (or squished up against the skin by accident) the brown recluse injects a powerful venom that in rare cases can kill.
2080 is a long way off, but I still don’t like this. Sleep well tonight kids.
