What Can Brown Recluse Spiders Eat?
Brown recluse spiders (Loxosceles reclusa) are primarily carnivorous predators that feed on a variety of small arthropods. Their diet is somewhat opportunistic, depending on what they can successfully capture or scavenge. Here's what brown recluse spiders can eat:
Primary Diet: Live Insects and Arthropods
Brown recluse spiders actively hunt or ambush their prey, rather than using webs to trap it. They prefer live prey and use their venom to immobilize it. Common prey includes:
Small beetles
Other spiders, including sometimes other brown recluses
Their venom contains enzymes that liquefy the tissues of their prey, allowing the spider to suck up the digested material.
Scavenging Behavior
While they prefer live prey, brown recluse spiders can also scavenge. In captivity or when food is scarce, they will consume dead insects if the carcass is fresh enough to be digested with their enzymes. However, scavenging is typically a fallback strategy and not a primary behavior in the wild.
Cannibalism
Brown recluses are known to be cannibalistic under certain conditions, especially in overcrowded or resource-scarce environments. If another brown recluse is injured or weakened, a healthier one may attack and feed on it.
What They Cannot Eat
Due to their specific method of digestion, brown recluse spiders cannot eat solid food. Their venom and digestive enzymes must first break down the internal tissues of their prey into a liquid form. They cannot chew or tear through large or hard-bodied prey effectively.
Water Intake
Although not part of their “diet” in the typical sense, brown recluses do require water. They may drink from condensation, leaky pipes, or other sources of moisture. In captivity, spiders kept without access to water may die even if food is present.
What Do Brown Recluse Spiders Eat?
Brown recluse spiders (Loxosceles reclusa) have specific feeding preferences shaped by their biology, hunting style, and environmental conditions. While they are opportunistic feeders, certain types of prey are more appealing and manageable for them based on size, behavior, and vulnerability. Here's their preferred diet:
Preferred Diet: Soft-Bodied, Easy-to-Subdue Insects
Brown recluse spiders favor live, soft-bodied prey that can be easily overpowered with their venom and digested externally using their enzymatic saliva. Their preferred prey includes:
Crickets
A top food choice, especially smaller or immature ones.
Active at night, just like the recluse, making encounters frequent.
Soft exoskeletons make them easier to penetrate and digest.
Cockroach Nymphs
Young cockroaches are small enough to be subdued.
Abundant in cluttered, damp environments where brown recluses also thrive.
Silverfish
Common in basements and attics.
Fast-moving, but soft-bodied and nocturnal—making them viable targets.
Small Beetles
Particularly soft-bodied species like carpet beetles.
Beetles with harder exoskeletons are less desirable due to the difficulty of penetration and digestion.
Other Spiders
Including non-aggressive species like cobweb spiders.
Brown recluses can overpower other spiders that stumble into their territory, especially in confined spaces.
What Makes a Prey "Preferred"?
Brown recluse spiders base their preferences on the following:
Size: Prey must be small enough to be subdued without excessive struggle.
Texture: Softer exoskeletons are more susceptible to venom and easier to digest.
Behavior: Nocturnal or slow-moving prey increases hunting success.
Habitat overlap: Species that frequent the same hidden, undisturbed areas are more commonly targeted.