Is there any truth in the email rumour that the brown recluse spider is spreading across Australia?
As of mid-2008, an email began to circulate that the brown recluse spider is increasing in numbers and spreading across Australia. The email usually has attachments, including a picture of the spider and graphic photos of the damage caused by its bite. The spider in the photos is usually Loxosceles, known as the recluse spider or fiddleback. The tissue damage in the photos really was attributable to a spider such as the one shown. HOWEVER, the spider (or a closely-related type) has only been found in the Adelaide region and only infrequently. There are no genuine reports of its distribution expanding, and no genuine reports of it causing tissue damage in Australia. UPDATE: the hoax email has now had the logo of the Australian Red Cross added in an attempt to make it more believable. The Australian Red Cross do not send unsolicited emails with health warnings, and are not associated with this email hoax.
