Question
Hello, Jack.  This is my third attempt to ask you this question, because it appears the site has been glitching out.  I apologize if you've received several messages from me.

I tried to send you a photo of a spider I caught in a glass, but none of the pictures turned out very well, anyway. Unfortunately, I'm not able to focus well on the spider with my iPhone...and it's difficult just to look at it with a magnifying glass.

Anyway, here is the description:  brown; eyes APPEAR to be arranged with two on either side and then a long string below that looks like a mouth; light spines on the legs that can only be seen through a magnifying glass; little "dimples" on the abdomen; no noticeable violin shape...hard...very, very hard to tell for sure; and the web he made in the glass can only be seen with the magnifying glass!!!

FYI, I am in Columbus, Ohio.  I would appreciate any input you can grant me.

~Jennie

Answer
Jennie,

Sorry you had problems with the site, I got only this one question from you. It is unlikely that you've found a brown recluse spider in central Ohio because that's somewhat out of the spider's natural range. It does get into southwestern Ohio but not as far north as you are. However, stranger things have happened so never say never with bugs of any sort. Take a look at this article about brown recluse (follow the link to the range map) http://www.livingwithbugs.com/brown_recluse_spiders.html and if you can post a picture I may be able to id it for you. Your other option is to take it to the entomology department at OSU and ask their insect id folks to look at it.

Jack DeAngelis
http://www.livingwithbugs.com