[2sheep]

While the author of your link, an entomologist, makes a strong case for "There are no brown recluse spiders in California!" there appear to be brown recluse spiders elsewhere and something is going on in L.I., N.Y. The author is an entomologist writing to protect spiders, like a herpetologist writes to protect snakes.  They write with an emotional bent like an Animal Rights Wacko protecting ravenous grizzly bears patrolling a kindergarten.  While I respect their right to their career choices, I despise their subjects.

[per loin]

...and something is going on in L.I., N.Y.

Yes. Wish the article had given a bit more info. It mentions that the victims are from different parts of the island, but fails to give the locations. Nor does it give stats by which one could understand just how rare such a bunching of bites might be.

[Twodees]

Wonder if the attempt by some to protect spiders is at the root of the misconception that there are only two venemous spider species in the US? Actually, there are several types of widow spiders which are venemous as well as more than one type of recluse spider.

The map showing a small range for Brown Recluse isn't accurate. They are in Virginia and the Carolinas. I've been bitten by one and I live in the part of central Virginia called Southside.

[AEMILIUS PAULUS]

He is an idiot. The Brown Recluse does live in California. We personally know a woman who was biten. Lost a hell of a lot of flesh off of her leg.

[discostu]

Spiders hop on stuff all the time, then get transported across the country (hence why so many warm water ports have banana spiders). Wouldn't be surprised if this little bugger hitched a ride with some snowbirds (that's what we call winter visitors) leaving my kneck of the woods and going home to LI, and now because the whole country is unusually dry he's havin' a great time and probably doesn't even know he's in the wrong part of the world. The problem with being in such a mobile society is that bugs no longer have a "range" in the classic sense. Remember the medfly.