Search results
Pholcus phalangioides, commonly known as the cosmopolitan cellar spider, long-bodied cellar spider or one of various types called a daddy long-legs spider, is a spider of the family Pholcidae. This is the only spider species described by the Swiss entomologist Johann Kaspar Füssli, who first recorded it in 1775. [1]
Answer: The typical cellar spider (Pholcus phalangioides) has very long legs, a long slender abdomen, and usually hangs in disorganized webs. They like to make their webs in corners of cellars, basements and garages.
- Description
- Classification
- Diet
- Life Cycle
- Special Adaptations and Defenses
- Range and Distribution
If you haven't guessed already, pholcid spiders often take up residence in basements, sheds, garages, and other similar structures. They construct irregular, stringy webs (another way to differentiate them from harvestman, which doesn't produce silk). Most (but not all) cellar spiders have legs that are disproportionately long for their bodies. The...
Kingdom – Animalia Phylum – Arthropoda Class – Arachnida Order – Araneae Infraorder - Araneomorphae Family - Pholcidae
Cellar spiders prey on insects and other spiders and are particularly fond of eating ants. They are highly sensitive to vibrations and will close in on an unsuspecting arthropod rapidly if it happens to wander into its web. Cellar spiders have also been observed purposely vibrating the webs of other spiders, as a tricky way of luring in a meal.
Female cellar spiders wrap their eggs loosely in silk to form a rather flimsy but effective egg sac. The mother pholcid carries the egg sac in her jaws. Like all spiders, the young spiderlings hatch from their eggs looking similar to adults. They molt their skin as they grow into adults.
When they feel threatened, cellar spiders will vibrate their webs rapidly, presumably to confuse or deter the predator. It's unclear whether this makes the pholcid more difficult to see or catch, but it's a strategy that seems to work for the cellar spider. Some people refer to them as vibrating spiders because of this habit. Cellar spiders are als...
Worldwide, there are nearly 900 species of cellar spiders, with most living in the tropics. Just 34 species live in North America (north of Mexico), and some of these were introduced. Cellar spiders are most often associated with human dwellings, but also inhabit caves, leaf litter, rock piles, and other protected natural environments.
Feb 2, 2023 · Pholcidae—Cellar or Daddylong-legs Spiders. (Pholcus phalangioides) The longbodied cellar spider is the most common of the Pholcidae in the United States. It has extremely long legs and is found in many types of buildings throughout the year.
Nov 17, 2023 · Pholcus. Discover the fascinating world of the Pholcus genus, which is part of the Pholcidae family. With a whopping 321 spiders recorded by the World Spider Catalog in May 2016, there’s so much to know about these intriguing creatures. Published by Dr Richard J. Pearce (PhD) on September 9, 2019.
Pholcus phalangiodes can be found in undisturbed, low light locations. Some places one might encounter this spider are in basements, under stones, under ledges, and in caves. People most often associate these spiders with living on ceilings and in corners in homes.
People also ask
What is a phalangioides Spider?
What do phalangioides eat?
Is Pholcus phalangioides a daddylong leg Spider?
Do phalangioides rely on vision for predation?
Mar 9, 2024 · Both Tahir et al. (2018) and Roozbahani et al. (2014) reported antibacterial activity against different Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria with Pholcus phalangioides silk using various sample treatments, suggesting the presence of antibacterial activity in this species of spider.
