Trachelas tranquillus

Summary

The “Broadfaced Sac Spider,” Trachelas tranquillus, is often encountered in autumn on the exterior walls of homes, or sometimes indoors. This spider ranges from southeast Canada to Minnesota, south to Oklahoma and northern Georgia. Normally, this species is at home in leaf litter, under bark, or in curled leaves, where it hides by day. It emerges at night to prowl for insects. No web is constructed to snare prey, but the wandering spider lays down draglines to anchor itself should it fall. Females spin an egg sac in summer or fall, usually attaching it beneath bark or to the underside of a stone. This species is frequently confused with the “Woodlouse Hunter,” Dysdera crocata, but lacks the long jaws of that species.