Scientific Name
Pholcus phalangioides
Common Name
Longbodied Cellar Spider
Other Names
Cellar Spider, Daddy Longlegs
Explanation of names
- Author: J. C. Fuesslin. First year published: 1775, as Aranea phalangoides.
- Pronunciation: FOHL-kuss fuh-lan-gee-OY-deez
- Meaning: Pholcus can mean either “bandy-legged” or “squinty-eyed” in Greek, but the intended meaning in the case of this spider is uncertain, though it is assumed that Walckenaer meant for it to mean “squinty-eyed”; phalangioides is a combination of the Harvestman genus Phalangium plus ‘-oides’ which means “like, resembling.”
Appearance
- Size: Body length of mature female 7-10 mm; males 6-10 mm.
- Color: Abdomen is an overall grayish-brown color with occasional translucent areas and patches of dark gray and beige. Cephalothorax is beige with two dark gray markings in the center. Legs are grayish-brown with bands of white and black at the joints.
- Eyes: Total of eight eyes. There’s a cluster of three eyes on each side, with two small eyes in between.
- Legs: Very, very long and thin; delicate looking. The front legs on an adult of this species can be up to 50 mm in length (sometimes more). All legs are covered in hairs not visible to the naked eye.
- Body: Abdomen of both genders is cylindrical and elongated. Pregnant females will exhibit a more spherical abdomen.
Range
Suspected of being an import from Europe, this species is now widespread throughout all of North America. It is considered a ‘cosmopolitan’ species, which means it is present in most countries around the entire world.
Habitat
Though one of its common names implies that it lives in cellars, that is not always the case; but it does seem to prefer low light areas. This species will live throughout homes and other buildings, as well as caves and rocky overhangs.
Web
Tangled web appears quite messy and unorganized; no defined pattern. May take on the form of a horizontal “sheet” web. Spider hangs upside down (belly up).
Season
Since this spider typically lives indoors where the temperature is fairly warm, they can be found at all stages of development throughout the year. Outdoor individuals mature in summer or fall.
Food
Any kind of flying, jumping, or walking insect that enters the web. This species also eats other spiders, including ones much larger than itself. In the Pacific Northwest, they sometimes catch Tegenaria agrestis (the “Hobo Spider”) and Tegenaria gigantea (the “Giant House Spider”); in other areas of the U.S., they are sometimes known for catching large wolf spiders. This spider may also invade the web of other members of its own species and eat them.
Life Cycle
Both genders can mature at any time of year when living indoors. It takes roughly one year and five molts to reach adulthood. This species may live for an additional 2-3 years after that. Females wrap their eggs in a few strands of silk and carry them in their chelicerae. Each female may lay up to three egg sacs in her lifetime, each one consisting of about 30 individual eggs. The mother does not feed at all while she holds the eggs in her mouth.
Comments
If feeling threatened, this spider will vibrate its web so fast that the spider itself becomes a blur. It makes it harder for a predator to catch them.
