Arachnid
Long-bodied Cellar Spider
Pholcus phalangioidesAlso known as Cosmopolitan Cellar Spider, Daddy Long-Legs Spider, Skull Spider, Urban Cellar Spider
Long-bodied cellar spiders are delicate, long-legged arachnids that thrive in human dwellings, dark basements, and quiet corners worldwide. When threatened, they perform a rapid whirling motion in their tangled webs to blur their outline and confuse potential predators. Female cellar spiders carry their loose egg sacs wrapped in a few strands of silk directly in their jaws until the spiderlings hatch.
SynanthropicWeb-BuildingNocturnal
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Diet & preyHouse flies, Mosquitoes, Other spiders
Predators
- Jumping spiders
- Spitting spiders
- Centipedes
ThreatsPesticide use and structural cleaning
HabitatsBuildings, cellars, caves, and sheltered structures
Life span2–3 years
Classification
- OrderAraneae
- FamilyPholcidae
- GenusPholcus
- SpeciesPholcus phalangioides
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Harmless to humans; safe to observe at a close distance.
Responsible observation
- Vibration response: Tap a web gently to observe the spider rapidly bounce and whirl to confuse predators.
- Pest management: Allow them to occupy quiet ceiling corners to reduce houseflies and mosquitoes naturally.
Competitor (c) RAP, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by RAP · cc-by
Predator (c) Alexis Tinker-Tsavalas, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Alexis Tinker-Tsavalas · cc-by
Close Relative (c) Lucas Rubio, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Lucas Rubio · cc-by
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