Arachnid · GBIF taxon 2149985
Manuel's Cellar Spider
Pholcus manueliAlso known as Daddy Longlegs
Manuel's cellar spiders weave loose, tangled webs in dark, quiet corners where they hang upside down waiting for flying or crawling prey. When threatened, they bounce violently back and forth in their webs to blur their outline and confuse potential predators. Recognized by paired dark brown longitudinal marks on their carapace, these delicate arachnids serve as effective natural pest control in human structures.
SynanthropicNocturnalWeb-Building
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Flies
- Mosquitoes
- Fungus gnats
Predators
- Jumping spiders
- House centipedes
- Lizards
ThreatsHousehold cleaning, vacuuming, and pesticide usage
HabitatsBasements, cellars, crawlspaces, caves, and dark buildings
Life span1–3 years
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- FamilyPholcidae
- SpeciesPholcus manueli
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Flashlight Inspection: Search dark corners of unheated basements or outbuildings at night to find their webs.
- Web Vibrations: Tap gently near the frame of a web to watch the spider perform its rapid whirling motion.
Look-Alike (c) Nikita Gerasin, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Close Relative (c) Michael, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Michael · cc-by
Close Relative (c) Lucas Rubio, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Lucas Rubio · cc-by
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