Fauna
Arachnid

Brown Spitting Spider

Scytodes fusca

Also known as Dark Common Spitting Spider, Dusky Spitting Spider

Brown spitting spiders hunt under cover of darkness, using a specialized trapping technique to immobilize prey from a safe distance. Their dome-shaped cephalothorax houses large glands that produce a sticky mixture of silk and venom, ejected in a lightning-fast zigzag pattern onto unsuspecting insects. Widespread across warm regions globally, these secretive nocturnal arachnids frequently inhabit dark nooks inside human buildings.

NocturnalCosmopolitanSpider Hunter
Brown Spitting Spider reference1 / 7
(c) Jean Martins, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
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Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Key facts
Diet & preySilverfish, Moth, Gnat
Predators
  • Cellar Spider
  • Centipede
  • Lizard
ThreatsChemical pest control, household cleaning, larger indoor predators
HabitatsHomes, sheds, leaf litter, rocky crevices, tropical forests
Life span1–3 years
Classification
  1. FamilyScytodidae
  2. SpeciesScytodes fusca
Range & activity
Range data is not available yet.
Safe observation
Interaction riskLow
  1. Low
  2. Moderate
  3. High
  4. Very high
Why interaction risk is low
Harmless to humans and safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
  • Spotting at night: Search along indoor baseboards and quiet dark corners using a flashlight after dark.
  • Observe gently: Avoid harsh direct lighting to watch their slow, deliberate walking movements undisturbed.
  • Coexist peacefully: Leave these timid spiders alone to enjoy free indoor control of silverfish and pests.
Related species
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