Long-bodied cellar spider, Daddy long-legs spider
Pholcus phalangioides
Pholcidae (Cellar Spiders), Order Araneae
Physical Description
The body is small, delicate, and divided into a rounded cephalothorax and an elongated cylindrical abdomen. The limbs are exceptionally long and thread-like relative to the body size.
Size Estimate
Body length is approximately 7 to 10 millimeters, with an extensive leg span reaching up to 5 to 7 centimeters.
Coloration & Markings
Pale grayish-brown or yellowish with faint darker markings on the cephalothorax and a translucent, patterned abdomen.
Web Type
Irregular, loose 3D tangle webs or sheet webs built in dark, protected corners and crevices.
Eye Arrangement
Eight eyes arranged in two lateral triads and a pair of smaller median eyes situated on a raised cephalic prominence.
Leg Characteristics
Extremely long, thin, fragile legs with flexible joints designed for rapid vibrations when disturbed.
Venom & Safety Information
Venom Information
Neurotoxic venom tailored for small arthropods, possessing negligible effects on human skin and no medical significance.
Medical Significance
Completely harmless to humans; incapable of breaking human skin in most instances, and urban legends about their extreme lethality are false.
Safety Recommendations
No safety measures needed as they are completely harmless; leave them alone for free pest control or gently relocate them outside if unwanted.
Habitat & Behavior
Habitat & Range
Cosmopolitan distribution; heavily associated with human structures such as cellars, basements, crawlspaces, and outbuildings.
Behavior & Temperament
Docile and non-aggressive; when threatened, they rapidly vibrate their bodies in their webs to become a blur, avoiding predators.
Diet & Prey
Insects and other spiders, famously including venomous species like widow spiders and hobo spiders, which they subdue using silk wrapping.
Seasonal Activity
Active year-round indoors, though mating and increased wandering behavior are more frequently observed during warmer months.
Description
A common resident of human habitations, the cellar spider is instantly recognizable by its impossibly long legs and compact body. Often mistaken for harvestmen, these true spiders are skilled web-builders and fierce predators of other household arthropods.
Key Features
FUSED or distinct cephalothorax, extremely elongated slender legs, fused body segments characteristic of Pholcidae, and the bouncing defensive behavior.
Similar Species
Harvestmen (Opiliones, also known as daddy long-legs) which lack a divided spider body and silk-producing spinnerets, and cellar spiders of the genus Psilochorus.
Life Cycle
Females carry eggs in a loose silk cluster held in their chelicerae. Spiderlings hatch and molt multiple times, with adults living for several years.
Ecological Importance
Serves as an effective natural pest controller inside buildings by suppressing populations of nuisance insects and potentially dangerous spiders.
Conservation Status
Not evaluated by the IUCN, but highly secure and thriving globally in anthropogenic habitats.
Interesting Facts
Despite the persistent myth that they are the most venomous spiders with mouths too small to bite humans, scientific testing has disproved both claims.
Photography Tips
Use a macro lens with diffuse natural or artificial lighting, focusing on the eye arrangement and cephalothorax markings against a contrasting background.
Identified: 2026-09-24T07:13:50.988268