Long Bodied Cellar Spiders: A Fascinating Family of Arachnids

The pholcidae family is a diverse group of araneomorph spiders that have fascinated many with their unique characteristics. These long bodied cellar spiders, also known as daddy long-legs, are known for their striking appearance and interesting behaviors.

One of the most notable features of pholcids is their variation in size. Ranging from just over 1 millimeter to 11 mm in body length, they come in all shapes and sizes. The opisthosoma, which is the posterior segment of the spider's body, may be long and cylindrical or have a furrow or pit in the middle. This variation is seen across different genera within the family.

Like other spiders, pholcids have two body segments - the prosoma and opisthosoma. However, some species within this family lack the middle pair of eyes, resulting in a total of six eyes instead of eight. The arrangement of their eyes is another distinguishing feature, with two groups of three eyes each and sometimes a pair of small eyes in between.

Pholcids are also known for their extremely long and thin legs with flexible tarsi. This unique physical characteristic allows them to move efficiently and catch prey. The common name 'daddy long-legs' is used to refer to several species within this family, particularly Pholcus phalangioides.

The pholcidae family is divided into 94 genera and contains over 1,800 individual species. These spiders are commonly known as cellar spider, daddy long-legs spider, carpenter spider, daddy long-legger, vibrating spider, gyrating spider, long daddy, and skull spider. The family was first described by Carl Ludwig Koch in 1850.

In conclusion, long bodied cellar spiders are a fascinating group of arachnids that exhibit unique physical characteristics and behaviors. With over 1,800 species within the pholcidae family, there is still much to learn about these intriguing creatures.

Long bodied cellar spiders