Spitting spider
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Spitting spiders are a family of araneomorph spiders, the family Scytodidae, first described by John Blackwall in 1864.[1] It contains over 250 species in five genera,[2] of which Scytodes is the best-known.
Description
Scytodidae spiders are haplogyne, meaning they lack hardened female genitalia. They have six eyes, like most spiders in this group, arranged in three pairs. They possess long legs and a dome-shaped cephalothorax, and are usually yellow or light brown with black spots or marks. Their domed head and three eye groups tend to resemble a human skull, giving them the occasional common name "skull spiders".[3][4]
Hunting technique
Scytodidae catch their prey by spitting a fluid that congeals on contact into a venomous and sticky mass. The fluid contains both venom and spider silk in liquid form, though it is produced in venom glands in the chelicerae. The venom-laced silk both immobilizes and envenoms prey such as silverfish. In high-speed footage the spiders can be observed swaying from side to side as they "spit", catching the prey in a criss-crossed "Z" pattern; it is criss-crossed because each of the chelicerae emits half of the pattern. The spider usually strikes from a distance of Script error: No such module "convert". and the entire attack sequence only lasts 1/700th of a second.[5] After making the capture, the spider typically bites the prey with venomous effect, and wraps it in the normal spider fashion with silk from the spinnerets.[6]
Pre social behaviour
Some species exhibit presocial behaviour, in which mature spiders live together and assist the young with food.[7]
Genera
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female Scytodes elizabethae
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female Scytodes fusca
since October 2025[update]Template:Dated maintenance category (articles)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters"., this family includes four genera:[2]
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- Dictis L. Koch, 1872 – Seychelles, Asia, Pacific Isles, tropical Asia. Introduced to Mexico, United States
- Scyloxes Dunin, 1992 – Tajikistan, Malaysia, Thailand
- Scytodes Latreille, 1804 – Africa, Asia, southern Europe, North to South America, Australia, New Guinea. Introduced worldwide
- Stedocys Ono, 1995 – China, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand
See also
References
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External links
- Template:Inaturalist taxon
- Arachnology Home Pages: Araneae
- Info about Spitting spider Scytodes thoracica
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