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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Arachnids (Arachnida) » Spiders (Araneae) » True Spiders (Araneomorphae) » Haplogynes » Cellar Spiders (Pholcidae)
Photo#179757
Please Help Me Identify
Copyright © 2008 hussa21

Please Help Me Identify
Newtonville, Atlantic County, New Jersey, USA
April 30, 2008
This brown spider lives on my ceiling. Its in a corner by my front door. The spider stays in one spot. Moves a couple inches here and there. I don't understand how the spider eats. The spider has been there for 8 months. I just leave it be. We named it Charlette. I was wondering what kind of spider it is? I want to make sure the spider is harmless. It has made a bigger web and for the past couple of days it moved down the web more so its not on the ceiling anymore. It is still near it's spot on the ceiling. Please help me identify this spider. I've been researching this spider for months now. Also this may be a stupid question but do spiders have to mate to produce eggs because I was thinking maybe the spider is protecting an egg sac but its been 8 months since its been there. Maybe longer because I moved here 8 months ago. Thanks for you help.
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Contributed by hussa21 on 30 April, 2008 - 10:43am
Last updated 24 May, 2008 - 11:41am

Moved
Moved from Spiders.
… john and jane balaban, 24 May, 2008 - 11:41am login or register to post comments

Looks like
one of the Cellar Spiders (Pholcidae). They're harmless, just hanging there eating bugs that find a way in the door.
http://bugguide.net/node/view/9608/bgimage
… John R. Maxwell, 30 April, 2008 - 10:48am login or register to post comments

 
Another Question
I've read that cellar spiders like dark areas. This spider is living in a corner by my front door and its always light there. Before I moved here she was there it was probably dark most of the time because there wasnt anyone living here. I actually put her outside when I first moved in but she came back in and went to the same spot. Is that strange? I found it to be really interesting that she came back in and went to her same spot. So I let her stay.
… hussa21, 30 April, 2008 - 11:03am login or register to post comments

 
Likes
It probably does prefer darker areas, but it probably isn't so bright as you think. It isn't out in the sun. It isn't disturbed much. It probably prefers a steady supply of bugs getting past the weather stripping more than anything else. And if it wasn't happy there it would leave.
… John R. Maxwell, 30 April, 2008 - 11:20am login or register to post comments

 
Thank you
Thank you so much. I'm so happy I found this site. I went to sites and asked this question and I never received an answer. This website is the only site that answered me back. I figured she(my guess)is a cellar spider from the pictures on this site. She's definatly not a brown recluse, right??? Thanks again.
… hussa21, 30 April, 2008 - 11:00am login or register to post comments

 
she(my guess too)
is NOT a brown recluse. It isn't reclusive (living in the open), and you are about 500 miles too far NE.
… John R. Maxwell, 30 April, 2008 - 11:15am login or register to post comments

 
Thanks
Thanks for all your help. I feel better knowing she is harmless. I usually hate spiders but now I've grown to like charlette my spider. She is helping me to get over my fear. She is very interesting
… hussa21, 30 April, 2008 - 11:34am login or register to post comments

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