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Family Scytodidae - Spitting Spiders

Spitting Spider (ventral) - Scytodes - female

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Class Arachnida (Arachnids)

Order Araneae (Spiders)

Infraorder Araneomorphae (True Spiders)

No Taxon (Haplogynes)

Family Scytodidae (Spitting Spiders)

Numbers

There is only one genus, Scytodes. There are six species known in the US. Five of them are dorothea, fusca, thoracica, univittata, zapatana.

Identification

Spitting spiders have 6 eyes and are slow moving. They are usually fairly easy to identify by their large round cephalothorax and their long, thin legs.

Front view Eye Arrangement

Remarks

Not dangerous.

Print References

~ Spiders of the Eastern US, A Photographic Guide. Pg. 73

Internet References

~ www.canadianarachnology.org

Contributed by Troy Bartlett on 12 April, 2004 - 6:21pm
Additional contributions by Lynette
Last updated 28 April, 2009 - 10:11pm

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