Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada

Genus Cheiracanthium - Longlegged Sac Spiders

Genus Cheiracanthium - Longlegged Sac Spiders - Cheiracanthium Genus Cheiracanthium - Longlegged Sac Spiders - Cheiracanthium Cheiracanthium inclusum - female Spider BG507 - Cheiracanthium unidentified spider - Cheiracanthium Window spider (bottom) - Cheiracanthium Unidentified Spider - Cheiracanthium mildei Longlegged Sac Spider  - Cheiracanthium
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class Arachnida (Arachnids)
Order Araneae (Spiders)
Infraorder Araneomorphae (True Spiders)
No Taxon (Entelegynes)
Family Miturgidae (Prowling Spiders)
Genus Cheiracanthium (Longlegged Sac Spiders)
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Chiracanthium is considered by the World Spider Catalog as "an unjustified emendation."

Formerly classified in the Clubionidae
Explanation of Names
From Greek, meaning "hand spinelet", referring to the backwardly directed process on the cymbium of the male palp. (1)
Numbers
2 species in our region.
Identification
"Cheiracanthium are distinguished from the closely related species of Clubiona by lacking a conspicuous dorsal groove in the midline of the carapace, the lack of a cluster of long curved erect setae at the anterior end of the abdomen, by having the first pair of legs the longest, and by having a long, pointed spur extending back from the cymbium over the tibia. Species of Cheiracanthium are also chracterised by having relatively thinner legs and more robust bodies than Clubiona." From article by Jørgen Lissner seen here.

Also there is a hair tuft on the front end of the abdomen in most Clubiona.
Remarks
Being Bitten:
Some species are thought to be slightly dangerous. However, this may not be true. See article here.
Works Cited
1.Spiders of North America: An Identification Manual
By D. Ubick, P. Paquin, P.E. Cushing and V. Roth (eds)