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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Chelicerates (Chelicerata) » Arachnids (Arachnida) » Spiders (Araneae) » Fungus-ridden Spiders
Photo#151203
Probably a Cellar Spider (Pholcidae)
Copyright © 2007 Jonathan Burishkin

Probably a Cellar Spider (Pholcidae)
Raccoon Mountain Caverns, Chattenooga, Hamilton County, Tennessee, USA
This creature is dead and is being eaten by fungus in Raccoon Mountain Caverns. This is a common occurrence in caves when spiders die. I thought its just interesting feel free to Frass since its dead, or do whatever.
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Contributed by Jonathan Burishkin on 10 October, 2007 - 9:22am
Last updated 24 November, 2022 - 9:21am

Moved
Moved from Cellar Spiders.
… Jeff Hollenbeck, 24 November, 2022 - 9:21am login or register to post comments

Moved
Moved from Spiders.
… Jeff Hollenbeck, 22 November, 2007 - 12:33pm login or register to post comments

Yes
a cellar spider.
… Jeff Hollenbeck, 22 November, 2007 - 10:56am login or register to post comments

Harvestman?
I wonder if this might not be a harvestman instead. I know there are cave-dwelling species that reach very high population densities; I've also never heard of Pholcus in caves, oddly enough....
… Eric R. Eaton, 10 October, 2007 - 2:04pm login or register to post comments

 
It might be
It might be a harvestmen. I have seen what I am pretty sure is Pholcus in the same cave. They don't go in usually more then maybe 100 feet back into the cave. This particular cave is a "show cave" so that may explane it - they are usually around the lights in the cave.
… Jonathan Burishkin, 10 October, 2007 - 3:00pm login or register to post comments

 
Fungus: Torrubiella pulvinata
The fungus is Torrubiella pulvinata. The person (Mains) who originally described it mistook the victims for harvestmen, but they were in fact pholcids, as discussed in:

Cokendolpher, James C. “Pathogens and parasites of Opiliones (Arthropoda: Arachnida).” The Journal of Arachnology 21, no. 2 (1993): 120-146.
… Charley Eiseman, 25 October, 2009 - 10:52pm login or register to post comments

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