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

Species Scytodes fusca

Scytodes - Scytodes fusca - female Spitting spider in FL - Scytodes fusca - female Scytodes - Scytodes fusca - male Another 6-eyed spider - Scytodes fusca Possibly Family Scytodidae - Scytodes fusca Scytodes fusca Scytodes fusca - female Scytodes fusca - male
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Chelicerata (Chelicerates)
Class Arachnida (Arachnids)
Order Araneae (Spiders)
Infraorder Araneomorphae (True Spiders)
No Taxon (Synspermiata)
Family Scytodidae (Spitting Spiders)
Genus Scytodes
Species fusca (Scytodes fusca)
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Size
♀ 5-6mm (BG images)
♂ 4-5mm (BG images)
Identification
This species is commonly associated with human dwellings, where they seem to compete with Theridion rufipes (Theridiidae), but they are also frequent in the field, in hollow tree trunks, under loose bark and in nests of small mammals. (1)
Mature individuals are darker in overall body coloring than most species in the genus, in our area.


Immature individuals are lighter in color. (see the Life Cycle section below)
Range
Pantropical (southern North America to South America) (1)
Part of Europe (see Internet References below)
Life Cycle
Immature spiders of this species, including the immature females are light in color, with partly banded or spotted legs and have a carapace pattern that may somewhat resemble the pattern of the mature males. (1) (check the body size)
Examples:
Internet References
~ BOLDSYSTEMS website page for Scytodes fusca - Specimens verified with DNA testing
Works Cited
1.Spitting Spiders (Araneae, Scytodidae, Scytodes) from Central America.
Valerio, C.E. (1981). 1981. Bull. AMNH 170: 80-89.