Spitting Spider
Scientific Name: Scytodes thoracica
Order & Family: Order: Araneae; Family: Scytodidae
Size: 3 to 6 mm (body length), excluding the long, slender legs.
Natural Habitat
Inhabits buildings, houses, and caves; typically found in dark, undisturbed corners under furniture.
Diet & Feeding
Carnivorous; feeds on other small insects and spiders, including silverfish, flies, and other house spiders.
Behavior Patterns
Nocturnal hunter that moves slowly. It captures prey by spitting a mixture of silk and venom in a zigzag pattern from its fangs to immobilize it from a distance.
Risks & Benefits
Harmless to humans as their fangs are too small to penetrate skin. Highly beneficial to the household ecosystem by controlling indoor pest populations.
Identified on: 1/13/2026