Household Thread-waisted Spider (likely a Pholcid variant)
Scientific Name: Pholcus phalangioides
Order & Family: Araneae: Pholcidae
Size: Body length 7-9 mm; legs can span up to 50-60 mm.
Natural Habitat
Indoor environments, particularly dark, undisturbed corners of houses, basements, and attics.
Diet & Feeding
Feeds on small insects, other spiders, and household pests like flies or mosquitoes.
Behavior Patterns
Known for creating irregular, messy webs. They exhibit a 'vibrating' behavior when threatened, spinning rapidly in their web to blur their outline.
Risks & Benefits
Benefits humans by eating pest insects. They are generally harmless to humans as their fangs are rarely able to penetrate human skin and their venom is not medically significant.
Identified on: 2/3/2026