
Community identification
Long-bodied cellar spider (likely)
Pholcus phalangioides
- Order & Family
- Araneae, Pholcidae
- Size
- Adult body length is about 6–9 mm, with legs spanning roughly 35–50 mm.
Natural Habitat
Buildings, basements, garages, cellars, and other dark, quiet indoor spaces; it builds loose, irregular webs in corners and ceilings.
Diet & Feeding
Feeds on flies, mosquitoes, moths, and other small arthropods captured in its web; it may also prey on other spiders.
Behavior Patterns
Nocturnal and usually sedentary, but it vibrates rapidly in its web when disturbed. Females carry a small cluster of eggs beneath the body, and adults may persist year-round indoors.
Risks & Benefits
Essentially harmless to people and not medically significant. Beneficial as a household predator of nuisance insects and other spiders.