Pholcidae
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{{Taxobox
| name = Daddy long-legs spider
| image = Pholcus.phalangioides.6908.jpg
| image_width = 250px
| image_caption = ''[[Pholcus phalangioides]]''
| regnum = [[Animal]]ia
| phylum = [[Arthropod]]a
| classis = [[Arachnid]]a
| ordo = [[Spider|Araneae]]
| subordo = [[Araneomorphae]]
| superfamilia = [[Pholcoidea]]
| familia = '''Pholcidae'''
| familia_authority = [[Carl Ludwig Koch|C. L. Koch]], 1851
| diversity_link = List of Pholcidae species
| diversity = 80 genera, 959 species
| range_map = Distribution.pholcidae.1.png
| range_map_width = 250px
| subdivision_ranks = Genera
| subdivision =
''[[Holocnemus]]''<br />
''[[Modisimus]]''<br />
''[[Pholcus]]''<br />
''[[Physocyclus]]''<br />
''[[Smeringopus]]''<br />
''[[Spermophora]]''<br />
''many others''
}}
The '''Pholcidae''' are a [[spider]] family in the suborder [[Araneomorphae]].
Some species, especially ''[[Pholcus phalangioides]]'', are commonly called '''granddaddy long-legs spider''', '''daddy long-legs spider''', '''daddy long-legger''', '''cellar spider''', '''vibrating spider''', or '''house spider'''. Confusion often arises because the name "[[daddy longlegs]]" is also applied to two distantly related [[arthropod]] groups: the [[harvestman|harvestmen]] (which are [[arachnid]]s but not spiders), and [[crane fly|crane flies]] (which are [[insect]]s).
==Appearance==
[[Image:CellarSpider.jpg|250px|thumb|right|Close-up of a Cellar spider's head, showing two groups of three closely clustered eyes.]]
Pholcids are fragile spiders, the body being 2–10 [[millimetre|mm]] in length with legs which may be up to 30 mm long. ''Pholcus'' and ''Smeringopus'' have cylindrical abdomens and the eyes are arranged in two lateral groups of three and two smaller [[wikt:median|median]] [[wikt:contiguous|contiguous]] eyes. ''Spermaphora'' has a small [[wikt:globose|globose]] abdomen and its eyes are arranged in two groups of three and no median eyes. Pholcids are gray to brown with banding or chevron markings. The shape of the ''Pholcus'' and ''Smeringopus'''s body reflects that of a [[peanut]] shell.
==Habitat==
Pholcids are [[spiderweb|web]]-weaving spiders and are distributed worldwide. They hang inverted in messy, irregular, tangled webs. These webs are constructed in dark and damp recesses, in caves, under rocks and loose bark, abandoned mammal burrows and undisturbed areas in buildings and cellars, hence the common name "cellar spiders".
The web has no adhesive properties but the irregular structure traps insects, making escape difficult. The spider quickly envelops its prey with silk and then inflicts the fatal bite. The prey may be eaten immediately or stored for later. When removed from their webs, pholcids are rather clumsy, and walk with an unsteady, bobbing action.
When the spider is threatened by a touch to the web or when too large a prey becomes entangled, the spider vibrates rapidly in a gyrating motion in its web and becomes blurred, almost invisible. For this reason pholcids have sometimes been called "vibrating spiders", although they are not the only species to exhibit this behaviour. Doing so might make it difficult for a predator to see exactly where the spider is, or may increase the chances of capturing insects that have just brushed their web and are still hovering nearby <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cirrusimage.com/spider_vibrating.htm| title=Video of the "vibrating spider" vibrating |author=Bruce Marlin |format=[[QuickTime|QuickTime Movie]] |date=[[2006-04-25]]}}</ref>. If the spider continues to feel harassed it will retreat into a corner or drop from its web, and leave the harasser alone.
==Diet==
Certain species of these seemingly benign spiders invade webs of other spiders and eat the host, the eggs or the prey. In some cases the spider vibrates the web of other spiders, mimicking the struggle of trapped prey to lure the host of the web closer. Pholcids are natural predators of the ''[[Tegenaria]]'' species, and are known to attack and eat [[redback spider]]s and [[huntsman spider]]s <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.qm.qld.gov.au/features/spiders/spiders/DaddyLongLegs.asp |title=Daddy Long Legs |publisher=[[Queensland Museum]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/indexmag.html?http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/spider/pholcus1.html |title=''Pholcus phalangioides'', the daddy-long-legs spider, in 3D |author=Wim van Egmond}}</ref>. It is this competition that helps keep ''Tegenaria'' populations in check, which may be advantageous to humans who live in regions with dense [[hobo spider]] populations.
==Systematics==
For a complete list of the genera and species in this family, see [[List of Pholcidae species]].
The categorization into subfamilies follows Joel Hallan's Biology Catalog <ref>{{cite web |url=http://insects.tamu.edu/research/collection/hallan/Acari/Family/Pholcidae.txt |title=Synopsis of the described Araneae of the world |author=Joel Hallan |date=[[2005-03-07]] |publisher=[[Texas A&M University]]}}</ref>.
* [[Holocnemidae]] (probably not [[monophyletic]])
:* ''[[Artema]]'' Walckenaer, 1837
:* ''[[Aymaria]]'' Huber, 2000
:* ''[[Cenemus]]'' Saaristo, 2001
:* ''[[Ceratopholcus]]'' Spassky, 1934
:* ''[[Crossopriza]]'' Simon, 1893
:* ''[[Holocnemus]]'' Simon, 1873
:* ''[[Hoplopholcus]]'' Kulczyn'ski, 1908
:* ''[[Ixchela]]'' Huber, 2000
:* ''[[Physocyclus]]'' Simon, 1893
:* ''[[Priscula]]'' Simon, 1893
:* ''[[Smeringopus]]'' Simon, 1890
:* ''[[Stygopholcus]]'' Absolon & Kratochvíl, 1932
:* ''[[Wugigarra]]'' Huber, 2001
* [[Modisiminae]] (New World group)
:* ''[[Blancoa]]'' Huber, 2000
:* ''[[Bryantina]]'' Brignoli, 1985
:* ''[[Canaima]]'' Huber, 2000
:* ''[[Carapoia]]'' González-Sponga, 1998
:* ''[[Chibchea]]'' Huber, 2000
:* ''[[Coryssocnemis]]'' Simon, 1893
:* ''[[Kaliana]]'' Huber, 2000
:* ''[[Litoporus]]'' Simon, 1893
:* ''[[Mecolaesthus]]'' Simon, 1893
:* ''[[Mesabolivar]]'' González-Sponga, 1998
:* ''[[Modisimus]]'' Simon, 1893
:* ''[[Otavaloa]]'' Huber, 2000
:* ''[[Pisaboa]]'' Huber, 2000
:* ''[[Pomboa]]'' Huber, 2000
:* ''[[Psilochorus]]'' Simon, 1893
:* ''[[Stenosfemuraia]]'' González-Sponga, 1998
:* ''[[Systenita]]'' Simon, 1893
:* ''[[Tainonia]]'' Huber, 2000
:* ''[[Teuia]]'' Huber, 2000
:* ''[[Tupigea]]'' Huber, 2000
:* ''[[Waunana]]'' Huber, 2000
* [[Ninetinae]] (not monophyletic)
:* ''[[Aucana]]'' Huber, 2000
:* ''[[Chisosa]]'' Huber, 2000
:* ''[[Enetea]]'' Huber, 2000
:* ''[[Galapa (Ninetinae)|Galapa]]'' Huber, 2000
:* ''[[Gertschiola]]'' Brignoli, 1981
:* ''[[Guaranita]]'' Huber, 2000
:* ''[[Ibotyporanga]]'' Mello-Leitão, 1944
:* ''[[Kambiwa]]'' Huber, 2000
:* ''[[Mystes]]'' Bristowe, 1938
:* ''[[Nerudia]]'' Huber, 2000
:* ''[[Ninetis]]'' Simon, 1890
:* ''[[Nita (genus)|Nita]]'' Huber & El-Hennawy, 2007
:* ''[[Papiamenta]]'' Huber, 2000
:* ''[[Pholcophora]]'' Banks, 1896
:* ''[[Tolteca]]'' Huber, 2000
* [[Pholcinae]] C. L. Koch, 1851
:* ''[[Aetana]]'' Huber, 2005
:* ''[[Anansus]]'' Huber, 2007
:* ''[[Anopsicus]]'' Chamberlin & Ivie, 1938
:* ''[[Belisana (spider)|Belisana]]'' Thorell, 1898
:* ''[[Buitinga]]'' Huber, 2003
:* ''[[Calapnita]]'' Simon, 1892
:* ''[[Khorata]]'' Huber, 2005
:* ''[[Leptopholcus]]'' Simon, 1893
:* ''[[Metagonia]]'' Simon, 1893
:* ''[[Micromerys]]'' Bradley, 1877
:* ''[[Nyikoa]]'' Huber, 2007
:* ''[[Ossinissa]]'' Dimitrov & Ribera, 2005
:* ''[[Panjange]]'' Deeleman-Reinhold & Deeleman, 1983
:* ''[[Paramicromerys]]'' Millot, 1946
:* ''[[Pholcus]]'' Walckenaer, 1805
:* ''[[Quamtana]]'' Huber, 2003
:* ''[[Pholcinae savarna|Savarna]]'' Huber, 2005
:* ''[[Smeringopina]]'' Kraus, 1957
:* ''[[Spermophora]]'' Hentz, 1841
:* ''[[Spermophorides]]'' Wunderlich, 1992
:* ''[[Uthina (spider)|Uthina]]'' Simon, 1893
:* ''[[Wanniyala]]'' Huber & Benjamin, 2005
:* ''[[Zatavua]]'' Huber, 2003
* ''[[incertae sedis]]''
:* ''[[Carupania]]'' González-Sponga, 2003
:* ''[[Ciboneya]]'' Pérez, 2001
:* ''[[Falconia]]'' González-Sponga, 2003
:* ''[[Holocneminus]]'' Berland, 1942
:* ''[[Micropholcus]]'' Deeleman-Reinhold & Prinsen, 1987
:* ''[[Pehrforsskalia]]'' Deeleman-Reinhold & van Harten, 2001
:* ''[[Pholciella]]'' Roewer, 1960
:* ''[[Pholcoides]]'' Roewer, 1960
:* ''[[Queliceria]]'' González-Sponga, 2003
:* ''[[Sanluisi]]'' González-Sponga, 2003
:* ''[[Tibetia]]'' Zhang, Zhu & Song, 2006
:* ''[[Trichocyclus]]'' Simon, 1908
==Misconceptions==
===Most venomous?===
There is an [[urban legend]] stating that daddy long-legs spiders have the most potent venom of any spider, but that their [[chelicera]] (fangs) are either too small or too weak to puncture human skin; the same legend is also repeated of the [[harvestman]] and [[crane fly]], also called "daddy long-legs" in some locales. Indeed, pholcid spiders do have a short fang structure (called [[uncate]]). However, [[brown recluse spider]]s also have uncate fang structure, but are able to deliver medically significant bites. Either pholcid venom is not toxic to humans or there is a musculature difference between the two arachnids, with recluses, being hunting spiders, possessing stronger muscles for fang penetration. [http://spiders.ucr.edu/daddylonglegs.html]
In 2004, the [[Discovery Channel]] show ''[[MythBusters]]'' set out to test the daddy long-legs myth ([[MythBusters (season 1)#Daddy Long-Legs|season 1, episode 13 ''"Buried in Concrete"'']]). After measuring the spider's fangs at approximately 0.25 mm (average human skin thickness varies from about 0.5mm to 4mm), the show's host was apparently bitten, although the bite produced little more than a mild short-lived burning sensation. This appears to confirm the suspicion that pholcids ''can'' penetrate human skin, but that their venom is practically harmless to humans. Additionally, recent research by Alan Van Dyke has shown that pholcid venom is actually relatively weak in its effects on insects as well<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.washington.edu/burkemuseum/spidermyth/myths/daddyvenom.html |title=The Spider Myths Site |publisher=[[Burke Museum]] |date=[[2005-05-12]]}}</ref>.
According to the University of California at Riverside, the daddy long-legs spider has never harmed a human and there is no proof that they are venomous to humans.<ref>[http://spiders.ucr.edu/daddylonglegs.html Spider Myths-DaddyLongLegs<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
One reason why these spiders are said to be so dangerous could be that they regularly prey on other spiders, including the [[Black widow spider|black widow]] (''Latrodectus spp.''), which itself can be dangerous to humans, with the reasoning that the preying spider must be even more venomous; which is incorrect. (Pinto-da-Rocha ''et al.'' 2007:4)
===Not spiders?===
It is the [[harvestman]] (which is also called daddy long-legs) which is an [[arachnid]] but not a true spider.
==See also==
* [[Spider families]]
==References==
<references/>
* {{aut|Pinto-da-Rocha, R.}}, {{aut|Machado, G.}} & {{aut|Giribet, G.}} (eds.) (2007): Harvestmen - The Biology of Opiliones. ''Harvard University Press'' ISBN 0-674-02343-9
==External links==
{{wikispecies}}
{{commonscat|Pholcidae}}
* [http://www.cirrusimage.com/spider_vibrating.htm North American Spiders, Family Pholcidae] Information and reference quality photos of cellar spiders. Includes quicktime movie of spiders "vibrating".
* [http://www.xs4all.nl/~ednieuw/Spiders/Pholcidae/Pholcidae.htm Good information and pictures of European Pholcidae]
{{Araneae}}
[[Category:Pholcidae| ]]
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