Cellar-spiders
Guides
Artema
Giant Cellar Spiders
Artema is a genus of cellar spiders (family Pholcidae) first described by Charles Athanase Walckenaer in 1837. The genus includes some of the largest pholcid spiders and is primarily distributed from West Africa through Central Asia to Pakistan. One species, A. atlanta, has been introduced worldwide. The genus comprises twelve recognized species as of October 2025.
Micropholcus
cellar spiders
Micropholcus is a genus of cellar spiders (Pholcidae) characterized by long legs and relatively fragile bodies. It is one of only two pholcid genera with both Old and New World distributions, though morphological and ecological differences exist between geographic groups. The genus currently contains at least 29 species, with major taxonomic revisions in 2014 (transfers from Leptopholcus) and 2024 (description of twelve new Old World species). The type species M. fauroti has a pantropical distribution and has been introduced globally.
Pholcophora
cellar spiders
Pholcophora is a genus of cellar spiders in the family Pholcidae, first described by Nathan Banks in 1896. The genus contains eight species distributed in North America, including the United States, Canada, Mexico, and the Bahamas. These spiders are small-bodied with characteristically long, slender legs typical of the Pholcidae family. The genus has been subject to recent taxonomic revision, with three new species described in 2023.
Physocyclus
cellar spiders
Physocyclus is a genus of cellar spiders (family Pholcidae) established by Eugène Louis Simon in 1893. The genus comprises 38 recognized species distributed across multiple continents, with the highest diversity in Mexico. Two distinct species groups are recognized: the globosus group (11 species) and the dugesi group (21 species), distinguished by morphological and biogeographic patterns. The type species, P. globosus, has been widely introduced globally through human activity.