Leg-autotomy
Guides
Pholcus manueli
Manuel's Cellar Spider, cellar spider, daddy longlegs
Pholcus manueli is a cellar spider (family Pholcidae) native to temperate Asia, with established introduced populations in the United States. The species is expanding its range in North America and has been documented in anthropogenic habitats. It exhibits leg autotomy as an anti-predator defense, with autotomy rates in natural populations ranging 5–40%. Unlike some related cellar spiders, P. manueli does not regenerate lost legs. The species has been the subject of research on locomotor performance across inclined substrates.
Smeringopus pallidus
Pale Daddy-Long-Leg, Pale Cellar Spider
Smeringopus pallidus is a cosmopolitan cellar spider (family Pholcidae) known for its distinctive pale coloration and extremely long, slender legs. The species builds irregular, three-dimensional cobwebs in sheltered locations and exhibits specialized anti-predator defenses including rapid leg waving, leg autotomy with continued movement of detached legs as visual distraction, and thanatosis (death feigning). Originally described from Africa, it has been introduced to tropical and subtropical regions worldwide including South America, the Caribbean, Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia, Australia, and Pacific islands. The species reaches body lengths up to 7 mm with females larger than males, and is characterized by purple spots along the dorsal abdomen and a dark ventral sternal stripe.