Pholcidae
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.
Artema atlanta
giant daddy-long-legs spider, Giant Cellar Spider
Artema atlanta is a large cellar spider and the largest known pholcid, with a body length of 8–11 mm. It has a pantropical distribution and has been introduced to temperate regions including North America and Europe. The species is commonly known as the giant daddy-long-legs spider. It constructs tangled webs in dark, sheltered locations and exhibits characteristic pholcid behavior of rapid, vibrating movement when disturbed.
Crossopriza
cellar spiders
Crossopriza is a genus of cellar spiders (family Pholcidae) described by Eugène Louis Simon in 1893. The genus comprises 24 species as of October 2025, with native distributions in Africa and Asia. The most widely known member, C. lyoni, has become cosmopolitan through human-mediated introduction and is now found globally in human dwellings.
Crossopriza lyoni
Tailed Cellar Spider, Tailed Daddy Longlegs Spider, Box Spider
Crossopriza lyoni is a cosmopolitan cellar spider (Pholcidae) characterized by extremely long, fragile legs and a distinctive box-shaped abdomen. Females reach 3–7 mm in body length, males 2.5–6 mm, with leg spans up to 6 cm. The species is synanthropic, thriving in human dwellings worldwide, particularly in tropical to subtropical regions. It constructs extensive, irregular cobweb-like webs and is often regarded as both a household pest and beneficial predator of mosquitoes and other arthropods. Native range unknown; now pantropical through human-mediated introduction.
Holocnemus pluchei
Marbled Cellar Spider
Holocnemus pluchei is a cellar spider native to the Mediterranean region that has been introduced to North America, Australia, and other regions. It is notable for its group-living behavior, with multiple individuals often sharing communal webs. Both sexes possess stridulatory organs, an unusual trait among spiders. The species exhibits a unique defensive behavior called 'bouncing' when disturbed. It has been identified as a source of allergenic proteins that can trigger asthma in sensitive individuals.
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.
Micropholcus fauroti
cellar spider
Micropholcus fauroti is a cellar spider (family Pholcidae) with a pantropical distribution. The species has been introduced to Europe, with established records in Belgium and Germany. Approximately 87% of global records fall between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. It is a small-bodied spider associated with human-modified environments in its introduced range.
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.
Pholcophora americana
Pholcophora americana is a species of cellar spider in the family Pholcidae, first described by Nathan Banks in 1896. It is a small-bodied spider found in the United States and Canada. As a member of the Pholcidae, it shares the characteristic elongated legs and compact body typical of cellar spiders. The species has been documented in 392 iNaturalist observations, indicating it is moderately well-observed but not extensively studied in the scientific literature.
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.
Physocyclus californicus
A cellar spider species in the family Pholcidae, distributed across the southwestern United States and Mexico. Adults are active during fall months, with males wandering in search of mates. The species frequently occurs in human dwellings, where it constructs webs in ceiling corners and other sheltered locations.
Physocyclus enaulus
cellar spider
Physocyclus enaulus is a cellar spider species in the family Pholcidae, described by Crosby in 1926. It is known from the southwestern United States and Mexico, where it occurs in human-modified environments. The species appears to occupy an ecological niche similar to the cosmopolitan Pholcus phalangioides in this region.
Physocyclus globosus
short-bodied cellar spider
Physocyclus globosus, commonly known as the short-bodied cellar spider, is a small pholcid spider with a cosmopolitan distribution. It is frequently found in anthropogenic habitats including buildings and caves across tropical and subtropical regions, and has been introduced to numerous temperate areas worldwide. The species is characterized by a compact, globose abdomen and distinctive dark dorsal markings. It belongs to the globosus species group within its genus, which exhibits a biogeographical distribution pattern in the Mesoamerican and Mexican Mountain biotic components.
Psilochorus apicalis
Psilochorus apicalis is a species of cellar spider in the family Pholcidae, first described by Banks in 1921. It is a small, long-legged spider endemic to the United States. Like other pholcids, it constructs irregular, tangled webs in sheltered locations. The species is part of a genus containing approximately 20 described species, most occurring in the Americas.
Psilochorus californiae
Psilochorus californiae is a species of cellar spider in the family Pholcidae. It was described by Chamberlin in 1919. The species occurs in the southwestern United States and Mexico. Like other pholcids, it constructs irregular, three-dimensional webs in dark, sheltered locations.
Psilochorus imitatus
cellar spider
Psilochorus imitatus is a cellar spider species in the family Pholcidae, first described by Gertsch and Mulaik in 1940. It is known from the United States and Mexico. As a member of Pholcidae, it likely exhibits the characteristic long, slender legs and small body typical of this family, though specific morphological details for this species remain limited in published sources.
Psilochorus rockefelleri
A species of cellar spider in the family Pholcidae, described by Gertsch in 1935. The species belongs to a genus characterized by long, delicate legs and small, elongated bodies typical of pholcid spiders. Very little specific information has been published about this particular species beyond its original description and taxonomic placement.
Psilochorus simoni
Wine Cellar Spider
Psilochorus simoni is a cellar spider in the family Pholcidae, native to subtropical America and introduced to Europe, Turkey, New Zealand, and Australia. The species is commonly known as the "Wine Cellar Spider" due to its historical association with wine cellars, though it has become established in garden centres and greenhouses. It constructs dome-shaped webs and has been recorded from cave environments in Europe, including Slovenia's Postonjska jama, where it shows morphological adaptations to subterranean life.
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.