Cellar Spiders and Allies - Superfamily: Pholcoidea

Cellar Spiders and Allies - Superfamily: Pholcoidea

The Pholcoidea are a superfamily of three families that are so different from one another that it is surprising to see them grouped together. Phylogenetic studies seem to indeed confirm that the smaller of the three families, Diquetidae and Plectreuridae, are perhaps placed in a separate superfamily leaving the Pholcidae to remain by themselves.
There is also argument for placing the Diguetidae as a subfamily of the Plectreuridae which was formerly taken to be a subfamily itself in the family Sicariidae. From a local view, the point is moot as only spiders from the Family: Pholcidae or Cellar Spiders may be encountered in the Northern Rivers.

The Cellar Spiders, are a large family of 1,945 species in 97 genera spread over five subfamilies. They have a worldwide distribution and are found in all but hottest or coldest environments. In Australia they are known as Daddy Long-leg Spiders because of their small bodies and long, slender legs which may reach up to 50 mm in length. The abdominal shape varies between species from nearly round to long tubular in shape. Total bodylength is not usually more than 11 mm and they have either six or eight eyes depending on the species. The females bundle up their rather large eggs (up to 30 held together with silk) and carry them with them in their chelicerae.

Colouring is usually mottled browns and greys and Cellar Spiders look very much like Harvestmen in the Order: Opiliones. They differ however in that the Harvestmen have a fused cephalothorax and abdomen whereas the Cellar Spiders have both clearly distinctly separated.
Cellar Spiders feed on small insects and, remarkably, also on spiders much more robust and stronger looking than themselves such as Huntsman, Redbacks, Tunnel Weavers and others. The Cellar Spider may even enter the prey spiders' web and imitate prey to lure the occupant closer. Pholcids themselves also make loose webs the silk of which is not sticky, instead the spider relies on the prey's entanglement in the silklines to catch it.

Family: Pholcidae
Subfamily: Arteminae

Giant Daddy Long-legs Spider - Artema atlanta

Wugigarra tjapukai (possible occurrence)

Wugigarra yawai

Subfamily: Modisiminae

Psilochorus sp. (possible occurrence)

Subfamily: Pholcinae

Slender Daddy Long-legs - Micromerys gurran

Micromerys raveni

Micromerys yidin

Long-bodied Cellar Spider - Pholcus phalangioides

Subfamily: Smeringopinae

Tailed Cellar Spider - Crossopriza lyoni

Marbled Cellar Spider - Holocnemus pluchii

Natal Daddy Long-legs Spider - Smeringopus natalensis

Pale Daddy Long-legs Spider - Smeringopus pallidus

We have all heard the myth that the 'Daddy Long-legs Spider' has the most potent venom amongst all the spiders in the world but that, fortunately, its' fangs are too delicate to pierce human skin. This is however a very persistent old wives' tale. As a matter of fact it has been shown that their venom is actually rather weak. They are indeed capable of biting humans but the effect is not much more than a mild, locally painful sensation that quickly dissipates. It is not inconceivable that the myth originated as a result of their ability to catch, kill and eat some of the much more venomous spiders of the world such our very own Redback.

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Taxonomy:

Phylum: Arthropoda   (Arthropods)
> Subphylum: Chelicerata   (Chelicerates)
> Class: Arachnida   (Arachnids)
> Order: Aranea (Spiders)
> Suborder: Araneomorphae (Typical Spiders)
> Infraorder: Haplogynae   (Haplogyne Spiders)
> Superfamily: Pholcoidea (Cellar Spiders and Allies)
> Family: Pholcidae (Cellar Spiders)
> Subfamily: Arteminae
> Genus: Artema
> Species: A. atlanta - Giant Daddy Long-legs Spider
> Genus: Wugigarra
> Species: W. tjapukai ^
> Species: W. yawai

> Subfamily: Modisiminae
> Genus: Psilochorus ^
> Species: ?

> Subfamily: Pholcinae
> Genus: Micromerys
> Species: M. gurran - Slender Daddy Long-legs
> Species: M. raveni
> Species: M. yidin
> Genus: Pholcus
> Species: P. phalangioides - Long-bodied Cellar Spider

> Subfamily: Smeringopinae
> Genus: Crossopriza (Tailed Daddy Long-legs)
> Species: C. lyoni - Tailed Cellar Spider
> Genus: Holocnemus
> Species: H. pluchii - Marbled Cellar Spider
> Genus: Smeringopus (Common Daddy Long-legs)
> Species: S. natalensis - Natal Daddy Long-legs Spider
> Species: S. pallidus - Pale Daddy Long-legs Spider

* = likely
^ = possibly

References and links:

> Gertsch, W.J., (1958). 'The spider family Plectreuridae.'  American Museum Novitates 1920: 1-53.
> Huber, B.A., (2000). 'New World pholcid spiders (Araneae: Pholcidae): A revision at generic level.' Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 254: 1-348. doi:10.1206/0003-0090(2000)254<0001:NWPSAP>2.0.CO;2
> Huber, B.A., Eberle, J. and Dimitrov, D., (2018). 'The phylogeny of pholcid spiders: a critical evaluation of relationships suggested by molecular data (Araneae, Pholcidae). ZooKeys 789: 51-101. doi:10.3897/zookeys.789.22781
> Wunderlich, J., (2004). 'Fossil spiders (Araneae) of the superfamily Dysderoidea in Baltic and Dominican amber, with revised family diagnoses.' Beiträge zur Araneologie 3: 633-746.

  https://australian.museum/learn/animals/spiders/spider-facts/#:~:text=What%20is%20the%20biggest%20spider,leg%20span%20of%2016%20cm.
  https://spiderid.com/spider/pholcidae/pholcus/phalangioides/
https://web.archive.org/web/20070630043347/http://spiders.ucr.edu/daddylonglegs.html

Text:
Erik Beringen.

Photographic contributions:

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