Spitting Spiders - Superfamily: Scytodoidea
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The Superfamily: Scytodoidea at present contains six families, four of which were subfamilies at some stage and were elevated to family status over the last few decades. Despite a lot of taxonomic shuffling about there still are still matters left unresolved. As of December 2023, there are 848 species in 31 genera counted and they sre distributed worldwide. Some of the six families do have subfamilies even though 'iNaturalist' nor the 'Atlas of Living Australia' mention them. Four families, are represented in Australia, but a mere four species from two genera in one family, the Scytodidae, are encountered in the Northern Rivers.
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Scytodids are interesting predators in that they utilise a number of strategies to capture their prey. They do build webs for the purpose but, are often found wandering about in search of prey as well. They may also be observed to lay in ambush waiting for their prey to walk past. They feed on insects as well as other spiders with Jumping Spiders, Salticidae, the food of choice. Spitting Spiders do live up to their name in that they are capable of ejecting from their chelicerae a mucus like substance at their prey that may help to immobilise it prior to biting and wrapping it, The same action can also be used as a self-defence mechanism when the spider is threatened.
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Spitting Spiders do engage in some measure of social behaviour, particularly by the females and the young spiderlings themselves. The mother is quite maternal, not only carrying the eggsac with her in her chelicerae but she will also go out and obtain food for the young spiders once they hatch. She will deliver the food to them and the spiderlings will feed off it together. Sometimes the mother joins in the feed as well. The fourth 'instar' of the young spiders is usually old enough to go hunting and often they will do so in groups, killing and feeding off the prey together. Despite their social tendencies the spiderlings do not shy away from cannibalism though. A young Spitting Spider is often not safe from others of the same species or even the same brood with cannibalism among siblings common as well.
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Family: Scytodidae
Subfamily: Scytodinae
Striped Spitting Spider - Dictus striatipes
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Brown Spitting Spider - Scytodes fusca
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Common Spitting Spider - Scytodes thoracica
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Scytodes univittata
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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: Scytodoidea (Spitting Spiders and Allies)
> Family: Scytodidae (Spitting Spiders)
> Subfamily: Scytodinae
> Genus: Dictis
> Species: D. striatipes - Striped Spitting Spider
> Genus: Scytodes
> Species: S. fusca - Brown Spitting Spider ^
> Species: S. thoracica - Common Spitting Spider
> Species: S. univittata
* = likely
^ = possibly
Phylum: Arthropoda (Arthropods)
> Subphylum: Chelicerata (Chelicerates)
> Class: Arachnida (Arachnids)
> Order: Aranea (Spiders)
> Suborder: Araneomorphae (Typical Spiders)
> Infraorder: Haplogynae (Haplogyne Spiders)
> Superfamily: Scytodoidea (Spitting Spiders and Allies)
> Family: Scytodidae (Spitting Spiders)
> Subfamily: Scytodinae
> Genus: Dictis
> Species: D. striatipes - Striped Spitting Spider
> Genus: Scytodes
> Species: S. fusca - Brown Spitting Spider ^
> Species: S. thoracica - Common Spitting Spider
> Species: S. univittata
* = likely
^ = possibly
References and links:
> Cole, G. and & Rayor, L., (1985). 'Predatory behavior of spitting spiders (Araneae: Scytodidae) and the evolution of prey wrapping.' J. Arachnol.. 13.
> Li, D., Jackson, R. and Barrion, A., (2006). 'Parental and predatory behaviour of Scytodes sp., an araneophagic spitting spider (Araneae: Scytodidae) from the Philippines.' Journal of Zoology. 247. 293 - 310. DOI:10.1111/j.1469-7998.1999.tb00993.x.
> Yap, L. and Li, D., (2009). 'Social behaviour of spitting spiders (Araneae: Scytodidae) from Singapore.' Journal of Zoology - J ZOOL. 278. 74-81. DOI:10.1111/j.1469-7998.2009.00555.x.
> Zamani, A., Stockmann, M., Magalhaes, I.L.F. and Rheims, C.A., (2022). 'New taxonomic considerations in the spitting spider family Scytodidae (Arachnida: Araneae). Zootaxa 5092(2): 151-175. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.5092.2.1
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instar
> Cole, G. and & Rayor, L., (1985). 'Predatory behavior of spitting spiders (Araneae: Scytodidae) and the evolution of prey wrapping.' J. Arachnol.. 13.
> Li, D., Jackson, R. and Barrion, A., (2006). 'Parental and predatory behaviour of Scytodes sp., an araneophagic spitting spider (Araneae: Scytodidae) from the Philippines.' Journal of Zoology. 247. 293 - 310. DOI:10.1111/j.1469-7998.1999.tb00993.x.
> Yap, L. and Li, D., (2009). 'Social behaviour of spitting spiders (Araneae: Scytodidae) from Singapore.' Journal of Zoology - J ZOOL. 278. 74-81. DOI:10.1111/j.1469-7998.2009.00555.x.
> Zamani, A., Stockmann, M., Magalhaes, I.L.F. and Rheims, C.A., (2022). 'New taxonomic considerations in the spitting spider family Scytodidae (Arachnida: Araneae). Zootaxa 5092(2): 151-175. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.5092.2.1
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instar
Photographic contributions: