Fun Marbled Cellar Spider Facts For Kids
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These long-bodied cellar spiders are unique because they have two different kinds of silk, one kind for catching prey and another to help keep themselves from getting stuck in their own webs!
They weave a strong silky barrier around their nest or home so that when it starts raining hard outside there is little chance of them drowning inside as a result of flooding water coming through cracks in the walls.
The female spider will also protect her eggs by wrapping each egg with an individual protective layer made out of her tough silk threads. Did you know that she lays about 150-200 eggs at once?
These spiders are pretty docile as they don't have any venom that will cause harm to humans or animals, but their bite can still be painful enough!
These spiders are known for spinning webs in the corners of buildings. Some people find that quite cool, while others would prefer not having these critters around at all times!
The long-bodied cellar spider is easily identifiable by its distinctive markings and coloration, and it has long been popular as an exotic pet due to how relatively easy it is to care for this critter.
For more relatable content, check out these hobo spider facts and garden spider facts for kids.
Marbled Cellar Spider Interesting Facts
What type of animal is a marbled cellar spider?
As the name suggests, these cellar spiders are a type of spider similar to a daddy longlegs.
What class of animal does a marbled cellar spider belong to?
The cellar spider (Pholcus phalangioides) species belongs to the class Arachnida, and the family Pholcidae. This spider species does occasionally bite humans.
How many marbled cellar spiders are there in the world?
Most estimates range from 2 million down to 50,000. However, nobody really knows an exact accurate population of these daddy-long-legs spiders.
Where does a marbled cellar spider live?
This long-bodied cellar spider lives in the dark, moist spaces found underneath logs and other organic matter. These long-bodied cellar spiders are one of many spiders that use their webbing to catch prey as well as to protect themselves from predators like birds or mammals by tangling it up so tightly that they can't escape!
What is a marbled cellar spider's habitat?
The long-bodied cellar spiders live in dark, damp places like cellars. This long-bodied cellar spider is a type of jumping spider with sideways-facing eyes and hair on its abdomen.
This long-bodied cellar spider is commonly found in north Germany and France but it has been spotted as far as North America. They can be found living on the ground or climbing up walls near homes, where they spin their webs to catch food like wheel bugs between leaves of plants or logs.
Who do marbled cellar spiders live with?
These long-bodied cellar spiders are a type of spider that mainly live in houses. They prefer to stay with other spiders like jumping spiders and with humans, but they can also be found living completely alone sometimes.
How long does a marbled cellar spiders live?
A long-bodied cellar spider lives for about one to three years on average!
How do they reproduce?
When these cellar spiders (Holocnemus pluchei) mate during the spring and summer months males become aggressive with each other to win over females. Females choose which male they want to mate with and then they will lay eggs.
The female lays around 200 eggs into an egg sac and it takes about three weeks before hatching begins. No parental care from either party is involved after laying these eggs.
What is their conservation status?
The IUCN conservation status of a long-bodied cellar spider (Holocnemus pluchei) is currently Least Concern.
Marbled Cellar Spider Fun Facts
What do marbled cellar spiders look like?
These cellar spiders are about the size of a dime and they have brown or black stripes on their abdomen and across their whole body length. This species of spider has long legs attached to the body which it uses for making webs.
How cute are they?
These cellar spiders are from the family Pholcidae and they are kind of cute with their long legs.
How do they communicate?
Cellar spiders have a complex system of communication that is unlike other insect species. This species communicates through vibrations and touching their leg hairs to declare their territory.
How big is a marbled cellar spider?
Cellar spiders have a body length that ranges between 0.2-0.27 in (0.5-0.7 cm).
How fast can marbled cellar spiders move?
These little spiders are one of the fastest insect species in existence. They were clocked moving at an insane 16 mph (25 kph) speed!
How much does a marbled cellar spider weigh?
Cellar spiders are among the smallest of all arachnids, they can weigh as little as 0.001 lb (10-15 g).
What are their male and female names of the species?
These spiders do not have specific names for males and females, they are generally referred to as cellar spiders!
What would you call a baby marbled cellar spider?
Babies of this spider species are popularly known as hatchlings.
What do they eat?
These insects with long legs are known for eating small insects and small bugs like ladybirds, mosquitoes, and ants!
Are they harmful?
Cellar spiders are a type of spider that likes to make their webs in dark, damp places like cellars and storage rooms. These spiders can become harmful if they get into your food and if they make their webs in unhygienic places around the home.
Would they make a good pet?
Cellar spiders may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of pets but they are actually a great choice for people who want to keep a pet spider.
Did you know...
For the marbled cellar spider, California is an important region in its habitat range. The spider is very common in this state!
These cellar spiders may be mistaken for harvestmen, but they are not the same.
Costs and benefits of cellar spiders
Cellar spiders are useful because they eat most household pests. Their webs can be found in corners, under furniture, and in other dark spaces where insects might gather to feed or mate.
They're also good for reducing the number of flies that hang out around your home as they eat fly larvae. However, many people hate the thought of spiders and their webs in their homes, as they are perceived as quite creepy animals!
Do cellar spiders shed their skin?
Yes, cellar spiders (Pholcus phalangioides) are that clever! They do not shed their entire skin, but they can shed their legs to escape predators.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other arthropods from our queen butterfly facts and Gulf fritillary butterfly facts pages.
You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring one on our free printable wolf spider coloring pages.
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With a Bachelor's degree in Dental Surgery from Shaney Institute of Health Sciences and a Master's degree in Public Health from Imperial College London, Iram is a highly qualified and accomplished writer from Srinagar, India. Over the course of a year, she has acquired multiple writing certifications, focusing on health sciences and research studies. Prior to joining Kidadl, Iram gained valuable experience working as a content writer for Indian firms and interning at a New York-based company. Her expertise and passion for writing shine through in her ability to create compelling content across a variety of topics.
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