Pholcus phalangioides Traditional Cache

Description

Spiders can elicit fear and loathing due to their venomous
seduction of prey, and yet, can inspire awe and wonder at their
masterful weaving of silk webs. Florida is home to many varieties
of spiders, including fishing spiders, crab spiders, widows, orb
weavers, house spiders, wolf spiders, and jumping spiders. With the
exception of widows and the brown recluse, Florida spiders are not
considered dangerous to humans.

Pholcus phalangioides or Daddy Long legs are fragile spiders, the body being
2–10 mm in length with legs which may be up to 50 mm long.
Pholcus and Smeringopus have cylindrical abdomens and the eyes are
arranged in two lateral groups of three and two smaller median
contiguous eyes. Eight and six eyes both occur in this family.
Spermophora has a small globose abdomen and its eyes are arranged
in two groups of three and no median eyes. Pholcids are gray to
brown with banding or chevron markings. The shape of the Pholcus
and Smeringopus's body resembles that of a peanut shell.

When the spider is threatened by a touch to the web or when too
large a prey becomes entangled, the spider vibrates rapidly in a
gyrating motion in its web and becomes blurred and difficult to
focus on. For this reason pholcids have sometimes been called
"vibrating spiders", although they are not the only species to
exhibit this behaviour. Doing so might make it difficult for a
predator to see exactly where the spider is, may be intended to
signal an assumed rival to leave, or may increase the chances of
capturing insects that have just brushed their web and are still
hovering nearby [1]. If the spider continues to feel harassed it
will retreat into a corner or drop from its web and escape.

This cache has been placed with permission for the CREW Trust
and

the South Florida Water Management District

Good luck!