Pholcidae

Pholcidae, commonly known as cellar spiders, daddy long-legs spider, granddaddy long-legs spider, carpenter spider, daddy long-legger, vibrating spider and skull spider, is a family of araneomorph spiders first described by Ludwig Carl Christian Koch in 1850. It contains over 1800 species divided in 94 genera. The common name 'daddy long-legs' is used for several species, especially Pholcus phalangioides, but is also the common name for several other arthropod groups, including harvestmen, which are arachnids but not spiders, and crane flies. Pholcids are thin and fragile arachnids. The body (resembling the shape of a peanut) is approximately 2–10 mm (0.08-0.39 inches) in length, and the legs may be up to 50 mm (1.97 inches) long. Pholcus and Smeringopus have cylindrical abdomens and eyes arranged in two lateral groups of three and two smaller median contiguous eyes. Arrangements of 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 without median eyes. Pholcids are gray to brown, sometimes clear, with banding or chevron markings. Pholcids are found in every continent in the world except Antarctica. Pholcids hang inverted in their messy and irregular-shaped webs. These webs are constructed in dark and damp recesses such as caves, under rocks and loose bark, abandoned mammal burrows. In areas of human habitation pholcids construct webs in undisturbed areas in buildings such as attics and cellars (hence the common name 'cellar spider').