Scytodes

Scytodes; Temporal range: Cretaceous–Present PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
	Scytodes thoracica
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Chelicerata
Class:	Arachnida
Order:	Araneae
Infraorder:	Araneomorphae
Family:	Scytodidae
Genus:	Scytodes; Latreille, 1804
Type species
	Scytodes thoracica; (Latreille, 1802)
Species
	220, see text

Scytodes is a genus of spitting spiders that occur all around the world. The most widely distributed species is Scytodes thoracica, which originally had a palearctic distribution, but has been introduced to North America, Argentina, India, Australia, and New Zealand.^[1] The genus was first described by Pierre André Latreille in 1804.^[2] Spitting spiders have pale yellow bodies with black spots on their cephalothorax, and legs that are characterized by black bands.

Behavior

Reproduction

Scytodes species are typically solitary until mating or hunting due to their aggressive nature. Males are cautious when trying to find a mate. Females carry their eggs until they hatch, typically under their body or in their chelicerae. This is the most vulnerable stage in life, the egg-carrying period. Upon hatching, the juvenile spiders remain in their mother's web. They cooperatively capture and feed on prey caught in the web. Upon reaching sexual maturity, the young spiders leave the web, move a short distance away and exhibit solitary behavior.^[3] The genus exhibits sexual dimorphism, males range in size from 3.5 to 4 mm while females are slightly larger ranging from 4 to 4.5 mm. These spiders do not die post-mating; males live 1.5–2 years and females live 2 to 4 years.

Spitting

The spitting from which its name derives is used as a method of trapping prey^[4] or escaping predators.^[5] Sticky gum is expelled from their fangs and can be shot up to ten body lengths from the spider.^[4] When the string of venomous substance is shot, anywhere from 5 to 17 parallel overlapping bands cover the meal and kill it.

Species

As of November 2022^[update] Scytodes contains 219 species and 1 subspecies. Spitting spiders often are found in temperate and terrestrial habitat regions such as forests in South America, the Caribbean, Central America, Africa, Europe, Asia, North America, Oceania, and on the Pacific Islands:.^[1] In the presence of humans, these spiders are found in dark corners, cellars, cupboards, and closets of houses.

S. adisi Rheims & Brescovit, 2009 – Brazil
S. aethiopica Simon, 1907 – Ethiopia
S. affinis Kulczyński, 1901 – Ethiopia
S. aharonii Strand, 1914 – Israel
S. akytaba Rheims & Brescovit, 2006 – Brazil
S. alayoi Alayón, 1977 – Mexico, Cuba
S. albiapicalis Strand, 1907 – China
S. alcomitzli Rheims, Brescovit & Durán-Barrón, 2007 – Mexico
S. alfredi Gajbe, 2004 – India
S. altamira Rheims & Brescovit, 2000 – Brazil
S. annulipes Simon, 1907 – Algeria, Tunisia, Libya
S. antonina Rheims & Brescovit, 2009 – Brazil
S. apuecatu Rheims & Brescovit, 2006 – Brazil
S. arboricola Millot, 1946 – Ivory Coast
S. arenacea Purcell, 1904 – Namibia, South Africa
S. armata Brescovit & Rheims, 2001 – Costa Rica
S. aruensis Strand, 1911 – Indonesia (Aru Is.)
S. arwa Rheims, Brescovit & van Harten, 2006 – Yemen, Iran
S. atlacamani Rheims, Brescovit & Durán-Barrón, 2007 – Mexico
S. atlacoya Rheims, Brescovit & Durán-Barrón, 2007 – Mexico
S. atlatonin Rheims, Brescovit & Durán-Barrón, 2007 – Mexico
S. auricula Rheims & Brescovit, 2000 – Brazil
S. balbina Rheims & Brescovit, 2000 – Brazil
S. becki Rheims & Brescovit, 2001 – Brazil
S. bertheloti Lucas, 1838 – Mediterranean to Turkmenistan
S. blanda Bryant, 1940 – Cuba
S. bocaina Rheims & Brescovit, 2009 – Brazil
S. bonito Rheims & Brescovit, 2009 – Brazil
S. brignolii Rheims & Brescovit, 2009 – Brazil
S. broomi Pocock, 1902 – Namibia, South Africa
S. brunnea González-Sponga, 2004 – Venezuela
S. caffra Purcell, 1904 – South Africa
S. caipora Rheims & Brescovit, 2004 – Brazil
S. camerunensis Strand, 1906 – Cameroon
S. canariensis Wunderlich, 1987 – Canary Is.
S. caratinga Rheims & Brescovit, 2009 – Brazil
S. caure Rheims & Brescovit, 2004 – Brazil
S. cavernarum Roewer, 1962 – Malaysia
S. cedri Purcell, 1904 – South Africa
S. cellularis Simon, 1907 – Congo
S. championi F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1899 – Mexico to Brazil
S. chantico Rheims, Brescovit & Durán-Barrón, 2007 – Mexico
S. chapeco Rheims & Brescovit, 2009 – Brazil
S. chiconahui Rheims, Brescovit & Durán-Barrón, 2007 – Mexico
S. chiquimula Brescovit & Rheims, 2001 – Guatemala
S. chopim Rheims & Brescovit, 2009 – Brazil
S. clavata Benoit, 1965 – Congo
S. cogu Brescovit & Rheims, 2001 – Costa Rica
S. congoanus Strand, 1908 – Congo
S. constellata Lawrence, 1938 – South Africa
S. coronata Thorell, 1899 – West Africa
S. cotopitoka Rheims, Barreiros, Brescovit & Bonaldo, 2005 – Brazil
S. cubensis Alayón, 1977 – Cuba, Trinidad
S. curimaguana González-Sponga, 2004 – Venezuela
S. curupira Rheims & Brescovit, 2004 – Brazil
S. darlingtoni Alayón, 1977 – Cuba
S. diminuta Valerio, 1981 – Costa Rica
S. dissimulans Petrunkevitch, 1929 – Puerto Rico
S. dollfusi Millot, 1941 – Ivory Coast
S. domhelvecio Rheims & Brescovit, 2009 – Brazil
S. dorothea Gertsch, 1935 – USA
S. drakensbergensis Lawrence, 1947 – South Africa
S. edwardsi Barrion, Barrion-Dupo & Heong, 2013 – China
S. eleonorae Rheims & Brescovit, 2001 – Brazil
S. elizabethae Purcell, 1904 – South Africa
S. farri Alayón, 1985 – Jamaica
S. flagellata Purcell, 1904 – South Africa
S. florifera Yin & Xu, 2012 – China
S. fourchei Lessert, 1939 – Central, East Africa
S. fusca Walckenaer, 1837 – Central and Southern America. Introduced to Europe, tropical Africa, Seychelles, Myanmar, China, Japan, Hawaii
S. genebra Rheims & Brescovit, 2009 – Brazil
S. gertschi Valerio, 1981 – Panama
S. gilva (Thorell, 1887) – India, Myanmar
S. globula Nicolet, 1849 – Bolivia, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Chile
S. gooldi Purcell, 1904 – South Africa
S. grammocephala Simon, 1909 – Vietnam
S. guapiassu Rheims & Brescovit, 2009 – Brazil
S. guttipes Simon, 1893 – Venezuela, Trinidad
S. hahahae Rheims & Brescovit, 2001 – Brazil
S. humilis L. Koch, 1875 – Ethiopia
S. iabaday Rheims & Brescovit, 2001 – Brazil
S. iara Rheims & Brescovit, 2004 – Brazil
S. ilhota Rheims & Brescovit, 2009 – Brazil
S. imbituba Rheims & Brescovit, 2009 – Brazil
S. immaculata L. Koch, 1875 – Egypt
S. insperata Soares & Camargo, 1948 – Brazil
S. intricata Banks, 1909 – Mexico to Costa Rica
S. itabaiana Rheims & Brescovit, 2009 – Brazil
S. itacuruassu Rheims & Brescovit, 2006 – Brazil
S. itapecerica Rheims & Brescovit, 2009 – Brazil
S. itapevi Brescovit & Rheims, 2000 – Brazil
S. itzana Chamberlin & Ivie, 1938 – Mexico
S. itzli Rheims, Brescovit & Durán-Barrón, 2007 – Mexico
S. janauari Brescovit & Höfer, 1999 – Brazil
S. jousseaumei Simon, 1907 – Djibouti
S. jurubatuba Rheims & Brescovit, 2009 – Brazil
S. jurupari Rheims & Brescovit, 2004 – Brazil
S. jyapara Rheims & Brescovit, 2006 – Brazil
S. kaokoensis Lawrence, 1928 – Namibia
S. karrooica Purcell, 1904 – South Africa
S. kinsukus Patel, 1975 – India
S. kinzelbachi Wunderlich, 1995 – Turkey, Jordan
S. kumonga Zamani & Marusik, 2020 – Iran
S. lanceolata Purcell, 1904 – South Africa
S. lawrencei Lessert, 1939 – Central, East Africa
S. leipoldti Purcell, 1904 – South Africa
S. leprosula Strand, 1913 – Central Africa
S. lesserti Millot, 1941 – Guinea
S. lewisi Alayón, 1985 – Jamaica
S. lineatipes Taczanowski, 1874 – Venezuela to Paraguay
S. liui Wang, 1994 – China
S. longipes Lucas, 1844 – Southern America. Introduced to Pacific Is., Guinea, Congo, Indonesia (New Guinea), Australia (Queensland)
S. lorenzoi Alayón, 1977 – Cuba
S. luteola Simon, 1893 – Venezuela
S. lycosella Purcell, 1904 – South Africa
S. lyriformis Purcell, 1904 – South Africa
S. major Simon, 1886 – Africa
S. mangabeiras Rheims & Brescovit, 2009 – Brazil
S. mapia Rheims & Brescovit, 2000 – Brazil
S. mapinguari Rheims & Brescovit, 2004 – Brazil
S. maquine Rheims & Brescovit, 2009 – Brazil
S. maresi Rheims & Brescovit, 2001 – Brazil
S. maritima Lawrence, 1938 – South Africa
S. marlieria Rheims & Brescovit, 2009 – Brazil
S. maromba Rheims & Brescovit, 2009 – Brazil
S. marshalli Pocock, 1902 – South Africa
S. martiusi Brescovit & Höfer, 1999 – Brazil
S. mawphlongensis Tikader, 1966 – India, Nepal, Thailand
S. mayahuel Rheims, Brescovit & Durán-Barrón, 2007 – Mexico
S. montana Purcell, 1904 – South Africa
S. monticola González-Sponga, 2004 – Venezuela
S. multilineata Thorell, 1899 – West, Central Africa
S. nambiobyrassu Rheims & Brescovit, 2009 – Brazil
S. nambiussu Rheims & Brescovit, 2006 – Brazil
S. nanahuatzin Rheims, Brescovit & Durán-Barrón, 2007 – Mexico
S. nigristernis Simon, 1907 – Guinea-Bissau
S. noeli Alayón, 1977 – Cuba
S. obelisci Denis, 1947 – Egypt
S. opoxtli Rheims, Brescovit & Durán-Barrón, 2007 – Mexico
S. oswaldi Lenz, 1891 – Madagascar
S. paarmanni Brescovit & Höfer, 1999 – Brazil
S. pallida Doleschall, 1859 – India, China, Philippines, New Guinea
S. panamensis Brescovit & Rheims, 2001 – Panama
S. panguana Brescovit & Höfer, 1999 – Peru
S. paramera González-Sponga, 2004 – Venezuela
S. pholcoides Simon, 1898 – Seychelles
S. pintodarochai Rheims & Brescovit, 2009 – Brazil
S. piroca Rheims & Brescovit, 2000 – Brazil
S. piyampisi Rheims, Barreiros, Brescovit & Bonaldo, 2005 – Brazil
S. propinqua Stoliczka, 1869 – Pakistan
S. pulchella Berland, 1914 – East Africa
S. punctipes Simon, 1907 – São Tomé and Príncipe
S. quarta Lawrence, 1927 – Namibia
S. quattuordecemmaculata Strand, 1907 – China
S. quinqua Lawrence, 1927 – Namibia
S. redempta Chamberlin, 1924 – Mexico
S. reticulata Jézéquel, 1964 – Ivory Coast
S. robertoi Alayón, 1977 – Cuba
S. rubra Lawrence, 1937 – South Africa
S. ruizensis Strand, 1914 – Colombia
S. rupestris González-Sponga, 2004 – Venezuela
S. saaristoi Rheims & Brescovit, 2009 – Brazil
S. saci Rheims & Brescovit, 2004 – Brazil
S. sansibarica Strand, 1907 – Tanzania (Zanzibar)
S. schultzei Purcell, 1908 – South Africa
S. semipullata (Simon, 1909) – Tibet
S. seppoi Bosmans & Van Keer, 2014 – Algeria, Tunisia
S. sexstriata Roewer, 1960 – Afghanistan
S. silvatica Purcell, 1904 – South Africa
S. sincora Rheims & Brescovit, 2009 – Brazil
S. skuki Rheims & Brescovit, 2001 – Brazil
S. socialis Miller, 2006 – Madagascar
S. sordida Dyal, 1935 – Pakistan
S. stoliczkai Simon, 1897 – India
S. strandi Spassky, 1941 – Iran, Central Asia
S. strussmannae Rheims & Brescovit, 2001 – Brazil
S. subadulta Strand, 1911 – Indonesia (Aru Is.)
S. subulata Purcell, 1904 – South Africa
S. symmetrica Lawrence, 1938 – South Africa
S. tabuleiro Rheims & Brescovit, 2009 – Brazil
S. tacapepucu Rheims & Brescovit, 2006 – Brazil
S. tapacura Rheims & Brescovit, 2009 – Brazil
S. tapuia Rheims & Brescovit, 2009 – Brazil
S. tardigrada Thorell, 1881 – Myanmar, New Guinea, Australia (Queensland)
S. tegucigalpa Brescovit & Rheims, 2001 – Honduras
S. tenerifensis Wunderlich, 1987 – Canary Is.
S. tertia Lawrence, 1927 – Angola, Namibia
S. testudo Purcell, 1904 – South Africa
S. tezcatlipoca Rheims, Brescovit & Durán-Barrón, 2007 – Mexico
S. thoracica (Latreille, 1802) (type) – Europe, North Africa, Turkey, Iran, temperate Asia to China, Korea, Japan. Introduced to North America, Argentina, India, Australia, New Zealand
S. tinkuan Rheims & Brescovit, 2004 – Brazil
S. tlaloc Rheims, Brescovit & Durán-Barrón, 2007 – Mexico
S. triangulifera Purcell, 1904 – South Africa
S. trifoliata Lawrence, 1938 – South Africa
S. tropofila González-Sponga, 2004 – Venezuela
S. turvo Rheims & Brescovit, 2009 – Brazil
S. tuyucua Brescovit, Rheims & Raizer, 2004 – Brazil
S. tyaia Rheims & Brescovit, 2009 – Brazil
S. tyaiamiri Rheims & Brescovit, 2006 – Brazil
S. tyaiapyssanga Rheims & Brescovit, 2006 – Brazil
S. tzitzimime Rheims, Brescovit & Durán-Barrón, 2007 – Mexico
S. uligocetes Valerio, 1981 – Costa Rica
S. una Rheims & Brescovit, 2009 – Brazil
S. univittata Simon, 1882 – Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, India. Introduced to Hawaii, Mexico, Cuba, Venezuela, Brazil, Paraguay, Chile, Canary Is., Spain, Italy, Cyprus, Egypt
- Scytodes u. unilineata Thorell, 1887 – Myanmar
S. upia Rheims & Brescovit, 2006 – Brazil
S. vassununga Rheims & Brescovit, 2009 – Brazil
S. vaurieorum Brescovit & Rheims, 2001 – Mexico, Guatemala
S. velutina Heineken & Lowe, 1832 – Mediterranean, Cape Verde Is., Seychelles
S. venusta (Thorell, 1890) – Sri Lanka to Indonesia (Java). Introduced to the Netherlands
S. vieirae Rheims & Brescovit, 2000 – Brazil
S. vittata Keyserling, 1877 – Colombia, Brazil
S. xai Rheims & Brescovit, 2006 – Brazil
S. ybyrapesse Rheims & Brescovit, 2006 – Brazil
S. yphanta Wang, 1994 – China
S. yssaiapari Rheims & Brescovit, 2006 – Brazil
S. ytu Rheims & Brescovit, 2009 – Brazil
S. zamena Wang, 1994 – China
S. zamorano Brescovit & Rheims, 2001 – Honduras
S. zapatana Gertsch & Mulaik, 1940 – USA

References

^ ^a ^b ^c "Gen. Scytodes Latreille, 1804". World Spider Catalog Version 25.0. Natural History Museum Bern. 2024. doi:10.24436/2. Retrieved 2024-03-30.
^ Latreille, P. A. (1804). "Tableau methodique des Insectes". Nouveau Dictionnaire d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris. 24: 129–295.
^ Li, Daiqin; Jackson, Robert R.; Barrion, Alberto T. (March 1999). "Parental and predatory behaviour of Scytodes sp., an araneophagic spitting spider (Araneae: Scytodidae) from the Philippines". Journal of Zoology. 247 (3): 293–310. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7998.1999.tb00993.x.
^ ^a ^b McAlister, W. (1960). "The spitting habit in the spider Scytodes intricate Banks (Family Scytodidae)". Texas Journal of Science. 12: 17–20.
^ Gilbert, C.; Rayor, L.S. (1985). "Predatory behavior of spitting spiders (Araneae: Scytodidae) and the evolution of prey wrapping" (PDF). Journal of Arachnology. 13: 231–241. Retrieved 24 May 2018.

Scytodes, Animal Diversity, 2014
Suter, Robert (2009), "Spitting Performance Parameters and Their Biomechanical Implications in the Spitting Spider, Scytodes", Journal of Insect Science, 9: 1–15, doi:10.1673/031.009.6201, PMC 3011943, PMID 20050781
Belosludtsev, E.A.; Gasilin, V.V. (2018), "Cosmopolitan Distribution of the Spitting Spider Scytodes thoracica Latreille, 1802 (Aranei, Scytodidae) and Its New Findings in the Northern Parts of the Range", Contemporary Problems of Ecology, 11 (2): 123–136, doi:10.1134/S1995425518020038, S2CID 4953468

[NMBE-1] "Gen. Scytodes Latreille, 1804". World Spider Catalog Version 25.0. Natural History Museum Bern. 2024. doi:10.24436/2. Retrieved 2024-03-30.

[Latr1804-2] Latreille, P. A. (1804). "Tableau methodique des Insectes". Nouveau Dictionnaire d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris. 24: 129–295.

[3] Li, Daiqin; Jackson, Robert R.; Barrion, Alberto T. (March 1999). "Parental and predatory behaviour of Scytodes sp., an araneophagic spitting spider (Araneae: Scytodidae) from the Philippines". Journal of Zoology. 247 (3): 293–310. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7998.1999.tb00993.x.

[McAlister-4] McAlister, W. (1960). "The spitting habit in the spider Scytodes intricate Banks (Family Scytodidae)". Texas Journal of Science. 12: 17–20.

[gilbert-5] Gilbert, C.; Rayor, L.S. (1985). "Predatory behavior of spitting spiders (Araneae: Scytodidae) and the evolution of prey wrapping" (PDF). Journal of Arachnology. 13: 231–241. Retrieved 24 May 2018.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]