Scytodes fusca

Scytodes fusca
Female
Male
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Chelicerata
Class:	Arachnida
Order:	Araneae
Infraorder:	Araneomorphae
Family:	Scytodidae
Genus:	Scytodes
Species:	S. fusca
Binomial name
Scytodes fusca Walckenaer, 1837
Synonyms
Scytodes domestica Doleschall, 1859 Scytodes guianensis Taczanowski, 1872 Scytodes vittata Keyserling, 1877 Dictis fumida Thorell, 1891 Scytodes hebraica Simon, 1892 Scytodes bajula Simon, 1892 Scytodes campinensis Mello-Leitão, 1918 Scytodes discolor Mello-Leitão, 1918 Scytodes iguassuensis Mello-Leitão, 1918 Scytodes nannipes Chamberlin & Ivie, 1936 Scytodes torquatus Kraus, 1955

Scytodes fusca is a species of spider in the family Scytodidae. It is commonly known as the dark common spitting spider and is a cosmopolitan species that has been introduced to numerous regions worldwide.

Distribution

Scytodes fusca is a cosmopolitan species described by Walckenaer in 1837. Originally from Central and southern America, it has been introduced St. Helena, Europe, Africa, Seychelles, India, Myanmar, Indonesia, China, Japan, and Hawaii.

In South Africa, it is recorded from six provinces and is found at elevations ranging from 16 to 1,618 m above sea level.

Habitat and ecology

This is a species frequently found in houses. They are nocturnal cursorial spiders and have a specialized way of catching prey. In South Africa, the species has been sampled from the Fynbos, Grassland, Nama Karoo, Savanna, and Thicket biomes.

Description

See also: Glossary of spider terms

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  missing legs
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  female with egg sac

Conservation

Scytodes fusca is listed as Least Concern by the South African National Biodiversity Institute due to its wide range. There are no significant threats to the species. It is protected in Karoo National Park and Kruger National Park.

Taxonomy

This is an introduced cosmopolitan species known from both sexes, which have been illustrated.