Scytodes

Scytodes is a genus of spitting spiders that occur all around the world, with the most widely distributed species being Scytodes thoracica, originally having a palearctic distribution but has since been introduced to North America, Argentina, India, Australia, Asia and New Zealand. Individuals of the genus are generally characterized by their predominant pale yellow coloration and black markings on their cephalothorax compounded with long, thin hairless legs with black bands. Like other spitting spiders, they do not build a traditional web to catch prey, but instead spit a fluid on their prey that congeals on contact into a venomous and sticky mass.

]] Scytodes is a genus of spitting spiders that occur all around the world, with the most widely distributed species being Scytodes thoracica, originally having a palearctic distribution but has since been introduced to North America, Argentina, India, Australia, Asia and New Zealand. Individuals of the genus are generally characterized by their predominant pale yellow coloration and black markings on their cephalothorax compounded with long, thin hairless legs with black bands. Like other spitting spiders, they do not build a traditional web to catch prey, but instead spit a fluid on their prey that congeals on contact into a venomous and sticky mass.

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. Sociality and parental care Scytodes species are known to perform a wide range of social organization, with some species being solitary, subsocial, communal-territorial, or social. Many of the subsocial and colonial species are known to give extended parental care, such as S. fusca, S. socialis, S. longipes, and S. intricata. Females will sparsely wrap their eggs in a sac, and hold it in its chelicerae until they hatch, sometimes dropping the egg sac to capture prey, after which they return and feed beside the eggs, picking them up again once finished. This behaviour protects the eggs from desiccation, mould, parasites, and predation. Some species are subsocial and after hatching, the spiderlings will often cohabitate with their mother until a certain instar is reached, but some may stay longer or leave earlier. During this period the spiderling and adult will hunt prey, but not spit at or prey on each other. The mothers will sometimes take captured prey to the spiderlings. S. indet(a) and S. indet(b) will often share the meal with their spiderlings, but S. fusca will not, eating separate meals away from the spiderlings. Cohabitating spiderlings will work together to capture large prey, but will hunt small prey individually. Conflict between spiderlings occurs in some species at early instars, but cannibalistic behaviour only arises in later instars of those species. S. socialis is known to be a social species, and individuals will continue cohabitation into adulthood, forming colonies, in which individuals show no aggression to each other and share prey.

Spitting

The spitting from which its common name derives is used as a method of trapping prey or escaping predators. Scytodes glue is made in a large gland in the cephalothorax where venom is synthesized in the front of the gland and the glue is produced in the back of gland. Sticky glue is expelled from their fangs from a small opening in their chelicerae and can be shot up to 4 -10 body lengths from the spider. Scytodes spit their glue in a zigzag pattern to trap their prey to a substrate. Though, for many years it was thought that the glue contained venom that diffused into the prey, researchers now believe that the glue does not contain any toxic properties. Once the whole prey is trapped to the ground, the spider then bites the prey with a venomous bite to kill it.

Species

Scytodes armata 424581974.jpg|S. armata Scytodes.fusca.male.-.tanikawa.jpg|Male S. fusca Scytodes glabula 3.jpg|S. glabula Scytodes intricata.jpg|S. intricata Scytodes pallida 38686046.jpg|S. pallida , this genus includes 239 species and one subspecies. Species with articles on Wikipedia: Scytodes arenacea Purcell, 1904 – Namibia, South Africa Scytodes armata Brescovit & Rheims, 2001 – Costa Rica Scytodes broomi Pocock, 1902 – Namibia, South Africa Scytodes caffra Purcell, 1904 – DR Congo, South Africa, Eswatini Scytodes cedri Purcell, 1904 – South Africa Scytodes clavata Benoit, 1965 – DR Congo, South Africa Scytodes constellata Lawrence, 1938 – South Africa Scytodes drakensbergensis Lawrence, 1947 – South Africa Scytodes elizabethae Purcell, 1904 – South Africa Scytodes flagellata Purcell, 1904 – South Africa Scytodes fusca Walckenaer, 1837 – North to South America. Introduced to St. Helena, Europe, Africa, Seychelles, India, Myanmar, Indonesia, China, Japan, Hawaii Scytodes globula Nicolet, 1849 – Bolivia, Brazil, Uruguay, Chile, Argentina Scytodes gooldi Purcell, 1904 – South Africa Scytodes karrooica Purcell, 1904 – South Africa Scytodes kumonga Zamani & Marusik, 2020 – Oman, Iran Scytodes lanceolata Purcell, 1904 – South Africa Scytodes lawrencei Lessert, 1939 – DR Congo, South Africa Scytodes leipoldti Purcell, 1904 – South Africa Scytodes longipes Lucas, 1844 – Central and South America. Introduced to Guinea, DR Congo, Indonesia (New Guinea), Japan, Australia (Queensland), Pacific Is. Hawaii Scytodes lycosella Purcell, 1904 – South Africa Scytodes lyriformis Purcell, 1904 – South Africa Scytodes maritima Lawrence, 1938 – South Africa Scytodes marshalli Pocock, 1902 – South Africa Scytodes montana Purcell, 1904 – South Africa Scytodes pallida Doleschall, 1859 – India, China, Philippines, Indonesia (Moluccas, New Guinea) Scytodes quinqua Lawrence, 1927 – Namibia, South Africa Scytodes rubra Lawrence, 1937 – South Africa Scytodes schultzei Purcell, 1908 – South Africa Scytodes silvatica Purcell, 1904 – South Africa Scytodes subulata Purcell, 1904 – South Africa Scytodes symmetrica Lawrence, 1938 – South Africa Scytodes testudo Purcell, 1904 – South Africa Scytodes thoracica (Latreille, 1802) – Europe, North Africa, Turkey, Iran, temperate Asia to China, Korea, Japan. Introduced to North America, Argentina, South Africa, India, Australia, New Zealand (type species) Scytodes triangulifera Purcell, 1904 – South Africa Scytodes trifoliata Lawrence, 1938 – South Africa Scytodes univittata Simon, 1882 – Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, India. Introduced to Hawaii, Mexico, Cuba, Venezuela, Brazil, Paraguay, Chile, Ascension Island, Cape Verde, Canary Islands, Morocco, Spain, Italy, Cyprus, Egypt, Iraq, Iran Scytodes venusta (Thorell, 1890) – Sri Lanka to Indonesia (Java) 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. amazonica Dupérré & Tapia, 2023 – Ecuador S. annulipes Simon, 1907 – Morocco, 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. argelia Dupérré & Tapia, 2023 – Ecuador S. armata Brescovit & Rheims, 2001 – Costa Rica S. aruensis Strand, 1911 – Indonesia (Aru Is.) S. arwa Rheims, Brescovit & van Harten, 2006 – Yemen, Oman, 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 – Ecuador, Brazil S. ayampe Dupérré & Tapia, 2023 – Ecuador S. balbina Rheims & Brescovit, 2000 – Brazil S. becki Rheims & Brescovit, 2001 – Brazil S. bertheloti Lucas, 1838 – Mediterranean, 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 – DR Congo, South Africa, Eswatini S. caipora Rheims & Brescovit, 2004 – Brazil S. camerunensis Strand, 1906 – Cameroon S. canariensis Wunderlich, 1987 – Canary Islands 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 – DR Congo S. championi F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1899 – Mexico, 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. choco Dupérré & Tapia, 2023 – Ecuador S. chopim Rheims & Brescovit, 2009 – Brazil S. clavata Benoit, 1965 – DR Congo, South Africa 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. costa Dupérré & Tapia, 2023 – Ecuador 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 – United States S. drakensbergensis Lawrence, 1947 – South Africa 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 – DR Congo S. fusca Walckenaer, 1837 – North, South America. Introduced to St. Helena, Europe, Africa, Seychelles, India, Myanmar, Indonesia, 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, Uruguay, Chile, Argentina 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, Greece S. insperata Soares & Camargo, 1948 – Brazil S. intricata Banks, 1909 – Mexico, 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. jaguar Dupérré & Tapia, 2023 – Ecuador 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 – Oman, Iran S. lanceolata Purcell, 1904 – South Africa S. lawrencei Lessert, 1939 – DR Congo, South 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 – St. Vincent, Bonaire, Venezuela, French Guiana S. liui Wang, 1994 – China S. loja Dupérré & Tapia, 2023 – Ecuador S. longipes Lucas, 1844 – Central America and South America. Introduced to Guinea, DR Congo, Indonesia (New Guinea), Japan, Australia (Queensland), Pacific Islands, Hawaii 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. minus Dupérré & Tapia, 2023 – Ecuador 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. orellana Dupérré & Tapia, 2023 – Ecuador S. oswaldi Lenz, 1891 – Madagascar S. paarmanni Brescovit & Höfer, 1999 – Brazil S. pallida Doleschall, 1859 – India, China, Philippines, Indonesia (Moluccas, 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, India 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, South Africa S. redempta Chamberlin, 1924 – Mexico S. reticulata Jézéquel, 1964 – Ivory Coast S. robertoi Alayón, 1977 – Cuba S. romitii Caporiacco, 1947 – Guyana, Brazil 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. 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. tayos Dupérré & Tapia, 2023 – Ecuador S. tegucigalpa Brescovit & Rheims, 2001 – Honduras S. tenerifensis Wunderlich, 1987 – Canary Islands S. tertia Lawrence, 1927 – Angola, Namibia S. testudo Purcell, 1904 – South Africa S. tezcatlipoca Rheims, Brescovit & Durán-Barrón, 2007 – Mexico S. thoracica (Latreille, 1802) – Europe, North Africa, Turkey, Iran, temperate Asia, China, Korea, Japan. Introduced to North America, Argentina, South Africa, India, Australia, New Zealand (type species) S. tikaderi Biswas, 2023 – Bangladesh 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, Ascension Island, Cape Verde, Canary Islands, Morocco, Spain, Italy, Cyprus, Egypt, Iraq, Iran S. 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, Ascension, Seychelles S. venusta (Thorell, 1890) – Sri Lanka, Indonesia (Java) S. vieirae Rheims & Brescovit, 2000 – 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 – United States S. tanjiashui S. bergeri S. bilqis S. lara S. lugubris S. magna S. makeda S. strandi S. subthoracica S. suffusa S. vittata

References

18. Miller, Jeremy. (2006). Web-sharing Sociality and Cooperative Prey Capture in a Malagasy Spitting Spider (Araneae: Scytodidae). Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences. 57. 739–750.

Text derived from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1366015776 under CC BY-SA 4.0; modifications have been made.