Cosmopolitan Cellar Spider
Pholcus phalangioides (Fuesslin, 1775)
Taxonomy
| Kingdom | Animalia |
|---|---|
| Phylum | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum | Chelicerata |
| Class | Arachnida |
| Order | Araneae |
| Family | Pholcidae |
| Genus | Pholcus |
| Species | Pholcus phalangioides (Fuesslin, 1775) |
Description
Diagnostic characters
- Ecological class
- Troglophile
- Realm
- Terrestrial
Distribution
Range
Known from seven counties across four states.
Continent
North America
Country
United States
States and provinces
Illinois, Kentucky, New Mexico, Tennessee
Counties
- Illinois
- Hardin, Kane, Madison, Monroe
- Kentucky
- Pulaski
- New Mexico
- Eddy
- Tennessee
- Dickson
Conservation and management
NatureServe
GNR Unranked
National ranks
- Canada
- NNA
- United States
- NNR
Subnational ranks
- New Brunswick
- SNA Not Applicable
- Alberta
- SNA Not Applicable
- Prince Edward Island
- SNA Not Applicable
- Nova Scotia
- SNA Not Applicable
- Saskatchewan
- SNA Not Applicable
- Quebec
- SNA Not Applicable
- Ontario
- SNA Not Applicable
- British Columbia
- SNA Not Applicable
- Newfoundland and Labrador
- SNA Not Applicable
- Manitoba
- SNA Not Applicable
- Indiana
- S5 Secure
- Montana
- SNR Unranked
- South Carolina
- SNR Unranked
- Illinois
- SNR Unranked
- West Virginia
- SNR Unranked
Ranks looked up 2 August 2026. Conservation status changes, and a rank here is as current as that date and no more.
State and federal status
Not listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.
References
- Archer, A.F. 1940a. Some cave spiders of Alabama. Journal of the Alabama Academy of Science 12: 28.
- Barr, T.C. & Reddell, J.R. 1967. The arthropod cave fauna of the Carlsbad Caverns region, New Mexico. The Southwestern Naturalist 12: 253–273.
- Lewis, J.J. 2004. Interstate 66 karst faunal study. Environmental Impact Statement. 17 pp.
- Lewis, J.J., Moss, P., Tecic, D. & Nelson, M.E. 2003. A conservation focused inventory of subterranean invertebrates of the southwestern Illinois karst. Journal of Cave and Karst Studies 65: 9–21.
- Peck, S.B. & Lewis, J.J. 1978. Zoogeography and evolution of the subterranean invertebrate faunas of Illinois and southeastern Missouri. National Speleological Society Bulletin 40: 39–63.
- Webb, D.W., Taylor, S.J. & Krejca, J.K. 1993. The biological resources of Illinois caves and other subterranean environments. Illinois Natural History Survey, Champaign, Illinois, USA. 143 pp.
This account was last revised 6 September 2026. Conservation ranks were looked up 2 August 2026.
How to cite this account
Pholcus phalangioides (Fuesslin, 1775). Cave Biology Data Portal, account SP-2818. https://cavebiology.org/species/pholcus-phalangioides/ (accessed 22 October 2026).
Data sources and funding are listed in the Acknowledgments.
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