spitting spider
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Class: Arachnida
- Order: Araneae
- Family: Scytodidae
See also list of spiders
spitting spider, (family Scytodidae), any of around 240 species of spiders known for ensnaring their prey by spitting a venomous, mucilaginous silk. Spitting spiders’ unusual hunting method is made possible by the presence of oral silk glands that are connected with their venom glands. They also have spinnerets with silk glands on their abdomens like most other spiders, though they do not build webs. Most species have six pearly-white eyes rather than the usual eight. Spitting spiders are most common in shady spots in the tropics and typically target insects and other spiders.
(Read Britannica’s essay How Many Eyes Does a Spider Have?)
A species of Asian jumping spider (Portia labiata) prefers to prey on a spitting spider that typically preys on jumping spiders! Learn more with Britannica’s list of Nine Incredible Jumping Spiders.
Scytodes thoracica, common in the eastern United States, is yellow with black spots. The body is 3.5–5.5 mm (0.13–0.25 inch) long.