Harvestmen do not have silk glands, so they cannot spin webs they also lack the venom glands that true spiders possess. Among the obvious structural differences are harvestmen’s having one apparently unified (usually egg-shaped) body, while true spiders have clearly separate head and abdomen regions. Similar species: Though they also have long, thin legs and are also often called daddy longlegs, harvestmen (in order Opiliones) are quite different and unrelated. To distinguish it from other cellar spiders may require close examination of palps, “face” structure, carapace markings, and eye groupings. Perhaps the most common species in our area is the longbodied cellar spider, Pholcus phalangioides. As their name implies, cellar spiders are found in dark and damp places like cellars and basements. They are commonly found in caves, cellars, and other damp environments. These spiders belong to the genus Pholcomma and are typically light brown in color. These spiders are not known to bite people and are not a medically important species. Many common spiders in this family have 8 eyes arranged into three groups: 2 in the center of the face, and a cluster of 3 on each side of the central pair. There are both long-bodied as well as short-bodied cellar spiders. Long-bodied cellar spiders are identified by their elongated abdomens and thin legs. An unusual behavior is that the spiders will rapidly vibrate in a circular fashion in the web if threatened, making it difficult to see them. Most have oval or rounded abdomens, sometimes described as “peanut shaped.” Females build nonadhesive, unorganized, messy-looking cobwebs, usually in corners or crevices. Some species have darkened joints on their legs, giving them a “knobby-kneed” look. This movement turns them into a blur, rendering them practically invisible to potential predators. Other characteristics add to their camouflage: Their gray, tan, or whitish color, small body size, and remarkable habit of vibrating or bouncing rapidly in their webs when alarmed. The tarsi (feet) are flexible, adding to the wispy impression they give. If they do, it might feel a tiny pinch, but it’s not something that causes big problems. Can Long Bodied Cellar Spiders Bite They can bite, but it’s rare. They use it mainly to catch tiny bugs for food. However, it’s weak and not harmful to humans.
![why do long bodied cellar spiders shake why do long bodied cellar spiders shake](https://www.reconnectwithnature.org/getmedia/c5b8de25-2283-42d8-8168-3e21c6276d2c/CellarSpiderShutterstock.jpg)
Other characteristics add to their camouflage: Their gray, tan, or whitish color, small body size, and remarkable habit of “vibrating” or bouncing rapidly in their webs when alarmed. Cellar spiders are inconspicuous, harmless, fragile spiders with extremely long, thin legs. Are Long Bodied Cellar Spiders Venomous Yes, Long Bodied Cellar spiders have venom. The tarsi (“feet”) are flexible, adding to the wispy impression they give. Cellar spiders are inconspicuous, harmless, fragile spiders with extremely long, thin legs.