Summary details for Long-legged cellar spider (Psilochorus simoni)

Species Details

Species name: Psilochorus simoni
Common name: Long-legged cellar spider
Synonym: Physocyclus simoni
Taxonomy: Animalia :: Araneae :: Pholcidae

Distribution

The species is widespread but very scattered in Britain. The species is widespread in western Europe.

Habitat and ecology

Most early records were from dry wine cellars, but it is now recorded in other indoor situations (Merrett 1979), usually found close to floor level. The female hangs upside down in a tangled sheet web and gyrates very rapidly if disturbed. She carries the bundle of eggs in her chelicerae, loosely surrounded by silk threads, until they hatch. Adults may be found at all seasons and in Europe it has been observed that males may live for two years and females for three to four years (Bristowe 1958).

Status

This species is found infrequently in England and Wales, and there are few records from Scotland. It is thought to be of American origin, imported first into France and then into Britain on wine bottles. Original author of profile: D.R. Nellist Text based on Harvey, P.R., Nellist, D.R. & Telfer, M.G. (eds) 2002. Provisional atlas of British spiders (Arachnida, Araneae), Volumes 1 & 2. Huntingdon: Biological Records Centre.

Stats

First recorded: 1928
Last recorded: 2025
Total records: 101
Total visits: 97

Conservation status

Psilochorus simoni

Source	Reporting category	Designation	Date designated	Comments
A Review of the scarce and threatened spiders (Araneae) of Great Britain: Species Status No. 22 (Sep 2017)	Red listing based on 2001 IUCN guidelines	Least concern	42979	A synanthropic species.

Photos and media

Spatial distribution - hectad map

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Thresholds:

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Temporal distribution - records by year

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