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spitting spider
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Spitting spider
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Spitting spider
Spitting spider A common spitting spider (Scytodes thoracica).

spitting spider

arachnid
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Also known as: Scytodidae
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Scytodes thoracica
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spitting spider, any member of the family Scytodidae (order Araneida). Most species have six pearly-white eyes rather than the usual eight. Equipped with silk glands connected with their venom glands, spitting spiders ensnare their prey by spitting a venomous, mucilaginous silk. They also have silk glands on their abdomens like most other spiders. They are most common in shady spots in the tropics. 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.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Melissa Petruzzello.