Cheiracanthium furculatum
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Common House Sac Spider | |
|---|---|
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| Female | |
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| Female | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Cheiracanthiidae |
| Genus: | Cheiracanthium |
| Species: | C. furculatum |
| Binomial name | |
| Cheiracanthium furculatum Karsch, 1879 | |
| Synonyms | |
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Cheiracanthium furculatum is a species of spider in the family Cheiracanthiidae, commonly known as the Common House Sac Spider.[1] It is an African endemic that has been introduced to Belgium.[2]
C. furculatum is widely found throughout Africa, Madagascar and Comoro Islands. In South Africa, it occurs in all nine provinces in more than 10 protected areas, at elevations from 3-1752 m above sea level.[2]
Habitat
This very common species has been sampled from all biomes except Succulent Karoo. It occurs in vegetation, houses, gardens, grasslands, cultivated crops, shrubs, and trees.[2]
Description
female
female
female
The species displays characteristic cream-yellow body coloration with blackish-brown chelicerae and eye region typical of Cheiracanthium. It constructs sac-like retreats in vegetation, particularly in rolled-up leaves.[2]
Ecology and behavior
C. furculatum is an aggressive predator that kills prey it encounters, though it may not always feed on them. Four types of retreats are constructed: resting, mating, breeding, and hibernating.[2]
Agricultural importance
This species is highly significant in South African agriculture, recorded from avocado, citrus, cotton, lucerne, macadamia, maize, mango, pecans, pistachio, potatoes, strawberries, tomatoes, and vineyards. In citrus orchards, individuals can kill up to 29.3 citrus mites per spider per day.[2]
Economic impact
While beneficial in vineyards, these spiders can become trapped in table grape containers during export. They can survive long periods at low temperatures and may escape when containers are opened in recipient countries.[2]
