Sac Spiders like to hide in piles of laundry, desperately biting their way out if they get crushed.
When it comes to catching prey, Sac Spiders are predatory hunters, not web weavers. They may appear tan, brown, yellow, or even slightly green. Pale legs have dark feet. The abdomen has a short dark line in the center of it. This type of spider is a fast runner and it uses spider silk to weave tent-like sacs between leaves or on tree trunks for retreats. Only 8 native species inhabit North America.
Sac Spiders are known to deliver painful bites to humans. Though not naturally aggressive, if threatened it will bite defensively. This usually happens inside of homes or buildings when people surprise a hiding spider. Because it wanders for food, it sometimes seeks rest in a pile of clothes usually left on the floor. When someone finally picks up and moves the pile, the spider may feel like it is getting crushed and rushes out, biting whatever appears to be trying to kill it. The Sac Spider may get trapped inside a piece of clothing that is chosen for wear and bite to escape confinement between the person's skin and the clothes. Bites take some time to heal and may remain tender for days, but Sac Spiders do not have lethal poison in their venom. If a victim frequently scratches or touches the bite wound, it can get infected adding to the time it takes to fully recover.
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Arthropoda
Class:Arachnida
Order:Araneae
Family:Corinnidae
Genus:Trachelas
Species:spp.
Identifying Information
Scientific Name: Trachelas spp.
Category:
Spider
Size (Adult; Length): 5mm to 8mm (0.20in to 0.31in)
Note: An insect's reach is not limited by lines drawn on a map and therefore species may appear in areas, regions and/or states beyond those listed above as they are driven by environmental factors (such as climate change), available food supplies and mating patterns. Grayed-out selections indicate that the subject in question has not been reported in that particular territory. U.S. states and Canadian provinces / territories are clickable to their respective bug listings.
Spider Anatomy
1
Legs: Spiders have four pairs of legs and these are attached to the cephalothorax.
2
Pedipalps: Small appendages near the mouth used as taste and smell organs.
3
Cephalothorax: Contains eyes, head, mouthparts, and legs.
4
Abdomen: Contains various organs related to digestion, reproduction, and web-making.
5
Spinnerets: Used in the production of spider silk for fashioning webs or catching prey.
NOTE: Unlike insects, spiders have both an endoskeleton (internal) and exoskeleton (external).
Colors: red; brown; tan; green; yellow
