Cheiracanthium
Cheiracanthium, commonly called yellow sac spiders, is a genus of araneomorph spiders in the family Cheiracanthiidae, and was first described by Carl Ludwig Koch in 1839.
Distribution
Cheiracanthium is primarily an Old World genus, with many species found from northern Europe to Japan, from Southern Africa to India and Australia. The only known species in the New World are C. inclusum and C. mildei. While the former also occurs in Africa and Réunion, the latter is found in the Holarctic region and Argentina. They can also be found in the lower mainland of British Columbia, Canada.The genus is quite diverse in Africa and at least three or four species are known to occur in Egyptian cotton fields alone.
Description
They are usually pale in colour, and have an abdomen that can range from yellow to beige. Both sexes range in size from.They are unique among common house spiders because their tarsi do not point either outward, like members of Tegenaria, or inward, like members of Araneus, making them easier to identify.
Misconceptions
A theory that these spiders were attracted to the smell of gasoline was involved in a series of consumer vehicle callbacks in which spiderwebs had blocked fuel lines, but it has since been disproven by a study which found that the juvenile yellow sac spiders were attracted to the hose material itself.Venom
Though they are beneficial predators in agricultural fields, they are also known to be mildly venomous to humans. Painful bites may be incurred from species such as C. punctorium in Europe, C. mildei in Europe and North America, C. inclusum in the Americas, C. lawrencei in South Africa and C. japonicum in Japan. Cheiracanthium venom is purportedly necrotic, and can cause pain, swelling, and lesions in humans, but the necrotic nature and severity of its bite has been disputed. A study of twenty confirmed Cheiracanthium bites in the United States and Australia found that none resulted in necrosis, and a review of the international literature on 39 verified Cheiracanthium bites found only one case of mild necrosis in the European species C. punctorium.Species
, the World Spider Catalog accepts 231 species, found in the Caribbean, South America, Oceania, Europe, Central America, Africa, Asia, North America, and on Saint Helena:These are species with articles on Wikipedia:Cheiracanthium abbreviatum Simon, 1878 – France, DenmarkCheiracanthium aculeatum Simon, 1884 – Ivory Coast, Sudan, Somalia, Zambia, Namibia, Zimbabwe, South AfricaCheiracanthium africanum Lessert, 1921 – Africa, Madagascar, RéunionCheiracanthium angolense Lotz, 2007 – Angola, Zimbabwe, South AfricaCheiracanthium angulitarse Simon, 1878 – Spain, France, Italy, Malta, Hungary, RomaniaCheiracanthium annulipes O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1872 – Canary Islands, Portugal, Spain, Tunisia, Egypt, IsraelCheiracanthium antungense Chen & Huang, 2012 – TaiwanCheiracanthium campestre Lohmander, 1944 – Sweden, Denmark, Central Europe, Italy, Romania, Ukraine, Russia Cheiracanthium dippenaarae Lotz, 2007 – South AfricaCheiracanthium effossum Herman, 1879 – Central to eastern EuropeCheiracanthium elegans Thorell, 1875 – Europe, Turkey, Caucasus, Russia, Kazakhstan, Iran, Central AsiaCheiracanthium erraticum – Azores, Europe, Turkey, Caucasus, Russia, Iran, Central Asia, China, Korea, JapanCheiracanthium eutittha Bösenberg & Strand, 1906 – Taiwan, Japan, Korea?Cheiracanthium falcatum Chen, Huang, Chen & Wang, 2006 – TaiwanCheiracanthium filiapophysium Chen & Huang, 2012 – TaiwanCheiracanthium foordi Lotz, 2015 – South AfricaCheiracanthium fulvotestaceum Simon, 1878 – FranceCheiracanthium furculatum Karsch, 1879 – Cape Verde, Africa, Madagascar, ComorosCheiracanthium gratum Kulczyński, 1897 – Germany, Hungary, Ukraine, Russia, KazakhstanCheiracanthium ienisteai Sterghiu, 1985 – Romania, AlbaniaCheiracanthium incertum O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1869 – Sri LankaCheiracanthium inclusum – North America, Central America, Caribbean, South America. Introduced to RéunionCheiracanthium indicum O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1874 – India, Sri LankaCheiracanthium insigne O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1874 – India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, China, TaiwanCheiracanthium insulanum – Indonesia Cheiracanthium insulare L. Koch, 1866 – SamoaCheiracanthium insulare – Madagascar, RéunionCheiracanthium margaritae Sterghiu, 1985 – RomaniaCheiracanthium mildei L. Koch, 1864 – Azores, Europe, North Africa, Turkey, Middle East, Caucasus, Russia,. Introduced to North America, ArgentinaCheiracanthium minshullae Lotz, 2007 – Zimbabwe, Botswana, South AfricaCheiracanthium occidentale L. Koch, 1882 – Spain, ItalyCheiracanthium oncognathum Thorell, 1871 – EuropeCheiracanthium pennatum Simon, 1878 – Southern Europe, RomaniaCheiracanthium punctorium – Europe, Turkey, Caucasus, Russia, Iran, Central Asia Cheiracanthium salsicola Simon, 1932 – FranceCheiracanthium schenkeli Caporiacco, 1949 – Kenya, Rwanda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, South AfricaCheiracanthium shiluvanense Lotz, 2007 – South AfricaCheiracanthium taiwanicum Chen, Huang, Chen & Wang, 2006 – China, TaiwanCheiracanthium taprobanense Strand, 1907 – Sri LankaCheiracanthium torsivum Chen & Huang, 2012 – TaiwanCheiracanthium vansoni Lawrence, 1936 – Tanzania, Zambia, Namibia, Botswana, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, South AfricaC. abbreviatum Simon, 1878 – France, DenmarkC. aculeatum Simon, 1884 – Ivory Coast, Sudan, Somalia, Zambia, Namibia, Zimbabwe, South AfricaC. aden Lotz, 2007 – YemenC. adjacens O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1885 – PakistanC. adjacensoides Song, Chen & Hou, 1990 – India, China, Taiwan, PhilippinesC. africanum Lessert, 1921 – Africa, Madagascar, RéunionC. aizwalense B. Biswas & K. Biswas, 2007 – IndiaC. aladanense Lotz, 2007 – YemenC. albidulum – MadeiraC. ambrense Lotz, 2014 – MadagascarC. ampijoroa Lotz, 2014 – MadagascarC. andamanense – India C. andranomay Lotz, 2014 – MadagascarC. angolense Lotz, 2007 – Angola, Zimbabwe, South AfricaC. angulitarse Simon, 1878 – Spain, France, Italy, Malta, Hungary, RomaniaC. anjozorobe Lotz, 2014 – MadagascarC. annulipes O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1872 – Canary Islands, Portugal, Spain, Tunisia, Egypt, IsraelC. antungense Chen & Huang, 2012 – TaiwanC. apia Platnick, 1998 – SamoaC. approximatum O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1885 – Pakistan, India, Myanmar, Laos to China, Taiwan, PhilippinesC. arcilongum Li & Zhang, 2023 – ChinaC. ashleyi Lotz, 2014 – MadagascarC. auenati Caporiacco, 1936 – LibyaC. auriculatum J. S. Zhang, G. R. Zhang & Yu, 2018 – ChinaC. bannaensis Li & Zhang, 2024 – ChinaC. bantaengi Merian, 1911 – Indonesia C. barbarum – AlgeriaC. bawanglingense Li & Zhang, 2024 – China C. bifurcatum Li & Zhang, 2024 – ChinaC. boendense Lotz, 2015 – DR CongoC. brevicalcaratum L. Koch, 1873 – Indonesia, Australia C. brevidens Kroneberg, 1875 – Central AsiaC. brevispinum Song, Feng & Shang, 1982 – Mongolia, China, KoreaC. buri Esyunin & Efimik, 2021 – Russia C. campestre Lohmander, 1944 – Sweden, Denmark, Central Europe, Italy, Romania, Ukraine, Russia C. canariense Wunderlich, 1987 – Canary Islands, Turkey, EgyptC. catindigae Barrion & Litsinger, 1995 – PhilippinesC. caudatum – MyanmarC. chayuense Li & Zhang, 2019 – ChinaC. circulum Li & Zhang, 2023 – ChinaC. conflexum Simon, 1906 – IndiaC. conspersum – India C. crucigerum Rainbow, 1920 – Australia C. danieli Tikader, 1975 – IndiaC. daofeng Yu & Li, 2020 – ChinaC. daquilium Barrion & Litsinger, 1995 – Indonesia, PhilippinesC. debile Simon, 1890 – Chad, YemenC. denisi Caporiacco, 1939 – Ethiopia, CongoC. digitatum Li & Zhang, 2023 – ChinaC. dippenaarae Lotz, 2007 – South AfricaC. duanbi Yu & Li, 2020 – ChinaC. echinulatum J. S. Zhang, G. R. Zhang & Yu, 2018 – ChinaC. effossum Herman, 1879 – Central to eastern EuropeC. elegans Thorell, 1875 – Europe, Turkey, Caucasus, Russia, Kazakhstan, Iran, Central AsiaC. equestre O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1874 – Libya, EgyptC. erraticum – Azores, Europe, Turkey, Caucasus, Russia, Iran, Central Asia, China, Korea, JapanC. eutittha Bösenberg & Strand, 1906 – Taiwan, Japan, Korea?C. excavatum Rainbow, 1920 – Australia C. exilipes – AlgeriaC. exquestitum Zhang & Zhu, 1993 – ChinaC. falcatum Chen, Huang, Chen & Wang, 2006 – TaiwanC. falcis Lotz, 2015 – GabonC. festae Pavesi, 1895 – IsraelC. fibrosum Zhang, Hu & Zhu, 1994 – ChinaC. filiapophysium Chen & Huang, 2012 – TaiwanC. fisheri Lotz, 2014 – MadagascarC. floresense Wunderlich, 2008 – AzoresC. foordi Lotz, 2015 – South AfricaC. foulpointense Lotz, 2014 – MadagascarC. fujianense Gong, 1983 – ChinaC. fulvotestaceum Simon, 1878 – FranceC. furax L. Koch, 1873 – SamoaC. furculatum Karsch, 1879 – Cape Verde, Africa, Madagascar, ComorosC. ghanaense Lotz, 2015 – GhanaC. gobi Schmidt & Barensteiner, 2000 – ChinaC. gou Yu & Li, 2020 – ChinaC. gracile L. Koch, 1873 – Australia C. gratum Kulczyński, 1897 – Germany, Hungary, Ukraine, Russia, KazakhstanC. griswoldi Lotz, 2014 – MadagascarC. hainanense – China C. halophilum Schmidt & Piepho, 1994 – Cape VerdeC. haroniense Lotz, 2007 – ZimbabweC. himalayense Gravely, 1931 – IndiaC. hypocyrtum Zhang & Zhu, 1993 – ChinaC. ienisteai Sterghiu, 1985 – Romania, AlbaniaC. ilicis Morano & Bonal, 2016 – SpainC. impressum Thorell, 1881 – Australia C. incertum O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1869 – Sri LankaC. inclusum – North America, Central America, Caribbean, South America. Introduced to RéunionC. incomptum – India C. indicum O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1874 – India, Sri LankaC. inflatum Wang & Zhang, 2013 – ChinaC. inornatum O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1874 – IndiaC. insigne O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1874 – India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, China, TaiwanC. insulanum – Indonesia C. insulare L. Koch, 1866 – SamoaC. insulare – Madagascar, RéunionC. iranicum Esyunin & Zamani, 2020 – Iran, IndiaC. isiacum O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1874 – Libya, EgyptC. itakeum Barrion & Litsinger, 1995 – PhilippinesC. jabalpurense Majumder & Tikader, 1991 – IndiaC. japonicum Bösenberg & Strand, 1906 – Russia, Mongolia, China, Korea, JapanC. jiuquan Li & Zhang, 2023 – ChinaC. jocquei Lotz, 2014 – Comoros, MadagascarC. joculare Simon, 1909 – São Tomé and PríncipeC. jorgeense Wunderlich, 2008 – AzoresC. jovium Denis, 1947 – EgyptC. kabalense Lotz, 2015 – UgandaC. kakamega Lotz, 2015 – KenyaC. kakumense Lotz, 2015 – Ivory Coast, Ghana, CongoC. kashmirense Majumder & Tikader, 1991 – IndiaC. kazachstanicum Ponomarev, 2007 – KazakhstanC. kenyaense Lotz, 2007 – AfricaC. kibonotense Lessert, 1921 – Ethiopia, DR Congo, Kenya, Tanzania, UgandaC. klabati Merian, 1911 – Indonesia C. knipperi Lotz, 2011 – TanzaniaC. kupense Lotz, 2007 – CameroonC. lanceolatum Chrysanthus, 1967 – Indonesia C. lascivum Karsch, 1879 – Russia, China, Korea, JapanC. leucophaeum Simon, 1897 – MadagascarC. ligawsolanum Barrion & Litsinger, 1995 – PhilippinesC. liplikeum Barrion & Litsinger, 1995 – PhilippinesC. liuyangense Xie, Yin, Yan & Kim, 1996 – ChinaC. lompobattangi Merian, 1911 – Indonesia C. longipes – Indonesia C. ludovici Lessert, 1921 – DR Congo, Kenya, Tanzania, MadagascarC. lukiense Lotz, 2015 – CongoC. madagascarense Lotz, 2014 – Comoros, MadagascarC. mahajanga Lotz, 2014 – MadagascarC. malkini Lotz, 2007 – NigeriaC. mangiferae Workman, 1896 – SingaporeC. maraisi Lotz, 2007 – Namibia, BotswanaC. margaritae Sterghiu, 1985 – RomaniaC. marplesi Chrysanthus, 1967 – Indonesia C. mayombense Lotz, 2015 – CongoC. melanostomum – India, Bangladesh, MyanmarC. mertoni Strand, 1911 – Indonesia C. mildei L. Koch, 1864 – Azores, Europe, North Africa, Turkey, Middle East, Caucasus, Russia,. Introduced to North America, ArgentinaC. minahassae Merian, 1911 – Indonesia C. minshullae Lotz, 2007 – Zimbabwe, Botswana, South AfricaC. minusculum Zamani & Marusik, 2025 – IranC. minutum Baba & Tanikawa, 2024 – Japan C. molle L. Koch, 1875 – Africa, Saudi ArabiaC. mondrainense Main, 1954 – Australia C. mongolicum Schenkel, 1963 – MongoliaC. monstrum Zamani & Marusik, 2025 – IranC. montanum L. Koch, 1877 – Europe, Turkey, Caucasus, Iraq, IranC. mordax L. Koch, 1866 – Japan, Australia, New Hebrides, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga? French Polynesia?C. murinum – India, MyanmarC. mysorense Majumder & Tikader, 1991 – India, BangladeshC. nalsaroverense B. H. Patel & H. K. Patel, 1973 – IndiaC. nervosum Simon, 1909 – Australia C. nickeli Lotz, 2011 – MauritaniaC. occidentale L. Koch, 1882 – Spain, ItalyC. olliforme Zhang & Zhu, 1993 – ChinaC. oncognathum Thorell, 1871 – EuropeC. pauriense Majumder & Tikader, 1991 – IndiaC. pelasgicum – Mediterranean, Eastern Europe, Caucasus, Russia, C. pennatum Simon, 1878 – Southern Europe, RomaniaC. pennuliferum Simon, 1909 – Australia C. pennyi O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1873 – Europe, Turkey, Caucasus, Russia, Iran, Central Asia, ChinaC. peregrinum Thorell, 1899 – Ivory Coast, Nigeria, CameroonC. pichoni Schenkel, 1963 – ChinaC. poonaense Majumder & Tikader, 1991 – IndiaC. potanini Schenkel, 1963 – ChinaC. punctipedellum Caporiacco, 1949 – DR Congo, Rwanda, KenyaC. punctorium – Europe, Turkey, Caucasus, Russia, Iran, Central Asia C. punjabense Sadana & Bajaj, 1980 – IndiaC. ransoni Lotz, 2014 – MadagascarC. rehobothense Strand, 1915 – IsraelC. rothi Lotz, 2014 – MadagascarC. ruandana – RwandaC. rupicola – Myanmar, China, IndonesiaC. russellsmithi Lotz, 2007 – EthiopiaC. rwandense Lotz, 2011 – RwandaC. saccharanalis Mukhtar, 2015 – PakistanC. sadanai Tikader, 1976 – IndiaC. sakoemicum Roewer, 1938 – New GuineaC. salsicola Simon, 1932 – FranceC. sambii Patel & Reddy, 1991 – IndiaC. sansibaricum Strand, 1907 – Ivory Coast to ZanzibarC. saraswatii Tikader, 1962 – IndiaC. schenkeli Caporiacco, 1949 – Kenya, Rwanda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, South AfricaC. seidlitzi L. Koch, 1864 – Mediterranean to Central AsiaC. seshii Patel & Reddy, 1991 – IndiaC. shilabira Lotz, 2015 – Congo, KenyaC. shiluvanense Lotz, 2007 – South AfricaC. sikkimense Majumder & Tikader, 1991 – India, BangladeshC. silaceum Rainbow, 1897 – Australia C. simaoense Zhang & Yin, 1999 – ChinaC. simplex Thorell, 1899 – Cameroon, NigeriaC. sistani Zamani & Marusik, 2025 – IranC. siwi El-Hennawy, 2001 – EgyptC. solidum Zhang, Zhu & Hu, 1993 – ChinaC. soputani Merian, 1911 – Indonesia C. spectabile – MyanmarC. sphaericum Zhang, Zhu & Hu, 1993 – ChinaC. stratioticum L. Koch, 1873 – Australia, New ZealandC. streblowi L. Koch, 1879 – Russia C. subinsulanum Li & Zhang, 2019 – ChinaC. submordax Zhang, Zhu & Hu, 1993 – China, Taiwan, JapanC. taegense Paik, 1990 – China, Korea, JapanC. tagorei Biswas & Raychaudhuri, 2003 – BangladeshC. taiwanicum Chen, Huang, Chen & Wang, 2006 – China, TaiwanC. tanmoyi Biswas & Roy, 2005 – IndiaC. tanzanense Lotz, 2015 – TanzaniaC. taprobanense Strand, 1907 – Sri LankaC. tenue L. Koch, 1873 – Australia C. tetragnathoide Caporiacco, 1949 – KenyaC. tigbauanense Barrion & Litsinger, 1995 – PhilippinesC. torricellianum Strand, 1911 – New GuineaC. torsivum Chen & Huang, 2012 – TaiwanC. triviale – India, MyanmarC. trivittatum Simon, 1906 – IndiaC. truncatum – MyanmarC. turanicum Kroneberg, 1875 – Uzbekistan, TajikistanC. turiae Strand, 1917 – Thailand to Australia C. uncinatum Paik, 1985 – China, KoreaC. unicum Bösenberg & Strand, 1906 – Korea, Japan, China, LaosC. vankhedei Marusik & Fomichev, 2016 – MongoliaC. vansoni Lawrence, 1936 – Tanzania, Zambia, Namibia, Botswana, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, South AfricaC. verdense Lotz, 2011 – Cape VerdeC. virescens – Europe, Caucasus, Russia, Iran, ChinaC. vorax O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1874 – IndiaC. warsai Mukhtar, 2015 – PakistanC. wiehlei Chrysanthus, 1967 – Indonesia C. wilma – St. HelenaC. wuquan Yu & Li, 2020 – ChinaC. xinjiangense Li & Zhang, 2023 – ChinaC. zebrinum Savelyeva, 1972 – Russia, KazakhstanC. zhejiangense Hu & Song, 1982 – China, Korea