page_title: Scytodes thoracica
section_title: Hunting tactics
hierarchical_section_title: Scytodes thoracica / Hunting tactics
caption_attribution_description: Deutsch: Schematische Darstellung einer durch Speispinnenleim (Scytodes thoracica) fixierten Diptera. Nach: Der Kosmos Spinnenführer von Heiko Bellmann
context_page_description: Scytodes thoracica is a spitting spider, so called because it spits a venomous sticky silken substance over its prey. Its size ranges between 3–6 mm. The carapace is unusual in sloping upwards towards its rear end, whereas the abdomen slopes downwards.
  It has six eyes instead of the eight spiders usually have. It has a wide distribution: found in "Europe, North Africa, Turkey, temperate Asia to China, Korea, Japan. Introduced to North America, Argentina, India, Australia, New Zealand."
  This particular spitting spider features the presence of silk glands in its cephalothorax. Besides the silk glands in its abdomen, the spider also has silk glands connected with its venom glands. In this way the spider has the ability to make venomous silk. Other arachnids may also have silk glands in their cephalothorax, such as the pseudoscorpions.
context_section_description: In contrast to the pseudoscorpions that use the silk from the cephalothorax glands to make nests, the spitting spider uses it to catch prey in a very particular way. It is a very slow hunter as its long and tender legs may suggest. During night, when some insects are less active, Scytodes starts its hunt. The spider sneaks very carefully towards its prey and, from about 10 mm (0.39 in), stops and carefully measures the distance to its prey with one front leg without disturbing it. Then it squeezes the back of its body together and spits two silk threads, in 1/600 sec, in a zigzag manner over the victim. The prey is immediately immobilized. When the prey is larger the spider spits several times. It is assumed the spider uses special long hearing hairs located at its legs to locate its prey.
caption: Schematic illustration of an immobilised prey
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