Cheiracanthium inclusum (Hentz, 1847)
EOL Text
Mating season is assumed to be during the summer months, due to increasing populations observed during this time. After mating, females produce egg sacs within about 14 days, guarding the eggs and immature spiders for about 17 days, repeating this process multiple times during breeding season. Throughout develpment, yellow sac spiders undergo molting in order to grow, usually from within the protection of their silk sacs. These spiders overwinter as juveniles in the safety of these silk sacs, molting and achieving adulthood in late spring and emerging from the egg sac.
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| Rights holder/Author | ©1995-2013, The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors |
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There is no currently available information regarding the lifespan of yellow sac spiders.
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| Rights holder/Author | ©1995-2013, The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors |
| Source | http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Cheiracanthium_inclusum/ |
Males seek out females during breeding season (early summer) and up to 30% of males are killed and eaten by the females after breeding. Females typically mate only once but produce multiple egg sacs (as many as 5, each containing approximately 40 eggs) during June/July; they enclose themselves in the egg sac in order to defend the eggs/young.
Mating System: monogamous
Female yellow sac spiders desposit their eggs in loose silk sacs within their webs in June or July, roughly 14 days after mating. They then stay with their young for roughly 17 days. Males and females typically reach maturity at 119 days and 134 days respectively, though time until maturity varies from 65 to 273 days depending on environmental conditions (temperature, humidity, and day length).
Breeding interval: Breeding occurs once a year, with females depositing eggs 2-5 times during the breeding season.
Breeding season: Late spring to early summer.
Average gestation period: 14 days.
Average time to independence: 17 days.
Range age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female): 65 to 273 days.
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female): 119 days.
Range age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male): 65 to 273 days.
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male): 134 days.
Key Reproductive Features: iteroparous ; seasonal breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; fertilization (Internal ); oviparous
Females remain in the egg sac for 17 days on average to protect their eggs and young.
Parental Investment: precocial ; female parental care ; pre-hatching/birth (Protecting: Female); pre-independence (Protecting: Female)
- Barnes, J. 2003. "Arthropod Museum Notes: Agrarian Sac Spider" (On-line). Arthropod Museum, Dept. of Entomology, University of Arkansas. Accessed September 19, 2012 at http://www.uark.edu/ua/arthmuse/sacspider.html.
- Davis, R. 2008. "Yellow Sac Spiders" (On-line). Accessed March 25, 2012 at http://extension.usu.edu/files/publications/factsheet/yellow-sac-spiders08.pdf.
- Jacobs, Sr., S. 2006. "Commonly Encountered Pennsylvania Spiders." (On-line). Accessed March 25, 2012 at http://www.pestid.msu.edu/InsectsArthropods/YellowsacspidersCheiracanthiuminclusumandC/tabid/264/Default.aspx.
- Jones, S. 2004. Sac Spiders. Ohio State University Extension Factsheet, 2060A: 1-3.
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| Rights holder/Author | ©1995-2013, The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors |
| Source | http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Cheiracanthium_inclusum/ |
The following is a representative barcode sequence, the centroid of all available sequences for this species.
There are 4 barcode sequences available from BOLD and GenBank.
Below is a sequence of the barcode region Cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI or COX1) from a member of the species.
See the BOLD taxonomy browser for more complete information about this specimen and other sequences.
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Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 5
Specimens with Barcodes: 19
Species With Barcodes: 1
This species currently has no special conservation status.
US Federal List: no special status
CITES: no special status
State of Michigan List: no special status
| License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
| Rights holder/Author | ©1995-2013, The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors |
| Source | http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Cheiracanthium_inclusum/ |
The Yellow Sac Spider (Cheiracanthium inclusum) is small and pale beige to yellow, often with a tinge of green. A distinctive darker lance-shaped mark runs down the midline of the forward portion of the upper surface of the abdomen. The dark brown chelicerae are large, elongate, and powerful and stand out against the paler body. Body length is around 4.9 to 9.7 mm for females and 4.0 to 7.7 mm for males (Kaston 1978).
Yellow Sac Spiders are often found running about on low trees and shrubs, where they make silken tubular retreats in rolled up leaves. During the day, they typically stay hidden in these retreats, coming out at night to hunt. During the winter, they build their tubular retreats under stones and tree bark.
Yellow Sac Spiders are found throughout most of the United States, with the exception of the northern tier of states (Kaston 1978). Although it has often been stated that their bites pose a danger to humans, the bite is apparently no worse than a bee or wasp sting (Fasan et al. 2008; Vetter and Isbister 2008), although in at least some cases symptoms may be quite unpleasant (e.g., Papini 2012).
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| Rights holder/Author | Leo Shapiro, Leo Shapiro |
| Source | No source database. |
Rounded Global Status Rank: GNR - Not Yet Ranked
Yellow sac spiders (sometimes known as agrarian sac spiders) are found throughout North and South America, including Mexico and the West Indies, United States, and southern Canada. There are also accounts of yellow sac spiders being found in Africa, which indicates that it may be an introduced species to that continent.
Biogeographic Regions: nearctic (Introduced ); ethiopian (Introduced )
- Barnes, J. 2003. "Arthropod Museum Notes: Agrarian Sac Spider" (On-line). Arthropod Museum, Dept. of Entomology, University of Arkansas. Accessed September 19, 2012 at http://www.uark.edu/ua/arthmuse/sacspider.html.
- Hogg, B., R. Gillespie, K. Daane. 2010. Regional patterns in the invasion success of Cheiracanthium spiders (Miturgidae) in vineyard ecosystems. Biological Invasions, 12/8: 2499-2508. Accessed February 08, 2012 at http://apps.webofknowledge.com.proxy.lib.umich.edu/full_record.do?product=BIOSIS&search_mode=GeneralSearch&qid=1&SID=2DKiHBFanE5MA7g8Hpm&page=1&doc=2.
- Jacobs, Sr., S. 2006. "Commonly Encountered Pennsylvania Spiders." (On-line). Accessed March 25, 2012 at http://www.pestid.msu.edu/InsectsArthropods/YellowsacspidersCheiracanthiuminclusumandC/tabid/264/Default.aspx.
- Jones, S. 2004. Sac Spiders. Ohio State University Extension Factsheet, 2060A: 1-3.
| License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
| Rights holder/Author | ©1995-2013, The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors |
| Source | http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Cheiracanthium_inclusum/ |