Pholcus phalangioides
About
The Long-bodied Cellar Spider (German: "Shivering spider" for their habit of going absolutely insane spinning when being touched) is most likely the most common house spider in Germany. These spiders are seen sitting in corners, usually near the ceiling, during daytime. There is not a single apartment that doesn't have any. They feed on any kind of insect they can get their fangs in but also actively hunt at night for other spiders. While their own body is a maximum of 10mm long (that's a really big female spider), they will hunt for any kind of spider, no matter how large, and more often than not win that fight.
One reason people growing up in Germany do not like spiders might be because most of the time their first contact with spiders is this one. Their extremely long legs and the disturbing shivering/spinning action when they are scared make them unattractive to interact with. However, they are absolutely harmless and will die from the tiniest action against them. They might survive being swept away with a conventional broom, being crushed by any other appliance will get them killed. People like to vaccuum them up which also rips them apart instantly. The urban myth that spiders sometimes come back out of vaccuum cleaners is just that, a myth.
Another thing that greatly disturbs humans about the Long-bodied Cellar Spider is that they sometimes sit in the empty bathtub or sink in the morning. The reason for that is because their feet do not have the sticky quality a lot of other spiders' feet have to them. They get into the sink or bathtub to drink or hunt for tiny insects that are attracted by water and notice too late, that they can't get out on their own. So it really isn't their fault. If you offer them a stick, broom or anything they can recognize as a climbing opportunity, they will leave you alone as soon as they feel safe to climb on that tool. They don't want to be in your bathtub. Help them leave.
Long-bodied Cellar Spiders are typical house spiders. They have been living in human buildings for most likely thousands of years and don't survive outside. The climate of a regular basement of livingroom is ideal to them. They might switch rooms if it gets too dry for them but they are very well adjusted to temperatures, humans thrive in, too.
"..." mentions that Pholcus phalangioides has a peculiar way of mating.
