Pholcus phalangioides
About
The Long-bodied Cellar Spider (German: Zitterspinne / "Shivering/shaking spider" for their habit of going absolutely insane into spinning when being touched) is most likely the most common house spider in Germany and at home in houses and apartments in many parts of the world. 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 for other spiders at night. While their own body is a maximum of 10mm long (that's a really big female specimen), 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 will often survive being swept away with a conventional broom by getting on it or hiding in the bristles, but 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 an empty bathtub or sink in the morning. The reason for that is that their feet do not have the sticky quality most other spiders' feet have to them. They get into a sink or bathtub to drink water or hunt for tiny insects that are attracted by the 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 or 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. However, the myth that these spiders are only around in clean rooms is untrue. They don't care if you vaccuum your carpet or sort through your things, they just keep some insects like fruit flies at bay. If you leave fruit or veggies to rot and attract flies, they might even build a small net right next to that source of food. In rooms their net might span the whole ceiling. It's more of a network of connected single strings. Once they collect dust they become visible as dirty cobwebs you may want to remove.
"Hausspinnen weltweit" (ISBN-10: 3662688492) recommends them for keeping in a small terrarium for everyone wanting to observe a native (to Europe) common house spider because they are very content with small spaces and even mate under observation. They will feed on any kind of insect, even ants, pillbugs and other "hard to catch" species and spiders up to the size of Eratigena atrica.
Sam says
While most spiders really don't want to interact with humans, you'd think that a house spider that has been living with you, hanging out around you all day and night, creeping on your bed while you sleep and all, would react better to humans. The few times I had to rescue one of those spiders however, I can confirm, they were more scared of my hand than any other species that has met said hand before. Scooping them up to help them out of the bathtub sends them into absolute panic (but they only shiver/spin when in their net). These long legs are not nice to the touch. Once they are out of danger, e.g. out of the bathtub, they usually let themselves drop to the ground and flee into the next corner immediately. No way, any of them would ever attack a human, not your finger, not your face. Just ignore them.
