Spiders of North Carolina

Arachnids of North Carolina

Order:
Scientific Name: Common Name:		Family (Alpha):

Odiellus pictus - No Common Name Phalangiidae Members:			NC Records	BugGuide Account	Public View

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Distribution Records
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Vetting Levels

Adult phenology:
High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft.
Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft.
Piedmont (Pd)
Coastal Plain (CP)

Click on graph to enlarge

synonym

taxonomic_comments

One of three species in this genus that occurs in North America (Cokendolpher and Holmberg, 2018), two of which have been recorded in North Carolina

species_comment

id_comments

Both species of Odiellus are easily identified by the trident of spines at the forward margin of the cephalothorax (see Structural Features below). Odiellus pictus is a lighter brown than O. nubivagus, with the cephalothorax in particular not blackish and strongly contrasting. A brown central figure is present on the abdomen, especially in the males, but often obscure in females; the bordering areas are somewhat silvery (Cokendolpher and Holmberg, 2018). The femur of leg II is tan with brown blotches and a terminal ring of brown; in O. nubivagus, the terminal ring on this leg is absent (Cokendolpher and Holmberg).

total_length

5–6.5 mm (Shultz, 2018)

structural_features

As in Odiellus nubivagus, a trident of spines is present in front of the ocular tubercle at the forward edge of the cephalothorax. Crosby and Bishop (1924) describe and illustrate several differences in the spines and processes on the chelicerae and palps that distinguish nubivagus from pictus.

silk_web

fld_guide_descriptions

online_photos

BugGuide

prey

predators

behavior

distribution_reference

Crosby and Bishop (1924)

technical_reference

Crosby and Bishop (1924); Shultz (2018); Cokendolpher and Holmberg (2018)

adult_id

1 identifiable by photo 2 identifiable by photo of specific features and/or supplementary info 3 identifiable from specimen only

abundance

This species turns up on a regular basis in leaf litter samples

distribution_comments

Our records come mainly from the mountains, where they have been found across the entire range, from north to south. One other record record was made in the northern part of the Outer Coastal Plain but we are not sure that it represents the same species

checklist_mt_high
>=4,000 ft.

Regular	Frequent	Infrequent	Occasional	Seldom	Frequency Regular – almost always observed on given visit; >=90% chance of observation Frequent – usually observed on a given visit; >=50%<90% chance of observation Infrequent – observed less than 50% of visits; >=25%<50% chance of observation Occasional – observed on only on a small minority of visits; >=10%<25% chance of observation Seldom – not usually seen on visits; <10% chance of observation These terms refer to visits to appropriate habitats made at appropriate times of the year, making use of common sampling/observation methods. Under those conditions, Frequency refers to the chance of observing at least one individual on a given visit made anywhere within a particular region, or over multiple visits to a single site.

checklist_mt_low
<4,000 ft.

Regular	Frequent	Infrequent	Occasional	Seldom

checklist_pd
Piedmont

Regular	Frequent	Infrequent	Occasional	Seldom

checklist_cp
Coastal Plain

Regular	Frequent	Infrequent	Occasional	Seldom

habitat

Our records come from the Spruce-Fir zone at the tops of Grandfather, Roan Mountains, and Mt. Mitchell and probably from Northern Hardwood Forest on the lower slopes of Roan Mountain. Recent records come from Cove Forest in Ashe and Macon Counties. Our one Coastal Plain record comes from Pond Pine Woodlands at the edge of a large natural lake.

observation_methods

Frequently collected by sifting leaf litter. Also observed on the surface of the leaf litter and tree trunks (Shultz, 2018)

state_protection

Arachnids are not protected under state law, although permits are needed to collect them in State Parks and other public and private nature preserves

NHP_ranks

[GNR] S3S4

NHP_status

status_comments

This is a primarily northern species, with the records from North Carolina the farthest south in the Blue Ridge and along the coast (it occurs still farther south west of the mountains, with one record from Summerville, Georgia -- Bishop, 1949). More surveys are needed to better document its range, habitat associations, abundance, and population trends in North Carolina.

Photo Gallery for Odiellus pictus No common name
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger, Jim Petranka, and Becky Elkin Mitchell Co. Comment: Sweep net, being sloshed around in it, was hard on their legs.	Recorded by: Mark Basinger, Jim Petranka, and Becky Elkin Mitchell Co. Comment: Sweep net, being sloshed around in it, was hard on their legs.
	Recorded by: Carol Tingley Ashe Co. Comment: Tall herb layer	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Avery Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Carol Tingley Avery Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Carol Tingley Transylvania Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Carol Tingley Jackson Co. Comment: leaf litter	Recorded by: Vin Stanton Buncombe Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Carol Tingley Avery Co. Comment: leaf litter	Recorded by: Carol Tingley Avery Co. Comment: leaf litter
	Recorded by: Steve Hall Yancey Co. Comment: Collected by sifting duff under spruce-fir forest	Recorded by: Carol Tingley Macon Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Steve Hall Ashe Co. Comment: Two immatures collected sifting leaf litter under mesic hardwood canopy	Recorded by: Steve Hall Ashe Co. Comment: Two immatures collected sifting leaf litter under mesic hardwood canopy
	Recorded by: Carol Tingley Washington Co. Comment: Immature found near the water line of the lake in moss and litter	Recorded by: Carol Tingley Washington Co. Comment: Immature found near the water line of the lake in moss and litter
	Recorded by: Carol Tingley Washington Co. Comment: Immature found near the water line of the lake in moss and litter

Photo Gallery for Odiellus pictus No common name