About Scytodes pallida Doleschall, 1859
This description of Scytodes pallida is based on Doleschall's original 1859 description. S. pallida is a pale yellowish spider with a highly arched thorax. Its abdomen is marked with very fine black stripes; the ventral surface and legs are yellowish, and the legs have fine black rings. The species reaches approximately 2 inches in total length. The thorax is particularly high across its posterior half, and all six eyes are equal in size. Two parallel, very fine black stripes run down the middle of the back, with additional oblique stripes running from the outside toward the inside. The abdomen is round; the front half of the abdomen has 5 to 6 black longitudinal stripes, along with some transverse stripes. The legs are very thin, much longer than the body, and follow a leg order of 1.4.2.3. The legs appear pale yellowish, with barely visible zigzag black rings. S. pallida has been recorded in India, China, the Philippines, and Indonesia, which includes the Moluccas and New Guinea. This species appears to have a broad distribution across tropical regions of Asia and the western Pacific. It was originally discovered on Ambon Island (called Amboina at the time) living on flowering low shrubs. The species moves very slowly. It produces round egg sacs that hold approximately 30 eggs. Young spiders emerge from these eggs after 8 days, and remain gathered around their mother's spinnerets for several days after hatching.
