Bug FAQChilean Tiger Spider
Scytodes globula · Order: Araneae · Family: Scytodidae
Adults range from about 30 mm to 70 mm, with a tiny body and legs three to four times longer. They live mainly inside houses in dark, hidden spots, but are also found outdoors under eucalyptus trees. Their diet includes flies, mosquitoes, bees, other insects and spiders, and they even prey on the dangerous recluse spider.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The spider has a small body compared with its long legs, which are three to four times the body length. It moves slowly and hunts only at night.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Adults measure between 30 mm and 70 mm in length.
Source: Wikipedia
Does it bite or sting?
Studies from Chilean universities consider its bite innocuous to humans.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It prefers dark, hidden places inside houses such as behind frames or in closets, and can also be found outdoors under eucalyptus trees.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
It also eats other spiders and is the only natural predator of the dangerous recluse spider.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
It hunts only at night.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
The species is native to South America, especially Chile, but also occurs in Argentina, Uruguay and Bolivia.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 9 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Florida, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, Texas, North Carolina, Louisiana, Mississippi.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: introduced in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
Where are they found inside a house?
They hide in dark, concealed spots such as behind frames or inside closets.
Source: Wikipedia
What do they eat?
They feed on various insects like flies and mosquitoes, as well as other spiders, including the recluse spider.
Source: Wikipedia
Are they native to my region?
They are native to South America, especially Chile, but also occur in Argentina, Uruguay and Bolivia.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Scytodidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scytodes_globula
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.