Short answer: No. Scytodes globula is not poisonous, and it is not regarded as a danger to people. Like almost all spiders, it is venomous: it uses venom to subdue the small insects and spiders it eats. We found no published medical reports of this species seriously harming anyone.
In Chile, where it often shares houses with people, the spider bite that worries doctors comes from a different species, the Chilean recluse (Loxosceles laeta). Scytodes globula is actually one of that spider’s predators.
Poisonous or venomous: what the question really means
“Poisonous” and “venomous” are often used as if they mean the same thing, but biologists separate them. A poisonous animal causes harm when it is eaten or touched. A venomous animal delivers its toxins actively, usually with a bite or sting.
Spiders fall in the second group. They inject venom through their fangs to stop prey from moving and to start digesting it. So the more accurate question is: is the venom of Scytodes globula a problem for humans? The rest of this page answers that, and explains why this spider has an unusual reputation in Chile.
What is Scytodes globula?
Scytodes globula is a spitting spider in the family Scytodidae. In Chile it is commonly called the araña tigre, or tiger spider, and English sources often call it the Chilean tiger spider.
| Scientific name | Scytodes globula Nicolet, 1849 |
|---|---|
| Family | Scytodidae (spitting spiders) |
| Common names | Chilean tiger spider, araña tigre |
| Native range | South America: recorded from Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil and Uruguay |
| Typical places | Inside houses in central Chile, especially dark, undisturbed spots; also found outdoors |
| Hunting style | Spits a sticky, venom-laced mixture over prey instead of trapping it in a web |
| Risk to people | Not considered medically significant |
The name has a long history. Over the years the species has also been described under several other names, including Scytodes maculata and Scytodes annulata, which are now treated as synonyms of S. globula in the World Spider Catalog.
How to recognize it
No single feature, especially not color, is enough to identify a spider. If you are in Chile or a neighboring country and want to know whether a house spider is Scytodes globula, look for several of these clues together:
- Location: southern South America, often indoors.
- Body shape: a high, domed front section (cephalothorax). In spitting spiders, this space holds the unusually large glands used for spitting.
- Color and pattern: usually pale yellowish to tan, with darker spots and streaks that give it the “tiger” name. Patterns vary between individuals.
- Legs: long and thin, with alternating dark and light bands.
- Eyes: six eyes arranged in three pairs, a trait shared with other spitting spiders. Recluse spiders also have six eyes in three pairs, so eye count alone will not separate the two.
- Movement: slow and deliberate rather than quick.
For a step-by-step method that works for any spider, see our spider identification guide.
How it catches prey: spitting instead of webs
Spitting spiders are named for the way they hunt. Rather than waiting in a capture web, a Scytodes spider walks slowly toward its prey. Once it is close enough, it squirts a mixture of glue, silk and venom from the openings near its fangs.
Research on a closely related species, Scytodes thoracica, found that the spider moves its fangs rapidly from side to side while spitting. This lays the sticky material down in a zigzag pattern that pins the prey to the surface. The spider then bites the trapped animal to finish subduing it.
Spitting spiders have fangs that are small for their body size. That suits a hunter that does most of its work at a distance and only bites prey that is already stuck.
What it eats
Scytodes globula takes a wide range of small prey, including insects and other spiders. Because it immobilizes prey from a distance, it can tackle animals that would be risky to grab directly. Chilean researchers describe it as a common house spider in the central part of the country and an active predator there.
Spiders that eat other spiders are called araneophagic. This habit is what links Scytodes globula to Chile’s best-known medically significant spider. You can read more about how spiders find food on our spider diet page.
The Chilean recluse connection
In Chile, the Chilean recluse (Loxosceles laeta, locally called the araña de rincón) is the spider behind loxoscelism, a condition that can cause skin damage and, less often, serious illness. Researchers have reported that all cases of necrotic arachnidism in Chile are attributed to this species.
The two spiders often live in the same houses. A 2013 study comparing their temperature preferences found a large overlap, meaning they are likely to use similar spots indoors.
When the two species were paired in laboratory encounters, Scytodes globula came out ahead in most of them. It also preyed on young recluses. The researchers concluded that it may help keep recluse numbers down in central Chile, but that it is not enough to control them on its own. They suggested combining it with other measures, such as keeping bedrooms clean and uncluttered.
You may see claims online that the tiger spider is the recluse’s “only natural predator,” or precise win rates from these experiments. The published studies support a narrower statement: Scytodes globula is one documented predator of the Chilean recluse, and its effect on recluse populations is still being studied.
Telling the two spiders apart
| Clue | Scytodes globula (tiger spider) | Loxosceles laeta (Chilean recluse) |
|---|---|---|
| Body shape | Domed, rounded front section | Flatter body |
| Color pattern | Pale yellowish to tan with dark spots and streaks | Mostly plain brown, often with a darker violin-shaped mark on the front section |
| Legs | Banded light and dark | Plain brown, without bands |
| Movement | Slow, careful walker | Can run quickly when disturbed |
| Eyes | Six, in three pairs | Six, in three pairs |
| Medical significance | Not considered significant | Medically significant; bites need medical attention |
If you are not sure which spider you have, do not handle it. Use a container and a sheet of card to move it, or take a clear photo from a safe distance.
Does Scytodes globula bite people?
Any spider with fangs can bite if it is pressed against skin, and a bite from a small spider may cause brief local pain or redness. But Scytodes globula is a slow, shy spider with small fangs, and its venom and spit are adapted to small prey. We found no published clinical reports of this species causing serious harm to people, and Chilean researchers attribute the country’s serious spider-bite cases to the Chilean recluse instead.
That makes the tiger spider one of the less worrying spiders to find indoors. In homes where recluses also live, it may even be doing some useful pest control. For more on the wider role spiders play, see why spiders are important.
If you were bitten by a spider you could not identify
Symptoms alone cannot tell you which spider bit you, and many skin problems that look like bites have other causes. In regions where the Chilean recluse lives, treat an unexplained bite with care:
- Wash the area with soap and water and keep it clean.
- Seek medical care promptly if the pain gets worse, the skin changes color or blisters, the affected area grows, or you start to feel unwell.
- In Chile, go to a health service or call the Ministry of Health’s Salud Responde line (600 360 77 77) for guidance. Outside Chile, contact your local emergency number or poison center.
Our spider bite and danger section covers bite safety in more detail.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Chilean tiger spider dangerous to pets?
We found no reports of Scytodes globula harming dogs or cats. Its small fangs and prey-focused venom make serious harm unlikely, but a pet that shows unusual swelling or illness should see a vet.
Should I keep tiger spiders in my house to control recluses?
Studies suggest the tiger spider can reduce recluse numbers, but not enough to rely on by itself. Chile’s Ministry of Health recommends regular cleaning of corners and dark spots, and checking clothing and bedding before use, to reduce encounters with recluses.
Is Scytodes globula the same as the spitting spider found in Europe and North America?
No. The spitting spider most often seen in European and North American buildings is usually Scytodes thoracica. It belongs to the same genus and hunts the same way, but it is a different species.
Browse more species on our spider types page.
References
- World Spider Catalog (2026). Scytodes globula Nicolet, 1849. Natural History Museum Bern. wsc.nmbe.ch (accessed November 2026).
- Fernández, D., Ruz, L. & Toro, H. (2002). Aspectos de la biología de Scytodes globula Nicolet, 1849 (Araneae: Scytodidae), un activo depredador de Chile central. Acta Entomológica Chilena, 26, 17–25.
- Alfaro, C., Veloso, C., Torres-Contreras, H., Solís, R. & Canals, M. (2013). Thermal niche overlap of the corner recluse spider Loxosceles laeta (Araneae; Sicariidae) and its possible predator, the spitting spider Scytodes globula (Scytodidae). Journal of Thermal Biology, 38(8), 502–507. doi:10.1016/j.jtherbio.2013.08.003
- Canals, M., Arriagada, N. & Solís, R. (2015). Interactions between the Chilean recluse spider (Araneae: Sicariidae) and an araneophagic spitting spider (Araneae: Scytodidae). Journal of Medical Entomology, 52(2), 109–116. doi:10.1093/jme/tju021
- Suter, R. B. & Stratton, G. E. (2009). Spitting performance parameters and their biomechanical implications in the spitting spider, Scytodes thoracica. Journal of Insect Science, 9, 62. doi:10.1673/031.009.6201
- Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Family Scytodidae. Wild About Spiders. dnr.illinois.gov
- Ministerio de Salud de Chile (2025). Campaña de verano: recomendaciones para prevenir riesgo por contacto de araña de rincón y murciélagos. minsal.cl
