Females typically mate only once but produce multiple egg sacs (as many as 5, each containing approximately 40 eggs) during June/July they enclose themselves in the egg sac in order to defend the eggs/young. Males seek out females during breeding season (early summer) and up to 30% of males are killed and eaten by the females after breeding. These spiders overwinter as juveniles in the safety of these silk sacs, molting and achieving adulthood in late spring and emerging from the egg sac. Throughout develpment, yellow sac spiders undergo molting in order to grow, usually from within the protection of their silk sacs. After mating, females produce egg sacs within about 14 days, guarding the eggs and immature spiders for about 17 days, repeating this process multiple times during breeding season. Mating season is assumed to be during the summer months, due to increasing populations observed during this time. Range length 4 to 10 mm 0.16 to 0.39 in.The front pair of legs in particular are longer and are used in capturing prey. Although females' bodies are slightly larger and more robust, males have a larger leg span. Females are slightly larger than males, 5-10 mm and 4-8 mm, respectively. The body color is partially determined by their diet individuals known to feed on house flies are noticeably more gray in color, while those who feed on red-eyed fruit flies take on a reddish tinge, and so forth. While individuals are uniform in base color, their chelicerae, tarsi, and pedipalps are dark brown. Yellow sac spiders are typically cream to light yellow in color, sometimes with an orange-brown stripe running lengthwise across the abdomen. This species occupies a wide variety of habitats, including trees, forest floors, fruit orchards and other agricultural areas, and shrubs surrounding open fields (most of the biomes within the United States). Alternatively, the spiders may roll themselves up in leaves or other debris during daytime hours or in other tight places providing protection. Yellow sac spiders form silk tube-like sacs under ground debris and within man-made structures, hiding within these tubes during the day. There are also accounts of yellow sac spiders being found in Africa, which indicates that it may be an introduced species to that continent. Yellow sac spiders (sometimes known as agrarian sac spiders) are found throughout North and South America, including Mexico and the West Indies, United States, and southern Canada.
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