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Photo#286549
Black Purse Web Spider (Atypidae ?) - Sphodros niger

Black Purse Web Spider (Atypidae ?) - Sphodros niger
Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve, Loudoun County, Virginia, USA
June 6, 2009
Size: Approx. 1/2 inch length
Pretty sure this is a black purse web spider (Family Atypidae)... but would appreciate confirmation and would prefer ID at Genus/species level. Can anyone help? Photographed on a heavy canvas tarpaulin - it was its favorite spot to hang out. Very cooperative subject as mentioned on other web sites.

ID
based on John and Jane's observation that Rufipes has really red legs, atlanticus has some red on the legs, niger has red feet.

Moved
Moved from Spiders.

Sphodros sp. (Atypidae)?
I wonder if yours might be a female? Here's a male Sphodros atlanticus for comparison:


 
Maybe... Looks pretty similar...
I wondered about that, but without another to compare sizes with... I wasn't sure if I had a 'big girl' or not. This one didn't have any red on the metatarsus like the one in your photo... a species trait or a sex trait?

 
Good question
I know that among many other species of spiders coloration can vary between individuals, or between sexes, often a lot. I don't know if that happens in these spiders or not, but it might. Anyway, it was more the genus I wanted to suggest than a particular species. I didn't find anything else in the BG photos of Atypidae that looked as close to it as Shodros.

Nice spider you've got there.

 
Sphodros - fairly likely...
Thanks. I agree. Sphodros seems to match. Maybe niger? That would be exciting! Especially if it really is a female. Wishful thinking...

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