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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Chelicerates (Chelicerata) » Arachnids (Arachnida) » Spiders (Araneae) » Mygalomorphs (Mygalomorphae) » Purseweb Spiders (Atypidae) » Sphodros
Photo#393981
Which Trapdoor Spider? - Sphodros
Copyright © 2010 StevenBren

Which Trapdoor Spider? - Sphodros
Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee, USA
May 9, 2010
Size: fully 28 mm +
Bren accidentally dug this one up without injuring it. Even wearing gloves she was a little aprehensive, and she's not afraid of spiders in the least -- she's just respectful of anything that looks this gnarly.

Images of this individual: tag all
Which Trapdoor Spider? - Sphodros Which Trapdoor Spider? - Sphodros Which Trapdoor Spider? - Sphodros
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Contributed by StevenBren on 9 May, 2010 - 3:49pm
Last updated 24 May, 2015 - 11:32pm

Moved
Moved from Purseweb Spiders.
… marshal hedin, 24 May, 2015 - 11:32pm login or register to post comments

Moved
Moved from Mygalomorphs.
… john and jane balaban, 13 March, 2011 - 5:13pm login or register to post comments

Moved
Moved from ID Request.
… Ken Schneider, 4 June, 2010 - 3:36pm login or register to post comments

Not trapdoor spider?
I'm thinking this is a female purseweb spider, family Atypidae. Huge chelicerae (jaws) and shape of cephalothorax suggest it. The spider is subterranean, but extends the silk lining of its burrow as a lengthy "purse web" above ground, camouflaged and resembling a tree root or stick.
… Eric R. Eaton, 10 May, 2010 - 2:19am login or register to post comments

 
Makes sense,
and it is different from smaller trapdoor spiders I have seen. Also, she would strike a very defensive upright posture moving her chelicerae backwards and exposing long extended fangs when urged to move. She looked like she could go through the gloves, so she is built to strike through the "purse web". I never saw the area she was from, or I might have seen the web tube. I had forgotten about these spiders. Bren put her back and she immediately began digging.
… StevenBren, 10 May, 2010 - 6:40am login or register to post comments

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