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Photo#726110
spider in tree hole with funnel opening - female

spider in tree hole with funnel opening - Female
Inbetween Kerrville and Junction, in a live oak tree, Kerr County, Texas, USA
November 23, 2012
Size: of a wolf spider
I traced some web lines to a hole in a live oak tree, the hole was about the size of a quarter and there was a funnel spun around the opening. The spider inside was very shy and would slowly back away when I shone a flashlight in there, so I could never get a picture of her, unfortunately. She would hide in the back of or hang upside down in the hole. She had a mottled grey and brown carapace with a darker vertical line of chevrons. Her abdomen was oval shaped and yellowish in color with random tiny black dots, nothing in particular about the arrangement, no pattern or anything. Her legs were grey and long and thin, not the thick legs that a hunting spider has, but noticeably thin for the size of her body. Her body was about the same size of your average wolf spider, but her abdomen was not a pointed oval like a wolf spider, it was more of a rounded oval. The burrow itself didn't have much web in it, just the opening. The spider stayed in her hole at night, that's the only time I saw her. I didn't see her in her hole during the day, but she could have been hiding from me like she did when I shined the flashlight on her.

Images of this individual: tag all
spider in tree hole with funnel opening - female spider in tree hole with funnel opening - female

perhaps Segestria?
I recently - and quite randomly - came across a web that matched what I saw, the Segestria web. I also saw a Segestria Pacifica, the sideview of the spider with the dark brown spots on the pale yellow abdoment matches the spider.
However, I could not find a Segestria species native to Texas. I did see that there's one in Mexico...which is not *too* far from where I saw this one.
The spider I saw also had a vertical line of chevron markings down the thorax/head and some zig-zag lines on the top of the abdomen...no matches of segrestria pics on that part.

Moved
Moved from ID Request.

Possibly Amaurobiidae- cf. Wa
Possibly Amaurobiidae- cf. Wadotes, Callobius?

 
she had about 5 or 6 spiderli
she had about 5 or 6 spiderlings hanging out with her in the web, so if this species young eats the mother before they come out, then can't be her.
I didn't mention the spiderlings, I thought it wasn't significant- that's very interesting about them.
I really hope I can get a picture of her some day.

 
I agree with Ian
The loose texture reminds me of an amaurobiid web rather than an agelenid. I'm confused about your comment about the spiderlings eating the mother--was there another comment here that was deleted?

 
i read that about the amaurob
i read that about the amaurobiid...and youre right the web is looser than the agelenid. i will just have to wait until i can get a pic of her if shes still there next time I visit

Funnel web spider?
It might be one of the Agelenidae. Most of your description matches (except maybe the shape of the abdomen). Any chance you'll be able to coax the spider out for a photo?


 
I thought it might be a grass
I thought it might be a grass spider based on the funnel opening... but I can't find any pictures of grass spiders that match her.

I've seen them before I used to have some in my backyard, I know they are quick moving and resemble wolf spiders in their build, but she was very slow moving and I would be hesitant to think she is a hunting spider, her legs were so delicate and spindly.

I won't be back at that location for another few months. :(
Do you have any suggestions as to how I could coax her out?

thank you :)

 
Maybe not a grass spider
but another funnel web spider? If you are trying to coax her out I'd try it a few different ways
1) catch a fly and throw it on the outer web
2) if that doesn't work get a piece of long grass or a thin twig and probe it into the hole.... they will usually come out, but there is not promise they won't come out & drop on the ground and run off!

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