Sphodros rufipes

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Sphodros rufipes

Male S. rufipes

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Arachnida
Order:	Araneae
Suborder:	Mygalomorphae
Family:	Atypidae
Genus:	Sphodros
Species:	S. rufipes

Binomial name

Sphodros rufipes
(Latreille, 1829)

Wikispecies has information related to:

Sphodros rufipes

Synonyms

Atypus rufipes
Atypus bicolor
Oletera bicolor
Sphodros milberti
Atypus milberti

The Red legged purseweb spider (Sphodros rufipes) is an endangered mygalomorph spider from the southern USA, though it has been photographed as far north as Indiana and Missouri ^[1] They are also sometimes known as Sphodros (Atypus) bicolor. The species name rufipes is Latin for "red foot".

A male Sphodros rufipes, showing its large vertical fangs in a threat display.

Sphodros species tube

These spiders are solid and strong looking and their bodies are black, with the males having distinctive long red or red-orange legs and the females having black legs. Females are known to reach a length of about 25mm, or just under an inch, though they may also get slightly larger. Like other spiders in its infraorder mygalomorph, it has fangs that point straight down rather than crossing.

This spider has a distinctive way of catching its meals. It spins a tunnel of silk against the side of a tree or supported by stones or other convenient objects, and waits for its prey to land or climb on the side of the tunnel. Then the spider bites through the silk walls and pulls the prey inside. They rarely leave their webs for any reason other than mating.

This spider is endangered in much of its range due to a variety of reasons, one in particular being fire ants. ^[2]

[edit] References

[edit] Reference

Gertsch, W.J. & Platnick, N.I. (1980). A revision of the American spiders of the family Atypidae (Araneae, Mygalomorphae). American Museum novitates 2704. Abstract - PDF (12Mb)