| Atypus affinis | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Mygalomorphae |
| Family: | Atypidae |
| Genus: | Atypus |
| Species: | A. affinis |
| Binomial name | |
| Atypus affinis Eichwald, 1830 | |
 | |
| Synonyms | |
Oletera atypus Contents | |
Atypus affinis, the purseweb spider, is a mygalomorph spider from Europe and North Africa.
A. affinis is found throughout much of the European mainland, in Great Britain and in North Africa, where this fossorial spider typically inhabit dry heathland, open pine forest, meadows, grassland and the base of rocky outcrops. [1] [2] It is the only mygalomorph spider in the Nordics and the United Kingdom, but this species, which prefers relatively warm temperatures, is uncommon and localised in both those regions at the northern edge of its range. In the Nordics, it is only found on south-facing slopes in the southern part, where it is highly local but fairly widespread in Denmark and highly local in southern Sweden (Blekinge and Scania). [3] [4] In the United Kingdom, where the species is local and has declined, most records are from southern England, but it also ranges into Wales and north to far southwestern Scotland. [2] It was formerly listed for Ireland, which was based on the find of a single tubular webbing of the species in 1896, but today this is considered most likely to be from a plant nursery import and the species is no longer recognised as being found on the island. [1] [5]
Because of its hidden lifestyle, it is easily overlooked, although adult males can be seen wandering for a short period when they search for females and may be caught it pitfall traps. [1] [3] A. affinis tend to form colonies where the spiders can occur at high densities. [1] Because of its low dispersal ability, even colonies that are just a few kilometers apart can often be quite isolated from each other. [6]
These spiders are black or brownish and not particularly large; the males are about 7–9 mm (0.28–0.35 in), while the females are larger at 10–15 mm (0.39–0.59 in). They look much like Atypus piceus , but spiderlings are often very lightly colored, and the three-part posterior spinnerets do not have a light blot. Like other mygalomorph spiders, it has fangs that point straight down rather than crossing.
This spider spins an unusual web. It creates a tube of silk that is hidden partially underground, with the portion above ground being covered in leaves and other debris. The spider waits for an insect to land or crawl onto the tube, then bites through the silk to pull the insect inside. These spiders usually do not leave their webs for any reason other than mating.
These spiders become sexually mature at about 4 years. Autumn is the mating season, when the male spiders seek out a female spider and enter her burrow, where they live together until the male dies soon after mating. The female lays her egg sac inside the tube and the spiderlings hatch out the following summer, remaining with their mother for nearly another year after that.
Atypidae, also known as atypical tarantulas or purseweb spiders, is a spider family containing only three genera. They are accomplished ambush predators that spend most of their time in a sock-like, silken retreat on the ground from where they kill their prey.
The spider species Araneus diadematus is commonly called the European garden spider, cross orbweaver, diadem spider, orangie, cross spider, and crowned orb weaver. It is sometimes called the pumpkin spider, although this name is also used for a different species, Araneus marmoreus. It is an orb-weaver spider found in Europe, where it is native, and North America, where it was introduced.
Nephila is a genus of araneomorph spiders noted for the impressive webs they weave. Nephila consists of numerous species found in warmer regions around the world. They are commonly called golden silk orb-weavers, golden orb-weavers, giant wood spiders, or banana spiders.
The black house spider or common black spider is a common species of cribellate Australian spider, introduced to New Zealand and Japan. A closely related species, Badumna longinqua, the grey house spider, has a similar distribution, but has also been introduced to the Americas.
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Sphodros rufipes, sometimes called the red legged purseweb spider, is a mygalomorph spider from the southern United States, though it has been photographed as far north as Indiana, Missouri, New Jersey, Minnesota, Tennessee, Delaware, Louisiana, and Tuckernuck Island in Massachusetts [West Virginia]. A recent sighting shows that these spiders can also be found in Canada. Recent sighting also in Kansas.
Nephila pilipes is a species of golden orb-web spider. It resides all over countries in East and Southeast Asia as well as Oceania. It is commonly found in primary and secondary forests and gardens. Females are large and grow to a body size of 30–50 mm, with males growing to 5–6 mm. It is the second largest of the orb-weaving spiders apart from the recently discovered Nephila komaci. The first, second, and fourth pairs of legs of juvenile females have dense hairy brushes, but these brushes disappear as the spider matures.
Atypus karschi is a mygalomorph spider found in Korea, China, Taiwan, and Japan. It has been introduced into the United States.
Larinioides sclopetarius, commonly called bridge-spider or gray cross-spider, is a relatively large orb-weaver spider with Holarctic distribution. These spiders are located in Europe and have been observed as south as the Mediterranean Coast and as north as Finland. They are often found on bridges, especially near light and over water. The species tends to live on steel objects and is seldom seen on vegetation. Females reach a body length of 10–14mm, and males 8–9mm. Their orb webs can have diameters of up to 70 cm.
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Spiders are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, chelicerae with fangs generally able to inject venom, and spinnerets that extrude silk. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species diversity among all orders of organisms. Spiders are found worldwide on every continent except for Antarctica, and have become established in nearly every land habitat. As of August 2022, 50,356 spider species in 132 families have been recorded by taxonomists. However, there has been debate among scientists about how families should be classified, with over 20 different classifications proposed since 1900.
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