![]() The carapace is reddish-brown and their legs are the same color as the carapace, with a dull black to dark brown abdomen. Their chelicerae are about twice as long as they are wide and broadest at the base, similar to the males. ( Culter, et al., 2006 Foelix, 2011 Gertsch and Platnick, 1980 Hoffman, 2010 Newton, 2008 Wilder, 2011)įemales can reach up to 25 mm in length, making this the largest Sphodros species. The abdomen is dull black, oval shaped, and covered with many black hairs. The carapace is reddish brown to black with several small yellowish spots with chelicerae that often reach the length of the cephalothorax, are almost three times as long as they are wide, broad at the base, and with rough, curved hairs and spines. It has been hypothesized that this coloration may be a mimetic or aposematic display, advantageous to wandering males. Males are easily distinguishable from females by their crimson red legs. Activities related to reproduction often lead to increases in metabolic rate, with females investing more energy into production of the eggs and males investing more energy in respiration. Red-legged purseweb spiders have eight black eyes grouped close together on the front end of the carapace and three pairs of abdominal spinnerets used to construct tube-webs. Two pairs of venom glands are located in the cephalothorax, connected to the fangs (used to bite and envenommate prey). In this species, the chelicerae are oversized (1/2 length of carapace) and are used for capturing prey, defense, and for grasping items. Chelicerae, consisting of two parts (a basal segment and a movable fang) are attached to the front of the carapace. The dorsal plate of the cephalothorax is known as the carapace, and the ventral side known as the sternum. ![]() The posterior of the cephalothroax is flattened while the anterior slopes upward. As Arachnids, they have 12 appendages total which are connected to the cephalothorax: one pair of chelicerae, one pair of pedipalps, and four pairs of legs. In Red-legged purseweb spiders, the body is divided into two segments: the cephalothorax, which is black in color, and the abdomen (also called the prosoma or opisthosoma). ( Culter, et al., 2006 McKenna-Foster, et al., 2011 Reichling, et al., 2011 Wolff, 2005)Īll Sphodros have a similar physical appearance, characterized by a stocky, robust body held low to the ground with short, strong legs. Studying this species in the wild can be challenging as they prefer undisturbed woody habitats with good leaf and soil cover, and tend to be solitary and shy. They primarily live in temperate forests but may also occupy metropolitan areas. They also form webs on grassy vegetation and non-wooded structures. ![]() Red-legged purseweb spiders prefer to attach their webs to small hardwood trees. Red-legged purseweb spiders have the largest geographic distribution of all species in the family Atypidae (atypical tarantula), from the southeastern United Sates as far north as Rhode Island and Massachusetts and as far west as Kansas.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |