Sphodros rufipes
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 Male S. rufipes
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| Sphodros rufipes (Latreille, 1829)  Wikispecies has information related to:
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Atypus rufipes |
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".
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, either in a burrow underground or against the side of a tree, 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] 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)
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