Anti-predator-adaptation

Guides

• Cyclocosmia torreya

  Torreya Trapdoor Spider

  Cyclocosmia torreya is a cork-lid trapdoor spider endemic to the Apalachicola River region of Florida. The species constructs burrows sealed with a hardened, disk-like abdominal shield that serves as a defensive plug against predators. It belongs to a genus characterized by this unique abdominal truncation, which has evolved independently as an anti-predator adaptation. The species is rare and poorly known, with only a handful of documented observations.

  endemictrapdoor-spidermygalomorphFlorida-endemicApalachicola-Riverburrowing-spideranti-predator-adaptationcryptic-species