Atypidae
Guides
Atypus karschi
Karsch's Purseweb Spider
Atypus karschi is a mygalomorph spider native to East Asia (Korea, China, Taiwan, Japan) that has been introduced and established in southeastern Pennsylvania, USA. It constructs distinctive camouflaged tubular purse-webs attached to trees, shrubs, or walls, with a portion buried underground. The species was previously misidentified in North America as A. snetsingeri, but genetic analysis confirmed conspecificity with Asian populations. It is the first documented case of an introduced purse-web spider.
Sphodros fitchi
Sphodros fitchi is a species of purseweb spider in the family Atypidae. It is known only from the United States. As with other members of the genus, it constructs silk-lined burrows camouflaged with debris, but specific details of its biology remain poorly documented.