Medicinal-use
Guides
Atypus
Purse-web Spider, Purseweb Spider
Atypus is a genus of mygalomorph spiders commonly known as purse-web spiders, first described by Latreille in 1804. These spiders construct distinctive silk tubes (purse-webs) that extend from underground burrows vertically along tree bases, fences, or other surfaces. The genus occurs across Eurasia and northern Africa, with 38 described species as of 2025. Atypus species are perennial, with females living 8–10 years, and conduct nearly all life activities—including predation, mating, and egg-laying—within their sealed webs. One Asian species, A. karschi, has been introduced and established in southeastern Pennsylvania, USA.