Purse-web-spider
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 niger
Black purse-web spider, Black Purseweb Spider
Sphodros niger is a mygalomorph spider native to northeastern North America. Males reach approximately 11 mm in body length (29 mm with legs extended) and possess distinctive chocolate-brown legs contrasting with an otherwise black body. Females were not described until 1980, 138 years after the species was first named, due to their sedentary tube-dwelling behavior. The species is listed as a special concern species in Connecticut and ranked as vulnerable in Virginia.