''Sphodros rufipes'', sometimes called the red legged purseweb spider, is a

mygalomorph The Mygalomorphae, or mygalomorphs, are an infraorder of spiders, and comprise one of three major groups of living spiders with over 3000 species, found on all continents except Antarctica. Many members are known as trapdoor spiders due to the ...

spider from the southern United States, though it has been photographed as far north as

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, Tennessee, Delaware, Louisiana, and

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est Virginia A recent sighting shows that these spiders can also be found in Canada. Recent sighting also in Kansas.What's That Bug: Sphodros rufipes
The species name ''rufipes'' is Latin for "red foot". This spider is also sometimes known as ''Sphodros (Atypus) bicolor'', a

synonym A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are al ...

Description

These spiders are solid and strong-looking and their bodies are black. The males have distinctive long red or red-orange legs, and the females have black legs. Females are known to reach a length of about 25 mm, or just under an inch, though they may also get slightly larger. Like other spiders in its infraorder

, it has fangs that point straight down rather than crossing.

Behavior

This spider has a distinctive method of catching its prey. It spins a tunnel of silk against the side of a tree or supported by stones or other convenient objects, 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. These spiders rarely leave their webs for any reason other than mating. Sphodros rufines.JPG, A male ''Sphodros rufipes'', showing its large vertical fangs in a threat display Sphodros sp. tube (Marshal Hedin).jpg, ''Sphodros'' species tube

Notes

References

* (1980). A revision of the American spiders of the family Atypidae (Araneae, Mygalomorphae). ''American Museum Novitates'' 2704
Abstract

PDF (12Mb)
* (2009)

version 9.5. ''American Museum of Natural History''.

External links

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1984229 Atypidae Spiders of North America Spiders described in 1829