''Sphodros niger'', the black purse-web spider, is a
mygalomorph spider from the
Eastern United States.
[Fitch, Henry S. (1963): Spiders of The University of Kansas Natural History Reservation and Rockefeller Experimental Tract.
] It is listed as a special concern species in
Connecticut.
Description
Males have a body length of about 11 mm, 29 mm with extended legs. The body is black, except for chocolate-brown legs.
[ Although the species was first described in 1842, females were first described in 1980.][Platnick, Norman I. (2009)]
The world spider catalog
version 9.5. ''American Museum of Natural History''. This results from the male's behavior of wandering about in search of mates, while females, which reside in tubes, are rarely found.
Name
The species name ''niger'' is Latin for "black".
References
Further reading
*Gertsch, W.J. & Platnick, N.I. (1980). A revision of the American spiders of the family Atypidae (Araneae, Mygalomorphae). ''American Museum Novitates'' 2704
Abstract
PDF (12Mb)
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2126798
Atypidae
Spiders of the United States
Spiders described in 1842