The Chinese Hourglass spider is a member of the family of Halonoproctidae spiders. The stomach of this spider is truncated, with a unique disk at the end of the abdomen.
Chinese Hourglass Spider
Size: Male: 2.1 cm Female: 2.5-3 cm
Color: These spiders are generally brown in color.
Other Characteristic Features: The abdomens of these spiders abruptly end in a rigid disk of around 3.2 cm in diameter, which resembles a copper coin. Due to this distinct feature, they are popular as pets.
Cyclocosmia ricketti
The eggs are laid inside the caves, which they protect by using the coin-shaped disk on their abdomen to block the entrance to their burrow, in a process called phragmosis.
As spiderlings are rarely seen outside the tunnels, very little is known about their appearance. They emerge from the burrow after they mature.
Like other trapdoor spiders, they are not great at constructing webs. They use the silk threads they generate to line their tunnels.
As they use stealth and speed to capture prey quickly, these spiders are not known to bite humans. However, despite their venom not being very toxic, their bite is still painful.
| Other names | Money Trapdoor Spider, Money Living-Door Spider, Severed Abdomen Spider |
| Lifespan | 5-10 years |
| Distribution | China, mainly the provinces of Fujian, Sichuan, and Zhejiang |
| Habitat | Caves |
| Common Predators | Scorpions and wasps |
| Diet | Insects such as ants, beetles, crickets, cockroaches, grasshoppers, and moths |
Cyclocosmia ricketti Spider
Image Source: reptileforums.co.uk, myhourglasscollection.com, live.staticflickr.com
The Chinese Hourglass spider is a member of the family of Halonoproctidae spiders. The stomach of this spider is truncated, with a unique disk at the end of the abdomen.
Chinese Hourglass Spider
Size: Male: 2.1 cm Female: 2.5-3 cm
Color: These spiders are generally brown in color.
Other Characteristic Features: The abdomens of these spiders abruptly end in a rigid disk of around 3.2 cm in diameter, which resembles a copper coin. Due to this distinct feature, they are popular as pets.
Cyclocosmia ricketti
The eggs are laid inside the caves, which they protect by using the coin-shaped disk on their abdomen to block the entrance to their burrow, in a process called phragmosis.
As spiderlings are rarely seen outside the tunnels, very little is known about their appearance. They emerge from the burrow after they mature.
Like other trapdoor spiders, they are not great at constructing webs. They use the silk threads they generate to line their tunnels.
As they use stealth and speed to capture prey quickly, these spiders are not known to bite humans. However, despite their venom not being very toxic, their bite is still painful.
| Other names | Money Trapdoor Spider, Money Living-Door Spider, Severed Abdomen Spider |
| Lifespan | 5-10 years |
| Distribution | China, mainly the provinces of Fujian, Sichuan, and Zhejiang |
| Habitat | Caves |
| Common Predators | Scorpions and wasps |
| Diet | Insects such as ants, beetles, crickets, cockroaches, grasshoppers, and moths |
Cyclocosmia ricketti Spider
Image Source: reptileforums.co.uk, myhourglasscollection.com, live.staticflickr.com
