Home / Halonoproctidae Spiders / Ravine Trapdoor (Cyclocosmia truncata)

Ravine Trapdoor (Cyclocosmia truncata)

Ravine Trapdoor is a rarely found, oddly-shaped spider, indigenous to different parts of North America, belonging to the Halonoproctidae family.

Ravine Trapdoor

Scientific Classification

Physical Description and Identification

Adults

Size: The females are 1.2 inches (30 mm), bigger than their male counterparts. The male ravine trapdoor species are 0.75 inches (19 mm) long.

Color: Like most spiders of the Cyclocosmia genus, they have a brown body.

Other Characteristic Features: They have a plump body and thick legs. The end of their abdomen possesses a disc-like structure that it uses for clogging its burrow’s entrance, especially when threatened by a predator.  If seen from behind, these spiders resemble a flat, circular shield. Their eight eyes are closely arranged in two equal rows, four up and the remaining four down.

Ravine Trapdoor Spider

Eggs

Their eggs remain within a sac, which the female spider protectively hangs inside her burrow.

Spiderlings

No significant detail remains available about the ravine trapdoor spiderlings.

Ravine Trapdoor Spiderling

Are Ravine Trapdoor Spiders Venomous

They have low venom levels, rarely known to bite, thus, not being dangerous to humans.

Quick Facts

DistributionParts of North America
HabitatDamp, shaded slopy areas, hilly regions,
PredatorsWasps
DietCricket, beetles, grasshoppers, and moths
Lifespan5 – 6 years (females are known to live for about 12 years)
Cyclocosmia Truncata

Did You Know

  • Their occurrence in the ravines of Alabama, Tennessee, and Georgia has earned them their name.

Image Source: I.redd.it, Pbs.twimg.com, I.ytimg.com, Savannahnow.com

Ravine Trapdoor is a rarely found, oddly-shaped spider, indigenous to different parts of North America, belonging to the Halonoproctidae family.

Ravine Trapdoor

Physical Description and Identification

Adults

Size: The females are 1.2 inches (30 mm), bigger than their male counterparts. The male ravine trapdoor species are 0.75 inches (19 mm) long.

Color: Like most spiders of the Cyclocosmia genus, they have a brown body.

Other Characteristic Features: They have a plump body and thick legs. The end of their abdomen possesses a disc-like structure that it uses for clogging its burrow’s entrance, especially when threatened by a predator.  If seen from behind, these spiders resemble a flat, circular shield. Their eight eyes are closely arranged in two equal rows, four up and the remaining four down.

Ravine Trapdoor Spider

Eggs

Their eggs remain within a sac, which the female spider protectively hangs inside her burrow.

Spiderlings

No significant detail remains available about the ravine trapdoor spiderlings.

Ravine Trapdoor Spiderling

Are Ravine Trapdoor Spiders Venomous

They have low venom levels, rarely known to bite, thus, not being dangerous to humans.

Quick Facts

DistributionParts of North America
HabitatDamp, shaded slopy areas, hilly regions,
PredatorsWasps
DietCricket, beetles, grasshoppers, and moths
Lifespan5 – 6 years (females are known to live for about 12 years)
Cyclocosmia Truncata

Did You Know

  • Their occurrence in the ravines of Alabama, Tennessee, and Georgia has earned them their name.

Image Source: I.redd.it, Pbs.twimg.com, I.ytimg.com, Savannahnow.com

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