Ravine Trapdoor is a rarely found, oddly-shaped spider, indigenous to different parts of North America, belonging to the Halonoproctidae family.
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.
Their eggs remain within a sac, which the female spider protectively hangs inside her burrow.
No significant detail remains available about the ravine trapdoor spiderlings.
They have low venom levels, rarely known to bite, thus, not being dangerous to humans.
Distribution | Parts of North America |
Habitat | Damp, shaded slopy areas, hilly regions, |
Predators | Wasps |
Diet | Cricket, beetles, grasshoppers, and moths |
Lifespan | 5 – 6 years (females are known to live for about 12 years) |
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.
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.
Their eggs remain within a sac, which the female spider protectively hangs inside her burrow.
No significant detail remains available about the ravine trapdoor spiderlings.
They have low venom levels, rarely known to bite, thus, not being dangerous to humans.
Distribution | Parts of North America |
Habitat | Damp, shaded slopy areas, hilly regions, |
Predators | Wasps |
Diet | Cricket, beetles, grasshoppers, and moths |
Lifespan | 5 – 6 years (females are known to live for about 12 years) |
Image Source: I.redd.it, Pbs.twimg.com, I.ytimg.com, Savannahnow.com