Trap Door Spider

The name Trapdoor spider is a general term use when talking about a spider in the one of the following families: Idiopidae, Actinopodidae, Ctenizidae, Migidae, or Cyrtaucheniidae. The largest family by far is the Idiopidae family which includes the brown trapdoor spider and the spotted trapdoor spider.

The trapdoor spider is found mostly in the dry areas of Australia. The brown trapdoor spider (scientific name: Misgolas) is found in New South Wales and along Australia's eastern coast. This spider is identified by its dull, brown colored body. It has golden hairs and pale stripes across its abdomen. What makes this trapdoor spider different from the rest is that it has no "trapdoor". The spotted trapdoor spider (scientific name: Aganippe) is found to the west of the Great Dividing Range and in the south. The sigillate trapdoor spider is found all around Australia but is also different from the other spiders. What makes it different is the way it makes its burrow. The burrow is constructed from soil and the trapdoor is created from compost. This spider is identified by its glossy appearance and normally has 4-6 hairless spots. All of these spiders are members of the Idiopidae family.

Trapdoor spiders are extremely hard to identify and even harder to name exactly which specific spider it is without knowing each spiders distinct markings. The trapdoor spider, which is harmless, is often confused with the funnel web spider which is poisonous. It is anywhere between 1.5-3 cm long. The male spider is much smaller than the female and has short, stubby legs. The female can be as much as double the size of the male and has long, thin legs. The life span of the trapdoor spider is between 5 and 20 years.

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