ANIMAL SPECIES:Sydney Brown Trapdoor Spider, Misgolas villosus
The Sydney Brown Trapdoor Spider lives in silk-lined burrows, which are commonly found in the lawns, gardens and bushland of Sydney.
Identification
The Sydney Brown Trapdoor Spider's body has a dusty look about it, with golden brown hairs on the carapace (body) and greyish bars on the abdomen. The carapace is usually weakly arched in side profile. Their eyes are arranged in two compact rows. Males usually have a small double spur halfway along their first leg and have thick 'boxing glove' palps (front pair of limbs). Females are larger than males, and tend to be harder to identify to species level. These spiders are quite timid, although the male may rear up if threatened, and they are not dangerously venomous. Trapdoor spiders are quite different in appearance from the shiny brown-black funnel-web spiders, with which, being similar in size, they are often confused. Also unlike funnel-webs, they have short, blunt spinnerets.
Size range
1.5 cm - 3 cm body lengthSimilar Species
Funnel-web spiders; Mouse spidersDistribution
The Sydney Brown Trapdoor Spider is known from the George's river in southern Sydney to the Hunter River Valley in the north and just west of Parramatta in the west. However there are a number of other Misgolas species found in the Sydney region.
Habitat
The Sydney Brown Trapdoor Spider can occur in large numbers in urban and bushland areas.
Behaviour and adaptations
Feeding and Diet
The Sydney Brown Trapdoor plays an important role in controlling ground-dwelling insects and other arthropods such as beetles, cockroaches, crickets, slaters, spiders and even moths that stray too near the burrow entrance.
Other behaviours and adaptations
Unlike funnel-web spider burrows, the burrows of the Sydney Brown Trapdoor Spider have no silk trip-lines extending out from the rim and they are found in more open ground. Despite their common name, most Misgolas species do not make trapdoors but have an open burrow with a silken rim attached to the surrounding grass or leaf litter. The exception is another Sydney species, M. gracilis, which makes a light, wafer-like trapdoor.
Mating and reproduction
Male trapdoor spiders have a small double mating spur halfway along the first pair of legs, which is a distinction from similarly sized male funnel-webs that have a large spur on the second pair of legs instead. Males tend to wander throughout the year.
Living with us
Danger to humans and first aid
Although often mistaken for funnel-web spiders, the bite of a trapdoor spider is not dangerous, but may be painful and cause some local swelling. Apply a cold pack to relieve pain and seek medical attention if symptoms persist.
Classification
- Species:
- villosus
- Genus:
- Misgolas
- Family:
- Idiopidae
- Order:
- Araneae
- Class:
- Arachnida
- Phylum:
- Arthropoda
- Kingdom:
- Animalia
References
- York Main, B. 1976. Spiders. The Australian Naturalist Library, Collins, Sydney.
- Brunet, B. 1996. Spiderwatch: a guide to Australian spiders. Reed/New Holland.
- Simon-Brunet, B. 1994. The Silken Web: a natural history of Australian spiders. Reed Books.
- Wishart, G. 2006. Trapdoor spiders of the Genus Misgolas (Mygalomorphae: Idiopidae) in the Sydney Region, Australia, with notes on synonymies to M. rapax. Records of the Australian Musuem 58(1): 1-18
Would you like to add a comment?
Sign up to add comments and find out more about the other benefits you can enjoy.
Would you like to add a tag?
Sign up to add tags and find out more about the other benefits you can enjoy.
Sydney Brown Trapdoor Spider, male View full size
Mike Gray
© Australian Museum
Sydney Brown Trapdoor Spider, female View full size
M Gray
© Australian Museum
Featured product
Spiderwatch: a Guide to Australian Spiders
Bert Brunet - Published by Reed New Holland 1998, (Paperback)
Price: $29.95
Support us
Your support will have a real impact.
Online Shop
Great gifts.
Australian Museum Members
Join today.
Australian Museum Business Services
Professional consulting.
Museum as a Venue
Unique spaces.
Media Resources
Contact Publicity.