New Trapdoor Spider Discovered in Auburn, Alabama
Posted on May 8, 2012
Researchers at Auburn University have discovered a new trapdoor spider species in a subdivision in the heart of the city of Auburn, Alabama. The spider, Myrmekiaphila tigris, goes by the common name of Auburn Tiger Trapdoor spider. It is named in honor of Auburn University's costumed Tiger mascot, Aubie. A female Auburn Tiger Trapdoor spider is pictured above.
The research team was directed by Biological Sciences professor Jason Bond, lead investigator and director of the Auburn University Museum of Natural History, and Charles Ray, a research fellow in the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology. Bond and Ray live in the neighborhood where the trapdoor spider was discovered.
Take a look:
Trapdoor spiders are known for building subterranean burrows, which they cover with a hinged door made from a combination of silk and soil. Female trapdoor spiders spend nearly their entire lives in a single silk-lined burrow from which they forage as sit-and-wait predators. Prey are captured, usually at night, when an insect or other animal causes a vibration on the door. This provokes the spider to leap from the burrow entrance, bite and envenomate the unsuspecting victim, and then return to the bottom of the burrow to eat.
The researchers say female members of this newly discovered species are secretive (like other female trapdoor spiders) and spend more of their lives in their underground burrows. The females can live to be 15 to 20 years old. Males of the species are more likely to be encountered by people. Once males reach sexual maturity at around 5 or 6 years old, they emerge from their burrows to find a female with which to mate. The researchers say wandering males can be found in relatively large numbers on neighborhood sidewalks, in swimming pools and even in homeowners' garages for a brief time during the months of November and December.
Due to superficial similarities, Myrmekiaphila tigris, was previously believed to be a different species, M. foliata, according to a taxonomic study of the group that was published a few years ago. However, closer examination revealed considerable differences in appearance, particularly in their genitalia, that were supported by additional DNA studies.
The study describing the Auburn Tiger Trapdoor Spider is published here in the journal, Zookeys.
Photo: Jason Bond/Auburn University